Latest news with #Hepher
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Disconnect' between players and coaches
There has been a "clear disconnect" between Exeter Chiefs players and coaching staff said the club chairman and chief executive Tony Rowe as he confirmed a review of the coaching team is under way at the club. Exeter suspended head coach Rob Hunter and attack coach Ali Hepher on Sunday following the team's record 79-17 loss to confirmed director of rugby Rob Baxter will return to a day-to-day coaching role, taking charge of training and matchday sessions."There has been a clear disconnect between the playing squad and the coaching staff and it is something we simply cannot allow to continue," Rowe said in a statement. "Exeter Rugby Club is built on togetherness, hard work and shared standards, and right now, those foundations need reinforcing." Exeter are currently second bottom of the Premiership and have won only three of their 12 league games this season. Hepher was demoted as head coach in March following a string of poor results, with Hunter promoted in his while there was a win during Hepher's short tenure against Newcastle and a close run with league leaders Bath, the 13 tries conceded against the Cherry and Whites marked another low for the club. They also lost all of their Champions Cup matches this season, including a European record loss of 69-17 to Bordeaux."Rob is the right person to bring everyone back on to the same page to ensure that every player and coach is working towards the same goals. His understanding of what it takes to build a winning culture, foster unity and develop players to their full potential is unrivalled in the club's history," Rowe said."This is about more than just responding to results."It's about re-establishing who we are and where we're going. We've faced challenges before and each time we've come back stronger. "With Rob playing a more active coaching role again, we are confident this is the first step in writing the next successful chapter of the Exeter Chiefs story."
Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Times
Exeter coaches Ali Hepher and Rob Hunter suspended after 13-try rout
Tony Rowe's fury over Exeter Chiefs crashing to a record 79-17 defeat at Gloucester on Sunday was not confined to his angry address in the away changing room at Kingsholm. On Monday, the club's chairman and chief executive suspended the senior coaches Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher. Rob Baxter, the director of rugby and an Exeter board member, will take hands-on charge of the team for the remaining three games of a miserable season in which the former European and English champions have lost 12 of their 15 games in the Gallagher Premiership. Hepher, who has been Baxter's right-hand man for 16 years, started the campaign as Exeter's head coach, with Hunter in charge of the attack coaching, but they switched roles last month. Baxter said the change was made with next season in mind, with Hepher wanting to transition into a role working with academy players. It felt at the time like he was shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic. Both Hepher and Hunter, who has been at Exeter since 2013, have now been placed on gardening leave, pending a review into the 13-try demolition by Gloucester and the Chiefs' season as a whole. A route back for them seems unlikely, although the club said no final decision had yet been taken. Rowe has been the driving force behind Exeter's rise from the Championship to champions of Europe. After the club's darkest day, he entered the Exeter changing room at the Gloucester game and vented his displeasure. 'Quite right, too,' Hunter said. 'Tony is entirely entitled to come in there and fire into everybody. He puts a lot of time and effort into the club and his expectations and those of everyone else should be way, way higher than that. 'From my own point of view, it was probably one of my worst days as a coach. In fact, there's no probably about it, it was actually my worst day as a coach. 'Aside from how we feel individually, the first thing to recognise is that from a supporters' point of view, it is no way acceptable to perform like that.'
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Exeter's horror season hits new low with two coaches suspended after record Premiership defeat by Gloucester as players are told by text
Exeter's disastrous season hit another fresh low on Monday night after coaches Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher were suspended following the Chiefs' heaviest-ever Premiership defeat. The Sandy Park outfit shipped a shocking 13 tries as they were thrashed 79-17 by Gloucester at Kingsholm on Sunday. It was the latest nadir for Exeter in a campaign which has seen the two-time English league champions win just three domestic matches to sit ninth of 10 teams. Club chairman Tony Rowe moved swiftly on the back of the Gloucester defeat, suspending both long-standing assistants Hunter and Hepher pending what Exeter say will be 'a full review of the match and the 2024/25 season to date.' It is understood Exeter's players were told of Hunter and Hepher's suspension via text on Monday morning. It looks unlikely either will return moving forward. Hunter was only promoted to the role of head coach last month with Hepher in charge of attack. Director of rugby Rob Baxter will take back control of the team for the remaining three Premiership games of what has been an awful campaign. Rowe said: 'No final decision regarding the club's coaching structure going forward has been made and it would be improper to make any further comment until all internal procedures have been completed.' Meanwhile, Ireland interim coach and Lions assistant Simon Easterby has been disqualified from driving for six months after being caught speeding. On Monday, Cardiff Magistrates' Court heard he was caught exceeding the 70mph speed limit on a dual carriageway in Bodmin, Cornwall, last August. Easterby, who lives in Wales, was also told to pay a fine of £1,345 as well as a surcharge. He will be an assistant Lions coach to Andy Farrell for this summer's tour of Australia.
