Clive Stuart-Smith column

Exeter Chiefs scrum-half and BBC Devon columnist

Obviously Leeds losing at Doncaster last weekend raised a few eyebrows.

With the game on Sunday everything gets put back a day.

So our regular Monday becomes Tuesday, our regular Thursday, Friday and so on.

However a few of the lads have not quite got to grips with this and turned up at the cinema on Tuesday night expecting to see a film. They realised a little too late that it was actually Wednesday. Body clocks are indeed funny things.

Manchester were a very committed side and it showed with some of their tackling, they were willing to throw themselves into pretty much anything, often coming off second best.

It was a game of extremities. Some times we were on fire, at other times we belonged in the bottom shelf of the deep freeze.

We showed our intent right from the off and played some great rugby but our progress was often hampered by making just too many basic errors. We did achieve our goal of scoring four tries so we can take that as a positive.

Obviously Leeds losing at Doncaster last weekend raised a few eyebrows. It would be easy to get carried away, thinking about the 'what ifs' but we know we can only control our performance and concentrate solely on the coming weekend.

It is a slightly different week this week as the match this weekend is on Sunday, away at Nottingham.

It allowed us to have an extra day of recovery with everyone turning up fresh and ready to work hard. Nottingham are a quality, spiky team and having scored 95 points at the weekend their confidence will be sky-high which just adds to the challenge that we will be facing.

As we have a large squad, we share two changing rooms. Which changing room you decide to use is up to you but most people camp in the same place every time.

Shane Kingsland has first hand experience of breaking the rules of the Chiefs' changing rooms

Some of the lads have 'rules' as to what can and cannot go on in their place. Most of the rules get broken (as much as possible) and it is funny watching the aftermath.

Towels have been found in the ice-bath, boot laces have been removed, clothing hidden and occasionally the ham gets taken from sandwiches and replaced with red paper.

When you find Shane Kingsland hitch hiking home wearing nothing but a pair of borrowed Y-fronts, vest and a pair of flip-flops (two left flip-flops) as someone has taken his belongings, along with his car, then it's gone a little too far.