Richards: “Errors cost us dear”
Dean Richards paid tribute to a ruthless Exeter Chiefs side after Saturday’s 48-13 loss in Devon, but admitted Newcastle Falcons were the architects of their own downfall.
Trailing 17-6 at the mid-way point of their European Challenge Cup quarter-final, the Director of Rugby said: “We only had ourselves to blame for the result. They were in our half twice during the first half and scored two tries, both through our own mistakes.
“When you go 20 points up you can just open up your game, and Exeter are a side who have the ability to do that. For us our heads dropped when we went 15 to 20 points down, and it is a case of getting them back up again in time for Bath at home on Friday night.”
Shipping four second-half tries, Richards added: “If anything could have gone wrong, it did go wrong.
“It will be interesting to have a look at the stats to see how many of their tries came from our basic errors, or people going off-plan. But it was one of those where we just have to put it behind us and say it was a bad day at the office.
“Exeter are a class side and it was never going to be easy, but the difficulty was that there were so many basic errors. It cost us dear.”
Asked what the rest of the season holds now that the Falcons’ European avenue is closed, Richards replied: “We start winning.
“The sides we have got left to play, we are capable of beating. We have just got to make sure we do, and that we build on the positives we showed at times.
“Tane Takulua looked good when he came on, and we did create numerous chances during the first half. The problem was we didn’t take them, we weren’t clinical enough and Exeter scored from both opportunities they had.”
