Lees targets Euro progression
By Howard Lloyd
20/7/18
Mitch Lees says Exeter Chiefs must carry more of an edge if they are to improve their disappointing European record.
The Chiefs have only made the last eight of Europe’s premier cup competition once before, eventually losing to Wasps in a nail-biting 2016 quarter-final.
The task does not look any easier this season as Rob Baxter’s men find themselves in a Heineken Champions Cup pool with French champions Castres, Irish giants Munster and Premiership rivals Gloucester.
Last term the Chiefs were well-placed until losing a fiercely competitive double-header with eventual champions Leinster – and Lees believes there are lessons to be learned from those defeats.
“It is a goal of ours to carry more of an edge in Europe, particularly at home,” said the 29-year-old lock. “Europe is something that, as a team, we feel we are probably lacking a tiny bit despite being a very good Premiership side.
“If you look at those two Leinster games last season we were probably bullied a little bit. Although they were tight games, we still lost them so we have to adjust to that. We need to give them a rough ride and see if they can live with us, not us live with them.
“We don’t want to go on the field and wait and see what happens, we want to go and be the team pushing things.”
Many of the sounds emanating from Sandy Park this summer have revolved around converting the club’s superb domestic form into Europe progression.
With the Chiefs firmly established in the top four and now something of a regular fixture in the Premiership final, it is no surprise that is the next goal for the ambitious Devon outfit.
Director of Rugby Baxter and chief executive Tony Rowe have both spoken of their desire to make an impact in the competition, and Lees admits it has stumped the club as to why this has proved so hard.
“Pushing on in Europe is a big thing for us as we have never really been able to make a mark on that,” said Sydney-born Lees.
“It is probably mental more than anything. We are a physical side and a fit side, plus we know we have the game structure to hurt sides, so it is probably a mental switch for us. We know we have the ability, it is just about flicking that switch.
“We are still learning but it is probably taking a bit longer than we would like.”
Lees is unlikely to be back until the autumn as he recovers from shoulder surgery. The 6ft 6ins second-row battled through the final months of the season with the injury, but admits he's pleased to finally have it sorted.
“The shoulder is fine. I had surgery to repair the AC joint and labrum. It’s been tightened up and cleaned up and it is going really well. It feels good,” he said. “It’ll be anywhere between two and three months now – hopefully not too long.
“It is something I’ve carried since November. It happened in a game then I battled through to the end of the season. Right at the end it really started to deteriorate on me. Luckily I made it through to the final without a major problem, then had the surgery.”