Baxter takes last-gasp defeat on the chin
By Mark Stevens
29/2/20
Rob Baxter said he and his Exeter Chiefs would take defeat ‘firmly on the chin’ after they were undone at the death by rivals Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership.
With the game six minutes into added on time, the Londoners snatched a last-gasp success when referee Christophe Ridley awarded them a penalty try with the very last passage of the game.
That score enabled Paul Gustard’s side to claim a priceless 34-30 victory over the table-topping Chiefs, who up until that point looked as though they would be heading to another league triumph.
Skipper Joe Simmonds scored two tries in his 25-point haul for the Chiefs, whose other try on the afternoon came courtesy of full-back Phil Dollman just three minutes into the contest.
At the other end, converted tries for Paul Lasike, Tevita Cavubati and fly-half Marcus Smith, who also kicked 12 points, helped set up a grandstand finale, which culminated in the late award of the penalty try.
Afterwards, the Chiefs’ Director of Rugby refused to get too embroiled into the whole decision-making process made by Ridley late on.
“The penalty try at the end is obviously going to be the big talking point, but the reality is there are a number of other things that happened in that scenario as well,” said Baxter. “Therefore, there’s no real point in us sitting here now and making too big a deal about it.
“I just asked the ref as he walked off what his rational was behind giving it, because to me it didn’t look like a try was in the process of being score, nor was it likely to be scored from what had happened there. His feeling, though, was that there were too many penalties, which I kind of get, yet I’m not sure a try was going to be scored.
“Having said that, if he hadn’t of awarded a penalty try, there were other moments where Harlequins could easily have gone back and said ‘what about this, what about that’, so I’m not over concerned about that.
“What I am concerned about is more the case of ‘how did we get into that position?’
“People do need to remember that we had the scrum put-in first, where we were five metres out, and we got pushed straight off the ball. That is what started that whole passage of play right at the end.”
Indeed, Exeter’s failure to deal sufficiently with the late home onslaught proved their eventual downfall, especially with both Alec Hepburn and Ollie Devoto both being dispatched to the sin-bin for technical fouls.
“If I’m honest, I think there were numerous times today where we didn’t quite have our focus in certain areas of the pitch, which would have protected us. What we are normally very good at is protecting ourselves all over the field because of our focus. Today, some of the scrum penalties that we gave away in the middle of the park, if you don’t give them away, then you don’t end up in that scenario.
“I can take defeat on the chin. Harlequins have worked very hard in what was a very important game for them. To their credit, they stuck at it and they fought to the very end. They could easily have taken the draw, but they chose not to and they kept fighting.
“When I look back I’m sure I will see some very good aspects in our play, both individually and collectively, but there were also those errors in our play which, ultimately, have come back to hurt us.
“When I look at our guys, they have turned up here in pretty good form and prepared to work very hard, but it was our focus at times which has cost us in the end. Sometimes you need something like this to act as a bit of a refresher and to remind people that they have to be good, minute by minute. At this level, you can’t afford to have too many off minutes, where you relax or give up a soft penalty. Too often today we did that and it’s cost us.”
Next up for the Devonians is the visit of local rivals Bath to Sandy Park this Saturday (2:30pm) and Baxter is already relishing the derby tussle as the perfect opportunity to get his team firmly back on track.
“It’s like anything, there were good moments in there and plenty to celebrate, I even jumped out of my seat when I thought we had turned them over at the end,” continued Baxter. “However, the most important thing – and I include the coaching staff in this – is we will all go away now, have a look at things in detail.
“Then, come Monday, we’ll all report back in, go through the necessary parts that we need to do, then make a big push to get things ready for what will be another very tough game of rugby against Bath.
“For every team, the big games are rolling in thick and fast. A point away from home today is pretty similar to what we got here last season – and we all know that last season was pretty good in a lot of ways. Right now, individual results don’t define you, it’s what you decide to do as people – and how you look to move forward is what will. Normally, we’re pretty good at dealing with things like that, so I’m expecting things to be fine come next week.”