Maunder ready to lead the charge
By Mark Stevens
29/9/21
Jack Maunder says he and his Exeter Chiefs team-mates need to use the hurt of last weekend’s narrow defeat to Northampton Saints as a key driver leading into Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership trip to Sale Sharks.
In what has been a tough start to the new 2021/22 season for Rob Baxter’s side, back-t0-back defeats at the hands of Leicester Tigers and the Saints have left the Devonians just one place off the foot of the table and with just one point on the board.
Although disappointed with results so far, scrum-half Maunder believes the good times are not too far away and with a bit more fine tuning this week in training, results will soon start to flow for last season’s beaten finalists.
“Any loss stings, especially when they are at home,” he said. “If you look at the game, we had a lot of control for long periods but, a bit like the previous week, we just couldn’t finish things off.
“It’s a work on for us, not just this week, but moving forward as well. Anyone who saw us against the Saints would see we look very good in the middle third especially, creating mis-matches and finding spaces, but we just need to be a bit more clinical.
“It’s something we talked about last season and we talked about it in pre-season as well. It’s like if we do go two scores up, that next season is probably the most important moment of the lot. Whether it’s us scoring or us putting in a big set of defence, we just need to lock things down more.”
Next up for the Chiefs is Sunday’s clash with the Sharks at the AJ Bell Stadium. Maunder knows from past experience that it’s one of the toughest away-days on the seasonal calendar, but he believes the challenge on offer means the visitors will need little motivation to rise to the challenge.
“Sale is always a tough place to go,” he added. “Equally, it’s a great place to win as well. That’s the mentality we have to have. We need to be strong, both physically and mentally, because we know we are capable of getting a result up there.
“We all know the levels we have to hit – we showed that in the semi-final here last season – so it’s up to us to go out and perform like that again.”
It’s a strong message that Maunder is sending out, but it’s one he and his colleagues know they have to portray.
“As players, we’re the ones who have to drive things forward,” he continued. “We’re the ones on the pitch making the decisions, so it’s up to us to take responsibility for that whole 80 minutes. Yes, we’ve had tough conversations, but it’s important to have them when it’s like it is at the moment.”