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Struggling Exeter sack Omar Mouneimne and explain why
By Neil Fissler
Exeter Chiefs have confirmed that defence coach Omar Mouneimne has paid the penalty for their calamitous start to the new season after leaving the club by mutual consent.
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The Chiefs, who have set an unwanted club record after losing all six of their Premiership games this season, are only being kept off the bottom of the table by having one more point than Newcastle Falcons, care of five losing bonus points.
Mouneimne, who joined the struggling Devon-based outfit from West Country rivals Bristol Bears in 2023, has come under fire after the club lost six league games on the spin since gaining promotion to the top flight almost 15 years ago.
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The club have announced that Mouneimne is leaving the club after director of rugby Rob Baxter refused on his weekly media call to give a vote of confidence to his coaching staff.
Baxter said that only time would tell if he had the right coaching staff to take the Chiefs, who face a potentially tricky Premiership Rugby cup tie at Cornish Pirates tomorrow night, through until the end of the season.
The move will be seen as an act of self-preservation by the Chiefs boss, who paid tribute to Mouneimne, who will be replaced by the University of Exeter and England U20s-highly rated coaching prospect Haydn Thomas.
“I would like to thank Omar for his hard work in helping us develop a new and transitional young group of players into a competitive Premiership squad,
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“However, I felt we needed to head in a new direction defensively, and after some conversations between Omar and me, we agreed now was the right time for a change.
“I would like to thank Omar for all of his efforts not just as a coach but as a valued member of our club over the past two years. As a club, we wish Omar and his family all the very best for the future,” said Baxter.
Maybe Rowe is the man who should go? Perhaps he shouldn't have screamed so loudly about Saracens going over the salary cap back in 2019 and it's come back to haunt him? Should he put in some of his dosh to boost what sounds like a really second rate team?
So, who will they bring in to take on the job? I gather Graham Rowntree is available...