Garcia leaves it late to sink Harlequins
By Harry Scott-Munro
18/1/22
Exeter Chiefs Women’s star Patricia Garcia admitted that “it was good to get a second opportunity” as she brushed off her late missed conversion to slot a match-winning penalty to secure an 18-17 victory over defending Allianz Premier 15s champions Harlequins.
Garcia’s penalty deep into added on time, alongside another five points from her boot and tries from Zintle Mpupha and Hope Rogers, saw the Chiefs squeak home and completed a first-ever league double over the Londoners.
Reflecting on that final kick, Garcia admitted that she was not going to miss the opportunity.
“It was a second opportunity for me and sometimes you don’t get those. At the end, having that penalty advantage and that penalty kick, I just couldn’t miss that.”
Whilst obviously delighted with the victory, Garcia could still see room for improvement ahead of Exeter’s next fixture with Wasps in a fortnight’s time.
“In terms of attack, we need more accuracy and to be a bit more consistent. Our rucking was good, but we can play way better,” she explained. “In defence though, it was a great effort. Yes, we conceded penalties, but that was from them putting us under pressure.”
The impact of the Exeter bench was crucial in the final outcome and whilst their influence was huge on the match in general, Garcia took the time to explain how it is an entire squad effort in terms of preparing for each fixture.
“I think that is what Chiefs is all about as a club. It’s not just 1-23, it’s the 50 girls who are fighting hard in training every week. There’s so much competition for the shirts and the girls who came off the bench made a huge impact.”
Garcia also praised the Sandy Park faithful, as they roared her side to the finish line. With the match also shown live on the BBC, Garcia was adamant that the game was only continuing to grow.
“Women’s rugby is growing and it’s a very exciting time. For us, it’s the first time there’s been a team at this level in the South West and we’re so grateful to have so many people here supporting us.”
With two weeks until the next fixture, an away trip to Wasps, Garcia challenged her side to “learn from our mistakes,” as they look to keep up the pressure at the top of the table.
“Quins put us under a lot of pressure, and we need to learn from that,” said the Spanish international. “Going away to Wasps, it will be another very tough match. We have two more weeks to prepare and learn from our mistakes. It’s all about getting better.”