Chiefs need to continue to build - Zackary

By Harry Scott-Munro
3/10/21

Exeter Chiefs Women’s co-captain Kate Zackary was full of praise for her side, after they backed up their Round 3 victory against Harlequins in the Allianz Premier 15s with an equally impressive taming of Wasps at Sandy Park.

Tries from DaLeaka Menin and Rachel Johnson, along with a pair of conversions and four penalties from Gabby Cantorna, proved sufficient enough to see the Chiefs move into the top four of the division thanks to their 23-13 victory.

With the match played out in atrocious conditions, Susie Appleby’s side turned round a 5-3 deficit to run out comfortable victors in the end.

And it was that second half showing which proved decisive for the Devonains, who Zackary admitted post-game weren’t ‘quite at the races’ in the first period.

“I think for 40 minutes, we forgot how to play in the rain,” she said. “We forgot those little principles of tightening up our attack, worrying about the ball before the next phase. The talk at half-time was about what we could control, which we certainly did in the second-half.”

Explaining the turnaround, Zackary heaped praise on the leaders within the side for their clear messaging and direction throughout the match.

“It’s a complete hats off to our game leaders. Emily leading the scrum, Poppy leading the line-out and Gabby leading our kicking options. We had some quick, short, sharp chats throughout the match on decisions. What is the line-out like? Should we take the points? That paid dividends on the scoreboard.”

The match also saw a return to action for Cantorna, after she missed the win at Harlequins with injury. Zackary was thrilled to see her fellow American finish with a 100% success rate off the tee, but also took the time to praise young guns Flo Robinson and Merryn Doidge for the kicking options that they have also added to the side.

“It’s great to have Gabby back. Last time, Merryn and Flo stepped in and they were superb for us and put their names out there. It’s great to have Gabby back though and to finish 100% with her kicks is phenomenal.”

After that stunning victory in London against the defending champions, it was crucial for the Chiefs to back that result up with a win.

“The biggest thing we’ve talked about heading into this week is not focusing on who the opposition is and what they bring,” added the all-action No.8. “We went to Quins and beat the reigning champions, but it wasn’t about that. It’s about us building to try and be the best in the league. Wasps were above us in the table and so, if we want to be top four, we need to ask what we can do to get there?”

There is now a real strength in depth to this Chiefs side, with Zackary admitting that the competition for places will continue to drive her side forward.

“Jerseys are going to be tough to come by every week and it’s going to be tough in our training weeks. It will always be interesting to see who ends up on the field,” she acknowledged. “But those that do, will be people that deserve to be there and there will be people right behind them, chasing that jersey.”