Last season Exeter Chiefs missed out on the Premiership Women’s Rugby semi-finals by just two points.
In the days after the club missed out on a spot in the final four Susie Appleby exited as head coach after five years at the helm. Her assistant coach, Steve Salvin, then stepped into the breach as interim head coach before he ultimately landed top job.
Oli Bishop, once an assistant at Wasps Women and Trailfinders Women, arrived as attack and backs coach.
“I think he’s brought in some fresh ideas, which we probably needed and a new energy again,” Claudia Moloney-MacDonald told RugbyPass before a ball had been kicked this season.
“We’ve been up there and competing the last several years, been competing in those top four spots, but never actually won the Premiership.
“I think that’s becoming harder and harder every year. I don’t think we need to change too much to remain competitive.”
Black Ferns prop Amy Rule also committed her short-term future to Sandy Park, as did Italy international Francesca Granzotto and promising English talent Gabriella Nigrelli.
All of this was done in the aim of contending again. It was only in 2023 that the club finished as runners-up to Gloucester Hartpury. And that was just a year after a semi-final exit to the same opposition.
To date the club’s existence is bookended by two fifth-place finishes. This season’s objective is abundantly clear for everyone and underlined by their recruitment.
Two games into their new season and a look at the stats show that there are clear signs that a top four spot is more than achievable. In their 24-12 win against Trailfinders and 33-33 draw with Loughborough Lightning the side have registered 88 points (joint-fourth most in the league) and scored 14 tries (joint-second most in the league).
In just two games Moloney-MacDonald leads the league in metres made (330), while DaLeaka Menin has copied her Women’s Rugby World Cup form for Canada with four tries and 45 carries. Already Maddie Feaunati has made 44 carries and Moloney-MacDonald follows closely behind with 36.
This is before you throw in their defensive efforts over the course of 160 minutes. In this time the side have put the shoulder in 444 times and flanker, Maisy Allen, is the league’s leading tackler after three rounds.
Their scrum has been the most effective in the competition. After just two matches Salvin’s side have packed down 25 times and lost just once at the set piece in that time.
But you can’t have smooth without rough. Early signs suggest that work needs to be done at the lineout.
With the sixth-best lineout success rate (78) in PWR, that is the only area in where you can expect to see improvements in the weeks to come.
By the end of the season, this look at early signs could be just that. But, for now, Chiefs seem to have found their way again after a season out in the cold.
Next up for Exeter is a visit from Harlequins. Another side with the ambition to contend for a league title this season, the Londoners have lost two of their three games this season and will want to make a statement down in Devon.
