Hunter pleased with Chiefs' composure

Exeter Chiefs forwards coach Rob Hunter praised his side’s composure as they finally swot aside the attentions of visiting Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership.

For at least an hour at Sandy Park, the lowly visitors were happy to match the Chiefs blow for blow as they cancelled out tries from Thomas Waldrom and Phil Dollman with converted scores of their own through Sonatane Takulua and Nili Latu.

However, the Chiefs refused to panic and in a powerful conclusion to the match, they not only wrapped up victory, but they also ensured themselves of he all-important bonus point when they claimed further tries from Sam Hill and Elvis Taione.

Fly-half Gareth Steenson (pictured) potted over the remaining 12 points to not only seal the victory, but at the same time break Tony Yapp’s long-standing record for most league points scored by an Exeter player. The Irishman has now moved onto 1,532 points in the colours of the Devon club.

Post-match, a content Hunter was quick to praise the efforts of his team, including master marksman Steenson, who joined the club in 2008 from the Cornish Pirates.

Falcons Steenson H std“It’s fantastic and a huge accolade for Gareth, he’s a killer in front of the posts,” said Hunter. “He’s been a key part of Exeter’s success for many years now, both on and off the field, but I also think he adds so much more than just points. It’s a great achievement for him to have and hopefully he’ll add even more points.”

Quite rightly Steenson’s achievements will make the headlines, but so too will the return of fellow playmaker Henry Slade, who was back featuring for the Chiefs in a competitive game for the first time since early December.