Baxter full of praise for departing Armand
By Mark Stevens
13/4/22
Rob Baxter today praised the impact and influence Don Armand has had on the rise of the Exeter Chiefs in recent years.
On the day when the 33-year-old announced he was bringing to a close his nine-year career with the Devon club, Baxter used his weekly media briefing to pay tribute to the former England international.
"Don has been fantastic for us," said the Chiefs' Director of Rugby. "I was only at clips this week of when we won the Premiership for the first time - and the montages we had put together - and Don was massively involved in all of them.
"When you look back, he has been involved in some huge games for us and is probably one of those main guys who has pushed us forward and provided that inspiration on how we play and what we have achieved.
"Individually, he's been fantastic for us but equally, he's one of the most popular squad members we've had at the club over the past ten years. It's hard for me to express just how good he has been, both on and off the field."
Signed in 2013 from the DHL Stormers, Armand was not only part of the Chiefs side that lifted the LV= Cup against Northampton Saints the following year, but he won the Aviva Premiership in 2017, as well as helping the club to lift the Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup double in 2020.
"Initially it took Don time to break into the side, but once he did, he effectively became No.1 choice for a long, long time," added Baxter. "More recently because of the emergence of some of the younger guys, together with other players joining, he's been a bit more in and out, but he's still played a significant role for the club.
"If you look at some of the important points that we've secured this season, Don has been at the heart of securing a lot of those. It's unfortunate that injury has meant he won't finish the season playing, but that's not through him trying everything to get out there and play.
"I know he's got his head around things in that respect, but he will still be part of everything over these last few months of the season. After that, he's got his own business interests that he's going to take up; he's staying local, which for me is fantastic; and I'm looking forward to seeing him thrive in the next part of his life.
"I also hope that he we can get him in and around the club as much as possible, just because I know people love seeing him, they love talking to him, and he enjoys it too."
Armand leaves the Chiefs having amassed 193 appearances and 37 tries for the club, as well as collecting two England caps against Argentina and Ireland.
For many observers, that international tally seems a derogatory sum, particularly given the form he was showing consistently in the colours of the Chiefs.
"There were definitely three or four seasons where you would be hard pressed to say he couldn't have filled an important slot for England," added Baxter. "England's loss was our gain. It meant he was available a huge amount for us, where he performed admirably and filled a leadership role within the squad.
"When you look at what Don has done, he's been a player, a squad member, an ambassador, he's done the corporate side, he's pretty much done everything, all to a fantastic standard."