Match Reaction - Susie Appleby
By Mark Stevens
14/6/23
Just days after the drama of her side’s Allianz Premier 15s semi-final win over reigning champions Saracens, Exeter Chiefs Women’s head coach Susie Appleby is already turning her attentions to next week’s mouth-watering clash with Gloucester-Hartpury at Kingsholm.
For the first time since the league was set up, a new name will be etched onto the top prize for women’s rugby in England.
After an exhausting season, which has also included the Rugby World Cup for a large number of the players on show, the division’s top two will collide in what promises to be a mouth-watering encounter between the Westcountry rivals.
And for Appleby - who moved to the Chiefs from the Cherry & Whites back in 2019 - the chance to bring a first-ever league title to Sandy Park is something she and her players are hellbent on achieving, having already secured the domestic Cup crown for a second successive season.
“We’re all excited for the final, of course we are,” she said. “Getting to the final was a key objective and beating Sarries was the only way to do that. Right now, I think we all feel pretty exhausted because it was such a high-tension and physical game. The first half didn’t go quite to plan, but the important thing was we didn’t panic and just told the girls to keep the ball and put the pressure on them.
“In the second half, we did that and that’s what brought about the yellow cards for them, which we were then able to capitalise on. We started to play the rugby and that’s when the points started to flow for us.”
Having trailed 14-0 at the break against the Londoners, the Chiefs ran in 24 points during the second half, including Eilidh Sinclair’s match-winning try with less than two minutes remaining.
“I can’t praise the girls enough,” added Appleby. “The fight and the desire they showed was unbelievable, but so too was the support we got from the stands. I’ve said it many times, they are like a 16th man and they definitely helped get us over the line. At times you couldn’t hear yourself think, but that’s what makes it so special.
“When I first came to the club, we had to build everything from the bottom up, including our fan base. To have over 4,000 people here, cheering our team, it shows not only the strides we’ve made as a club, but also the strides the women’s game is making generally.”
Now, Appleby is hoping that army of supporters will make the short trek up the M5 for the final against Gloucester-Hartpury, who themselves advanced at the expense of Bristol Bears.
“We’re expecting another massive test,” warned Appleby. “I know we beat them recently, but they rested a lot of players that day. It’s going to be a massive physical encounter, similar to the Saracens game, so we have to be on our game from the outset. We’ll do all of our prep, as always, and we’ll get the girls in the best place they can be.
“We know that on our day we’re capable of turning any side over in the league. It’s their first final, it’s our second final, we’re both from the Westcountry, so it should be an amazing occasion.”