Ollie Chessum believes a want to fight for one another helped the side achieve an away win over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park for the first time in seven seasons on Sunday afternoon.
The Leicester Tigers back-rower was one of seven players returning to action for the club after this season’s Six Nations, in which he made his international debut, and picked up the Gallagher Player of the Match award for his efforts in the five-point, 17-22 victory.
Speaking post-match, Chessum said: “We know that coming down here is never going to be an easy game, let alone coming away with a win.
“They came back at us, as they do so well, and we just hung in together. It was a massive effort from everyone, to keep fighting."
Looking back on the match, the 21-year-old admitted a fast-start was not built upon properly by the Tigers and improvements must be made.
“We started well, came out of the blocks firing, but still dropped off a bit in that middle part of the game,” Chessum said.
“That needs to be better, that will be something we will review and look to improve on.
“It wasn’t perfect, there is always something we can improve and we will look at those areas.”
Asked about if the squad had brought any different approach to try and end one of the Leicester club’s longest-running losing records at an away venue, the Tigers forward said it was not about change but instead about sticking to the script.
“We haven’t done anything different today, we just keep building as we have been all year,” he said.
“Our mentality doesn’t change, it is the same every week; come game day, we are going to give absolutely everything for the full 80 minutes together, for one another.
“Results will happen if we keep working hard, together, and that’s what has happened today.”
The victory secures a place in this season’s Premiership semi-finals for the Tigers, which the youngster says will make no difference to the mentality at Oval Park in the remaining weeks of the 21/22 campaign.
“It is pleasing, of course, but we won’t be taking it easy now,” said Chessum.
“We will keep working hard, keep turning up for one another.
“It won’t change our mindset, won’t change our approach to be better next week than we were today.”
See what Chessum’s team-mates had to say following the victory HERE on LTTV.
