Skinner set for Bears test
By Mark Stevens
24/1/19
Harvey Skinner says the thought of tackling a full-strength Bristol Bears side for a place in this season’s Premiership Rugby Cup is a motivating factor for him and his team-mates at the Exeter Chiefs.
The two Westcountry rivals are set to do battle this Saturday at Ashton Gate (3pm) in the final round of qualifying for the competition, which the Chiefs won for the second time last season when they defeated Bath at Kingsholm.
Never before has a team successfully defended their crown in this competition, but it’s a task that Exeter’s skills soach Ricky Pellow has set his side this season.
A 22-22 draw at Newcastle Falcons in the opening round has since been followed with victories over Bath (25-18) and Harlequins (29-13) to put the defending champions one point clear of the Falcons at the top of Pool One. Bristol, meanwhile, lie third in Pool 3 on nine points, the same tally as Gloucester, and one adrift of leaders Northampton Saints after three games played.
For both sides, victory this weekend is imperative if they are to stand any chance of advancing into the semi-finals.
That’s why, the Bears have taken the unusual step of announcing their line-up for the clash several days in advance. Star names such as Charles Piutau, Tusi Pisi, Ian Madigan, Steven Luatua and John Afoa are all penned into play in what is perceived as a full-strength home line-up.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, are set to rest many of those who were on duty against Munster last weekend in the Heineken Champions Cup, instead opting to get game time into other members of the squad, as well as exposing some of the club’s rising stars to the rigours of first-team rugby.
“They’ve gone pretty much full-strength,” said fly-half Skinner. “For us, though, that is not only exciting, but it’s also a bit of a motivating factor for us.Yes, they’ll have their star names playing for them, but we just have to go out there, do the job we need to do, and take it for what it is.
“As a group we’ve talked this week about taking the learns from the Munster game last week and producing a big performance against Bristol. We know it’s going to be another high-pressure game, especially because we need to win to try and get that home semi-final, but I think all of us are excited about the challenge and can’t wait to get out there.”
Indeed, much of the direction the Chiefs take on Saturday will focus around Skinner, who has already shown this season that he has the temperament and guile to command the Exeter attacking arsenal.
“This is another huge opportunity for me and for a few of the other young boys as well,” added the 21-year-old playmaker. “Injuries hampered me a little bit last season in terms of the Chiefs, but I got to play down at Plymouth and got some good game time down there. This season, I’ve been with the Cornish Pirates and because it’s another step up again, it’s really helped me in terms of my development.
“Playing with them, playing in the A League and also the Premiership Rugby Cup this season, I’m learning so much and gaining more experience all the time.I feel I’m becoming a better player all the time and it’s opportunities like that of this weekend that I have to make the most of.”
Over the years the Chiefs have demonstrated that they are not afraid to give youngsters at the club their chance to take centre stage in this competition. It wasn’t all that long ago that the likes of Messrs Nowell, Cowan-Dickie, Simmonds, Hill and Townsend were cutting their teeth at this level - and we’ve seen how they have since go on to bigger and better things.
Likewise, more established names are also keen to grasp their chance, particularly as the second half of the season starts to hot up.Wingers Olly Woodburn and Alex Cuthbert will certainly be looking to press their claims, as will the likes of Max Bodilly, Tom Hendrickson, Tom Lawday, Ollie Atkins, Moray Low and Greg Holmes.
Having such a vibrant mix of youth and experience has been a key ingredient for the Chiefs, who have reached the past four finals of the competition, winning two of them in the process.
“We spoke before the campaign about how we would attack this competition again this season,” explained Skinner. “Ricky set us the challenge of trying to retain the title, just because no one has ever done it before.For us to do that, however, we have to be at our best, we have to play well and, ultimately, we have to have that right mind-set every time we take to the pitch.
“As I said, this weekend is a huge game for us and there will be massive pressure on both sides to deliver.All we can do, though, is go out, stick to our systems, work hard and keep our discipline. If we can do that, then we give ourselves a great chance.”