Williams expects response from Chiefs

Harry Williams says he and his Exeter Chiefs team-mates will use the heartache of their last-gasp defeat to Bath as a positive ahead of their return to Aviva Premiership action tomorrow night at Newcastle Falcons (8pm).

The Devon club will make their longest domestic trek of the season looking to banish the 13-10 loss to their local rivals to the history books.

Semesa Rokoduguni’s converted try, seven minutes into added on time, condemned the Chiefs to a fourth league loss of the season – and has left them in seventh place ahead of their trip to Kingston Park.

Tight-head prop Williams admitted it was a tough defeat to take, but with the club refreshed and revived following recent exploits in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, a return to Premiership action could not have come at a better time.

“It’s a big game for us,” said the 25-year-old forward. “A few of the lads have had a rest over the last fortnight, but now we’re all flying, 100 per cent switched on and to want to get out there and do it now.

“We broke the Bath game and looked where we could do better. If we’re honest it was a game we could – and probably should – have won and I think we’ve all been smarting and been irritated by that result. That said, you can use that frustration as a positive for this game and the next run of games.

“As we have learned in the campaign, you can’t take anyone lightly and we won’t on Friday. On the flip side, though, it won’t be a difficult game to get into as they will come flying at us and we can go flying back at them.

“We’ve looked at them and you can see the threats they have. They are good in and around the breakdown, the forwards tend to carry heavy, and they are all decent players so we have to be 100 per cent on the money.

“We have to get out there and tear into them and take it from there.”