Match Reaction - Ali Hepher
By Mark Stevens
5/6/22
Exeter Chiefs head coach Ali Hepher says he and his team will use their final-day victory over Harlequins as a springboard to really go after the Gallagher Premiership next season.
For the first time in years, the Chiefs will not be amongst the division’s final four, battling it out for a place in the end of season showpiece at Twickenham.
A mixed campaign for the Devonians was brought to a close with a 47-38 victory overt the reigning champions at Sandy Park - a result which almost meant the Chiefs finished up seventh in the final standings.
In an enthralling encounter played out in front of a record-breaking crowd, the two sides shared 13 tries in total. However, it was the Chiefs who pulled clear late on to secure victory and ensure they headed for the summer break with a bit of a spring in their step.
“It was an up and down game, a tale of our season really,” admitted Hepher afterwards. “That said, it’s nice to see this place back and bouncing again. On a groundbreaking day for the club, I think we all needed that. We’ve had a lot thrown at us this season and at times we found it hard to believe we were still in the mix.
“There have been games where we’ve let sides back into the game, especially late on, but today we had enough about us to see it through and that win will certainly gives us confidence to go into pre-season and to go into next season.”
With both sides determined to attack at will, it made for a mouth-watering showdown played out in front of England coach Eddie Jones.
“Styles make good matches and I think the two styles today compliment each other for that type of game,” added Hepher. “As I said, now we’ve got to keep that momentum going and take it into next season.
“What I liked about today was the way the lads just hung in there. When they scored, we didn’t let it affect us too much, we kept working hard, battling for one another and in the end we got our rewards for it.”
With the Chiefs now set for a five-week break before pre-season resumes, Hepher hopes the time off will allow his squad to not only recharge their batteries, but also come back with a hunger and desire to really attack the new season.
“In any season, you must build your foundations early on and that’s something we probably struggled to do this season,” he continued. “We were scrapping for a lot of the season and we never really got ahead of the game, unlike in the past when we have done that.
“With a run of injuries and international call-ups, we had to play props and hookers in the back five, which has never happened before. That said, we’ve got to six finals in the past so you don’t throw away a winning formula that has served us so well. It may need some fine tinkering, as we have learnt a lot from this season, but we’ll reset and we’ll go again.
“No side can go on forever and no club has stayed at the top forever, we have just to have to learn from this season and reset ourselves, ready to hit next season from day one.”