Robinson enjoying life under new coaching regime

Exeter Chiefs Women’s scrum-half Flo Robinson is into her fifth season with the club and, in her words, is “loving it”…along with the new freedom provided by assistant coach Oli Bishop.

As well as continuing her tenure as vice-captain, Robinson is also maintaining her pathway coaching duties, which means it’s business as usual in the main, but also quite different in how she is now playing the game.

The change in coaching staff saw Bishop brought in at the end of last season to take over running the backs and attack. For long-term players, this has meant setting the refresh button for many.

Robinson said: “Oli's made a big difference, definitely. As a coach, he's quite free. He wants you to be able to decision make on the move and to be able to spot the option that is actually on in the moment instead of just going through your own phases and your own shape and always doing the exact same thing.

“As a half-back, that's really interesting because it means my job is very different. Throughout the whole game, I'm then making decisions and playing what's in front of me a little bit more. I think as a rugby player, everyone wants to play like that. You want to play exactly what's in front of you, you want to chuck the ball about a bit and play nice rugby.

“If an option’s on, take it. If you don't execute, that's okay as long as your decision was right and you were taking the best thing that was there. You were brave and you actually went for it.”

This new-look attitude was in evidence in Chiefs Women’s last game out against Gloucester-Hartpury. Once the half-time decision had been made to look after the ball a little more, four tries followed, and flowed, in the second half.

This weekend, Chiefs face Loughborough Lightning, a team that will present their own set of challenges.

Robinson said: “They've obviously got very quick back three. That's something that stands out for me. It is sort of a massive threat to deal with, but then they've also got some really powerful runners in the middle.

“They've got a young No 8 (Haineala Lutui), who’s come up through England U20s and she's a very good ball carrier. Then, you’ve got the likes of Sadia (Kabeya); they've got threats all around the park.

“So, I wouldn't say there's one thing in particular that we're expecting. I think it's threats in different areas; how you manage that is just by focusing on ourselves and making sure our defence…everything…is consistent.”

Chiefs go into this PWR game with six points after two rounds, meaning they are sitting in third place in the table. Robinson is relishing the new regime she is playing under and the positivity around the Chiefs squad.

“I am loving it,” she said. “It's quite different to last season. The vibe is very different. Everyone's a bit more willing to play and I think it's really good. We're feeling very positive about the season.

“We know that there's stuff we've done right, but a lot that we've done wrong and there's loads to then learn. And even though that's frustrating as a player, because you know you're not quite where you want to be, it's really nice because you know that we can really improve.”

Watch the full video below to hear Robinson’s take on her boot to butt meeting with Sarah Beckett, to find out what went on in the on-pitch meeting with senior players during half-time in the Gloucester-Hartpury game, and more on her pathway coaching role with the University of Exeter and Exeter College.