Stuart Hogg: Exeter Chiefs' returning fans inspired win over Glasgow Warriors
- Published
Exeter fans had not seen their side play since a 57-20 win over Bath on 7 March - a gap of more than nine months
Scotland captain Stuart Hogg says the return of fans helped Exeter crush former club Glasgow 42-0 in their opening Heineken Champions Cup game.
Sandy Park welcomed 2,000 fans for the first time this season to see the team that won the European and English double in October.
"I think to be away for nine months, no matter how many were in here today it was always going to be loud," he said.
"It gives us the added energy we need and pushed us through at vital times."
Six-try Exeter recorded their biggest-ever European win as they stopped an opponent scoring a try for the third time in four games this season in all competitions.
The champions are in a Tier Two Covid-19 area, meaning they can have 2,000 supporters at matches.
"I think the crowd is unbelievable," added Hogg, who scored against his former side as did Exeter team-mate and former Glasgow Warriors forward Jonny Gray.
"There's only 2,000 of them in here today but it felt at times as if there was 20,000, so for me there's no better place to play club rugby.
"Hopefully at the earliest and safest opportunity we can have this place rocking again."
'Every point's going to matter'
The victory saw Exeter go second in Pool B in the re-shaped Champions Cup behind Lyon, who crushed Gloucester 55-10, with five teams earning a winning bonus point in the group after the first round of fixtures.
"Every point is going to matter, so to keep them to nil is absolutely fantastic, but to get us a bonus point as well sets up nicely in the group," head coach Ali Hepher told BBC Radio Devon.
"If we'd have got enough points to just win the game we'd have been happy with that, but how it came through was just fantastic for us.
"We built on a hard first-half performance, we didn't really give them any freebies, which was great to see, and then second half it was about keeping the work ethic right up there.
"You can easily drift off in games like that when you get ahead and you've seen sides do it this weekend, so it was important mentally to just stay on task and we did the right things in the right areas and gave no opportunity for them to score."