'We have to go for it' - Parling

By Mark Stevens
8/12/16

Geoff Parling insists he and his Exeter Chiefs team-mates have to “go for it” ahead of Sunday’s latest European Champions Cup encounter with Bordeaux-Begles at Sandy Park.

After two rounds of battle so far this term, Rob Baxter’s side find themselves bottom of Pool 5 with just a solitary point to their name.

Back-to-back defeats to Clermont Auvergne and Ulster Rugby have left last season’s quarter-finalists with a huge task ahead of them, but Parling insists history has shown that strange things can happen when it comes to Europe, and nothing is quite done and dusted just yet.

“We have to go for it,” said the England and British Lions international. “We’re well aware we have a huge task ahead of us, but we’ve seen unusual things happen in the past. You only have to look at the last day of qualifying here last season to see that.”

Parling was referring to Exeter’s final pool game of last season where they went into the game with little to lose, yet came out of their 33-17 victory over Ospreys celebrating not only a bonus point success, but also qualification into the last eight after Clermont surprisingly slipped up at home to French rivals Bordeaux Begles.

“We knew we had to win that game with a bonus point, the mathematics were pretty simple in that respect,” added the 33-year-old forward. “Even when we got the win and the bonus point we still didn’t know until Stevo [our media man] came in and told us.

“It was a pretty surreal day, but the feeling when we found out was great. That’s why we can’t say this season is over, we have to go again and produce more of those kinds of performances.”

Certainly the Chiefs have shown in recent weeks that they have rediscovered their winning formula, accruing four successive victories, three of them in the Aviva Premiership.

That upturn in fortunes, plus the return of a number of key names from injuries, mean the Chiefs head into Sunday’s tussle in fine fettle.

“We’re miles better,” continued Parling. “We know we weren’t firing at the start of the season, but at the same time we knew it wasn’t the end of the world, like some people thought it may have been. If we’re honest with ourselves we didn’t show the energy we wanted in games, but the last month or so we’ve got back to where we want to be and it’s shown in the results. Hopefully, we can use those performances to push on for the rest of the season.”

Part of the difference has been Exeter’s improvement in both attack and defence, the latter point underlined during last week’s away win at Sale Sharks, where they restricted Steve Diamond’s side to just a solitary first half penalty.

“Showing that kind of defence was important,” said Parling. “If you look back at the Worcester game, yes we played some outstanding attacking rugby and scored some great tries, but we also let them in for a couple of cheap tries right at the end of the game.

“I think the difference recently has been the work we’ve been willing to put in. I don’t mean we weren’t working hard earlier in the season, but recently we’ve certainly addressed certain things and shown a marked improvement.

“It’s like anything in life, if you’re willing to work really hard at something, you’ll get the end rewards. Last season a lot of what we did well came down to how hard we were willing to work, both in attack and defence, and that’s what we need to keep replicating each week. We need to show that big level of consistency week after week.”

Standing in the way of the Chiefs on Sunday – and next week for that matter – will be Raphael Ibanez’s Bordeaux side, who showed last season that they are a more than capable threat at European level.

“It will be a different challenge to what we face in the Premiership each week,” added Parling. “Also you have to adapt to the different interpretations from the officials as well. We know from last season that Bordeaux like to attack and chuck it around a fair bit. They also like to stop us at source, so we’ve chatted about this week and put a focus on certain things to ensure we can do what we want to do.”

And if the Chiefs can get things right – as they have planned – then not only will it open up the group for them again, but also give them the perfect lift ahead of next week’s trip to the Stade Chaban Delmas.

“As I said earlier, we have to go for it, nothing else will really do,” said Parling. “If we can win this week, then follow it up again next week over in France it puts us in a much stronger position than we are now. It will be tough, but that’s a given at this level. We just need to turn up, focus and put in a big display.”

Helping to add to the occasion will be another decent Sandy Park crowd which, according to the experienced lock, is now finding reason to have things to shout about.

“I think you’re right when you say they are making a bit of noise again,” he continued. “Earlier in the season we didn’t give them too many reasons to get revved up, but now I think we’re in a good place and it’s up to us to continue that, starting this weekend.”