Susie Appleby - Match Reaction
By Mark Stevens
13/9/21
Susie Appleby was full of praise for her Exeter Chiefs Women’s side as they recorded their first Allianz Premier League win of the season with a 54-0 drubbing of Sale Sharks at Sandy Park.
Having been undone in their seasonal opener by Westcountry rivals Bristol Bears, the Chiefs responded in fine fashion in this latest outing, running in eight tries through Liv Jones, Kanako Kobayashi, Daleaka Menin, McKinley Hunt (2), Ebony Jefferies and Jennine Duncan.
Appleby’s side dominated from start to finish and it was little wonder the head coach was all smiles come the final whistle.
“There were a lot of positives to take from today,” she said. “We asked for physicality and to dominate from the start – and we got just that!
“What was pleasing was our attacking shape and our ability to get the ball into those outside channels. We didn’t always finish things off, that the next bit to work on, but we show the ability and understanding to get the ball to where we wanted.
“Also, defensively, we were very strong and some of our double shots were outstanding – and to keep them to zero, it really sent a message out to others in the division.”
Next up for the Chiefs is this Saturday’s testing trip to reigning champions Harlequins, who have started the new campaign with back-to-back victories over Loughborough Lightning and Worcester Warriors.
Appleby is well aware of the threat posed by the Londoners, but was encouraged with what she saw from this latest display from her own team.
“There is more for us to work on, but there always is,” she added. “What you saw today is the girls really enjoying themselves and that big win takes us into week three with real confidence.
“Quins’, we know, will be tough. We’ll use this week to have a real good look at them. Worcester put six tries on them yesterday, so there are some vulnerabilities there, so we will look closely at them, look at ourselves, and see what we can come up with.
“If we can play like we did at times today, then we will give ourselves a real shot to get something from the game.”
As well as paying tribute to her own side, Appleby was also quick to give thanks to the Chiefs faithful who turned out for their first home game of the season.
She said: “They were brilliant, weren’t they?
“Over time, the crowd will continue to grow, but just having people here makes a huge difference. You could see the girls feed off their support, so hopefully they’ll all come back to see us against Wasps.”