Tag: Exeter

Well, that could have been worse. A lot worse. Come half-time, I was expecting a humiliation worthy of an Ashes tour.

It’s just like watching Sale Sharks…

Honestly, I didn’t think we would take this one: too many front-line absentees for comfort and at least one starting that I was afraid was coming back too soon from an injury (and it looks as if I was right).

Back in the mists of time, when Dimes first returned to take over at a struggling club, there was much talk of “year zero” in the rebuilding process. This season, for the first time since then, I get a real feeling that this genuinely is year zero and that we will look back on this year as a foretaste of the greatness to come.

It’s the difference between the hardened, been-there-done-that, old lags and the up-and-coming challengers. Under the cosh, suffer a crippling blow, but still pull something out of the bag.

Playing Exeter is always a recipe for the return of squeaky bum time. This one came with extra helpings of squeak and a cherry on top.

I’ve tried telling myself that better teams have lost and will continue to lose to Exeter, but it doesn’t help. Even the fact that Sale played so much better than last week doesn’t help. Played better, got less out of it; not a comfort. The simple truth is that, in two games, we’ve lost more ground on Exeter than I think it’s possible to make up. From 5 points behind to 14 points behind: that’s a big gap.