Exeter Turn to the Prem Cup to Restart Their League Season
Exeter boss Rob Baxter says his side must use the Prem Rugby Cup to kickstart a league campaign that has stalled. The club have won one of their five Premiership matches and sit second from bottom of the table going into a three-game cup block in November.
The Prem Rugby Cup is a separate competition from the league. Teams play group-style matches that count towards a different table, and it gives squads a run of games without the pressure of the main standings. For Exeter, the first of those matches is at home on Saturday, when Bath visit Sandy Park.
Baxter has been clear about what he wants from the next few weeks. BBC Sport reports that he wants his players to put their foot on the pedal, build momentum and start collecting points after the cup block. Momentum matters in a league. Winning run after winning run is how a side climbs a table, and Exeter have not yet found one this season.
Baxter also expects to make a number of changes, so the team will look different from the one that has struggled in the league. Winger Paul Brown-Bampoe could make his first appearance of the season, having had heel surgery over the summer. Heel surgery is an operation on the back of the foot, and recovery from it takes months, so his return is a welcome boost.
Two new signings are also in line for their Exeter debuts. Andre Goedhals and Carwyn Tuipulotu are expected to feature in the cup matches. Fly-half Ben Coen is also in line to play, after spending time with Championship side Cornish Pirates. The Championship is the second tier of English club rugby, so Coen's time there gives Exeter another option at number 10, the position that steers the team's attack and kicking game.
The cup is also a chance to put things right after a difficult spring. Exeter reached last season's Prem Rugby Cup final, but they lost 66-14 to Leicester in that match. Baxter took "full responsibility" for that defeat, according to BBC Sport. The Prem title was also out of reach in June, when Northampton beat Exeter 26-17 in the final. George Hendy scored two tries in the last three minutes of the second half to settle it.
Exeter's supporters will want to see a quick reaction. Bath are the visitors on Saturday, and a win would give the squad a lift before the league picks up again. A slow start would make the rest of the cup block harder to turn into a run of results.
For now, the focus at Sandy Park is simple. Exeter need points, and they need them soon.