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Exeter suspend coaches Hunter and Hepher after record loss
Exeter have suspended head coach Rob Hunter and attack coach Ali Hepher following their record Premiership loss at pair have been stood down pending what the club describe as a "full review of the match and the 2024-25 season to date" after Chiefs' 79-17 loss at had only been promoted to the role last month after Hepher's demotion as the struggling side tried to turn results around. Director of rugby Rob Baxter will oversee the club's coaching for the remainder of the season. "No final decision regarding the club's coaching structure going forward has been made, and it would be improper to make any further comment until all internal procedures have been completed," said Exeter chairman and chief executive Tony Rowe in a statement. After succeeding Hepher as head coach, Hunter vowed to "rip up" all areas of Exeter's game in a bid to improve their had seemed to be some signs of recovery during Hunter's brief tenure after a 52-38 loss at Bristol in the first game under the new set-up. Chiefs overcame fellow strugglers Newcastle 17-15 and impressed as they ran leaders Bath close a couple of weeks ago - losing 24-26 - before Sunday's 62-point have won just two Premiership matches this season and lost all their Champions Cup games, including a new club-record European defeat when they lost 69-17 to campaign has been Exeter's worst since promotion to the English top flight in 2010, and they are second-from-bottom of the Premiership. Former Northampton fly-half Hepher has been part of Exeter's coaching team since Baxter took over as director of rugby in 2009, while Hunter moved to Sandy Park in 2013 after a successful spell as England Under-20s head pair have been part of the backroom team that helped the Chiefs win two Premiership titles and the 2020 European Champions Cup as they reached six consecutive Premiership finals between 2016 and 2021. But form has dipped in recent seasons and Hepher was removed as head coach on 20 March and tasked with overseeing the backs and attack strategy until the end of the season before switching to an academy role next term, with Hunter taking over as head current campaign reached a nadir at Kingsholm with Exeter conceding 13 tries in a shambolic display. Hunter, rather than director of rugby Rob Baxter, faced the media afterwards, describing the game as his "lowest point" as a coach. "In no way at all did we have any foothold in that game - nothing really held up and we gave up momentum so easily," he told BBC Radio Devon. "Right now it's important that we wear it and recognise that that is not an acceptable level of performance from anybody involved." Analysis Brent Pilnick, BBC Sport, ExeterJust when you think this season could not get any worse for Exeter, the powers that be at Sandy Park opt for a second coaching change in as many Sunday's loss at Kingsholm was a shambles, with defensive confusion evident from the first few minutes as Chiefs were cut open by Gloucester time and again. Having conceded seven first-half tries, whatever was said at the interval had little effect as they let in six more after the television footage of Tony Rowe angrily addressing the players in the changing room only added to the sense of anxiety surrounding the club's fortunes. Where Exeter go now only time will tell - they have some experienced players coming in over the summer, led by marquee Australian signing Len seems doubtful they can turn around this malaise in time for the visit of champions Northampton on 11 May, with two more games - away at Harlequins, home to Sale - to complete a torrid turning it around for next season is a tall order as well.
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hepher replaced by Hunter as Exeter head coach
Long-serving Exeter Chiefs head coach Ali Hepher has been removed from his role at the Premiership strugglers "with immediate effect" and replaced by Rob said Hepher will step back to oversee the team's backs and attack strategy until the end of the season, before switching to a role in the club's sit second-bottom of the Premiership table heading into the league's resumption this weekend and also suffered a second-half collapse against Bath in Sunday's Premiership Cup coach Hunter will step up to take over as head coach from 50-year-old Hepher, who had been in the role since 2017. Ex-Northampton Saints fly-half Hepher arrived at Sandy Park as a coach in 2009 and helped lead Exeter into the top flight and then to their first Premiership title in 2017, before they became both English and European champions three years Baxter, Chiefs director of rugby, said: "I would like to thank Ali for his incredible hard work and dedication to the team and club over the last 16 years. "We have experienced some lows and enjoyed some incredible highs together and he has been a key part of the successes this club has had."I feel now, coming out of the Premiership Rugby Cup period, is the right time for us to start the process of heading in a different direction with elements of our game next season."Hepher's replacement, ex-London Scottish and Northampton forward Hunter, 52, joined Exeter in 2013 after a successful spell as England Under-20s head coach."This is also a huge opportunity for Rob Hunter to organise and run the programme, he has a great appetite for the game and the challenges ahead," Baxter added."I feel a fresh burst of ideas and energy, alongside the increased responsibilities he will have, will bring out the best in him and prove successful for the club."Exeter will bring in a new attack and backs coach at the end of the campaign, with Hepher moving into "a transition coach role with responsibilities for coaching and managing the club's senior academy players"."I know he [Hepher] is really looking forward to a return to development coaching with our best young players to ensure we get the very best out of our talent pool," Baxter added. 'Significant change' Analysis - BBC Sport's Exeter Chiefs reporter, Brent PilnickThis is the most significant coaching change at Sandy Park since Rob Baxter took over the side in first coaching hire was Hepher and the former Northampton fly-half - who helped Saints win the 2000 Heineken Cup - has been integral ever while Hepher has helped deliver the good times at Exeter, the past year has been by far their worst since promotion to the top flight in two wins in Europe and the Premiership all season has seen a club that made six successive Premiership finals and won a league and European double in 2020 become a pale shadow of their former fact that he will stay with the club in an academy role next season might be down to sentiment, or it may be that the club simply cannot afford to pay off a coach that signed a "long-term" deal alongside Baxter, Hunter and skills coach Ricky Pellow a couple of years the future for Exeter's coaching staff it was clear that something had to change - whether this move will be enough only time will tell.
