Chiefs Women 61 DMP Sharks 0
Exeter Chiefs Women 61
DMP Sharks 0
James Fowler at Sandy Park
Exeter Chiefs Women maintained their free-scoring form in the Allianz Premier 15s, producing another dominant display, both in attack and defence, to overcome lowly DMP Sharks at Sandy Park.
There were nine tries in total for Susie Appleby's side, five of those coming in a dominant final quarter in which DMP were unable to live with the power coming off the home bench.
The Chiefs opened up their account for the afternoon through hooker Clara Nielson, as she went over from a close-range catch-and-drive line-out, before Claudia MacDonald added the second just before half time as she raced clear from halfway out.
Following an error strewn first half, the Chiefs came out in the second half a different side with Ebony Jefferies, then Gaby Cantorna, crashing over the line from close range.
No.8 Kate Zackary managed to force her way over for yet another try, to add to the three she picked up in the victory over Wasps last weekend, before Cliodhna Moloney got in on the act, crossing from another close-range driving maul, before Nancy McGillivray picked a beautiful line to add the Chiefs seventh of the afternoon.
Even then there were still time for flanker Rachel Johnson to put some late gloss put on the performance, the powerful American forward bagging a brace late on to complete another maximum haul for the Devonians.
With the Chiefs expected to run up yet another cricket score against a DMP Sharks side who sit bottom of the standings without a win in over two seasons, this was always going to potentially be a banana skin game for Exeter to overcome
The game did, however, start in expected fashion with the Chiefs hammering away at the visitors' line continuously. It took however until the 12th minute for the hosts to finally force their way over the line, Nielson going over from what is now an immensely well-drilled line-out move.
With the 2,000 strong crowd now expecting to see a flood of tries, what followed was arguably one of the scrappiest halves of rugby there has been all season, with both sides struggling to keep hold of the ball for more than a few phases, despite the dry conditions.
It took another incredible solo effort from Red Roses star MacDonald just before half time to finally unlock the dogged DMP defence, as she raced clear from halfway, following a stunning offload from the Exeter University student McGillivray.
HALF TIME: EXETER CHIEFS 14 DMP SHARKS 0
The Chiefs came out for the second half seemingly rejuvenated and this showed when Jefferies picked a beautiful line to crash over for Exeter’s third of the afternoon, with less than five minutes played in the second half.
It was hoped that this score would now give the Chiefs the boost they need to go on and run away with the game, however more handling errors and some strong defence from a DMP side who seem to have found a new lease of life following the recruitment of five USA internationals into their ranks last month, meant the home side still struggled to find any fluency in their performance.
With the instructions coming down from the coaches for the side to be more direct, Cantorna duly obliged, as she barged her way over from 10 metres out to give the Chiefs the all-important bonus point score.
Appleby then turned to her bench and the replacements seemed to add a huge amount of fresh impetus to the Chiefs performance, with Hope Rogers and Liv McGoverne especially making a big impact following their introduction to the game.
It wouldn’t be a Chiefs Women’s match without USA Eagles captain Zackary getting onto the scoresheet, and she made sure this game was no exception, as she forced her way over from close range following more concerted pressure from the home side, who it seemed had finally started to find their rhythm.
Moloney soon added another to her tally for the season in the 69th minute, as she peeled off the back of a driving line-out, which she controlled perfectly at the back to dot down for the hosts.
With the game now in the final 10 minutes you could sense that despite showing a huge amount of resolve throughout the game, the DMP dam was finally starting to burst, and McGillivray was able to take advantage of a now clearly tiring defence, as she barged her way over for the Chiefs seventh of the afternoon.
Not done there, it was Johnson who would have the final say however, as she produced two late solo efforts to put a late shine on what had up until that point been a scratchy performance from the hosts.
The first of Johnson’s scores was created by an excellent box kick from replacement scrum-half Brooke Bradley, which allowed MacDonald to put in a monstrous hit on the DMP winger, before Moloney produced an even better clear out at the resulting ruck, allowing Johnson to pick up the loose ball. Still with plenty of work left to do, the back-rower shrugged away the defenders like they were rag dolls, to race clear for the try.
Johnson’s second was secured just three minutes later following good concerted pressure from the Chiefs inside the DMP 22, this time the American was not going to let any visiting defenders get in the way of her second, producing another bulldozing run to cap off yet another bonus point victory.
Chiefs: M Doidge (L Cramer 73); J Ounsley, N McGillivray, G Cantorna, C MacDonald; R Wilkins (L McGoverne 54), F Robinson (B Bradley 73); S Turani (H Rogers 54) C Nielson (C Moloney 61), D Menin (C Jacoby 61); P Leitch (capt), M Leonard (A Fleming 56); E Jefferies, R Johnson, K Zackary (E McMahon 61).
Tries – C Nielson, C MacDonald, E Jefferies, G Cantorna, K Zackary, C Moloney, N McGillivray, R Johnson (2) Conversions – Cantorna (8)
DMP Sharks: T Feury (C Lacey 68); K Craine (K Kacirkova 68), K Thomas-Roberts (CC), L Taylor, D Phan; M Bizer, O Ortiz (C Broom 68); E Hunter (M Gardner 25), N Haynes (K Treder 56), C Pratt (K Colvin 56); T Cowan (CC, L Thorpe 69), K Smith (I Hannay 67); T Churm, R Ehrecke, J Hazell.
Yellow Card: Colvin
Attendance: 2,080