Change of focus for the Chiefs

Gareth Steenson believes a change of focus could be just what he and his Exeter Chiefs’ team-mates need after a rough month of Aviva Premiership action for the Devon club.

Sitting comfortably in third spot just prior to Christmas, four successive losses has seen Rob Baxter’s side slip two rungs down the league ladder in as many weeks.

The latest setback came on Sunday at the Madejski Stadium when a last-gasp drop-goal from Shane Geraghty saw London Irish edge out the Chiefs 28-26 with the last kick of the game.

It was another painful blow for the Chiefs, who the week previous had narrowly been pipped on home turf by Gloucester.

Disappointed with Sunday’s reverse, fly-half Steenson says Exeter’s upcoming European Challenge Cup clash away to Connacht this weekend can provide an ideal respite from the rigours of English rugby’s top tier.

With the Chiefs sitting top of their pool after four games, two points clear of their Irish hosts heading into this latest match-up, Steenson knows a victory this weekend will not address the recent losses, but will guarantee the Sandy Park club a quarter-final place in Europe.

“Sunday is a big game for us,” said Steenson. “Connacht, we know, are a tough side to play, but if we go over there and get a result, we’ll have qualified for a quarter-final in Europe and that’s something we’ve only done once before, so it is something for us to get excited about.”

Having seen off the Irish province 33-13 in the corresponding fixture back in October, the Dungannon-born back expects a much tougher test at the Galway Sportsground.

“It’s a tough place to go and very windy, probably more windy than Sandy Park,” added Steenson. “It’ll be vocal over there and they’ll be looking to perform in front of their fans.

“I know the way they think, so it’s a big deal for them. We have gone well in this competition already this season, but so have they and they are only two points behind us. They’ll be saying if they can get a result against us, it will give them a great chance to go through themselves.

“For both sides it’s a big game, but it’s one we are very much looking forward to. As we’ve said before, we want to be pushing ourselves hard on all fronts. Yes, it’s been a tough four weeks, but we have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down, and get in to what is a very big European game.”

But for the late drama against Irish - and Gloucester the week previous - Steenson knows it’s just small margins which are proving the key difference.

He continued: “The last two weeks a kick here or there has been the only difference, so we just have to understand what makes us a good side and stick at it.

“We’ve had patches like this in the past where we have come through, especially at this time of year, so we have got to get our heads down, work hard and focus on another competition next week.

“We went on an eight game winning streak and now we’ve had a four-game losing streak, but it you look at it - out of the last 12 games - we’ve won eight of them. Yes, we’re disappointed the way it has gone recently, but we are still in great shape to attack on all fronts.”