Match Reaction - Susie Appleby
By Harry Scott-Munro
16/1/22
“I don’t know how that happened!”
Those were the words of Exeter Chiefs Women’s Head Coach Susie Appleby as she reflected on the most dramatic of victories for her side in their latest Allianz Premier 15s fixture against defending champions Harlequins at Sandy Park.
Patricia Garcia landed the decisive blow for the Devonians, landing a match-winning penalty with the last kick of the game, after tries from Zintle Mpupha and Hope Rogers had helped to counter scores from Chloe Edwards, Jade Konkel and Hannah Duffy.
“We haven’t played very well, but we’ve got a win against the champions which is amazing. We’ve sent a message to the league as well,” said Appleby. “There was some real self-belief and a very good bench today.”
Having trailed by seven points with just ten minutes to go, the Chiefs rallied with a try from debutant Rogers and Garcia’s late penalty, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Appleby was quick to credit the impact of her bench, as they shored up a set-piece that was creaking at times, as well as adding additional dynamism to the performance.
“We know that is what it will come to,” said Appleby. “You need eight players to finish the job and our bench was magnificent. Hope (Rogers) and McKinley (Hunt) did really well. Then Ebony (Jefferies) as well, busting down the wing with Jennine, what an impact! Clara (Nielson) as well. She came on and really sorted the line-out out. It’s crucial once you get to 60/70 minutes that you are able to change the game if you need to. Those players certainly did that.”
Despite the jubilation and relief at the victory, Appleby could still see room for improvement.
“The message all week was about being pragmatic but wanting to play. I feel we didn’t really express ourselves and weren’t as accurate as we would have hoped. We didn’t play as we can today, but we’re still capable of winning.”
Appleby also took the time to praise the defence performance from her side, as they resisted wave after wave of Harlequins attacks, whilst admitting that the character within the squad was ultimately what secured the victory.
“Our defence was magnificent, and we knew it had to be like that against the champions. The self-belief that I hope that brings could be crucial. There’s huge character in our squad and huge belief,” she asserted. “We’ve got the ability. We’ve got the skills. Now, we need to look at how we consistently couple it all together to put in performances and beat good sides. That’s our challenge but getting better and better is what playing, and coaching is all about.”
The head coach also made sure to highlight the impact of the magnificent Sandy Park crowd, as they roared her side on to victory.
“This crowd at Sandy Park is really special. I can only imagine what it is like to play in front of them. They love rugby. They came in their droves to watch the boys yesterday and were then here again today. They were really behind us today and I really hope the girls felt it. That’s what it’s going to take to push forward. It’s a special day.”
With the match also streamed live on the BBC, Appleby felt that a game such as this was the perfect way to entice more viewers to the league.
“I hope it looked alright on the TV. It was a bit edgy from both sides, but a tight game of rugby like that is just the sort of thing that needs to be being put out there.”
With a two-week break before her side’s next outing against Wasps, Appleby wants her side to focus on themselves, as they look to keep putting in winning performances.
“Wasps have an incredibly strong side. They go about their business and know what they are doing. We don’t know who will be on the field, as there will be 7s players away, but we’ll focus on ourselves. We’ll prepare as we always do to get the best performance we can. Now though, we push ourselves into the second half of the season in a really good place.”