Chiefs side to face Ulster

By Mark Stevens
13/1/17

Matters in the Aviva Premiership may take a step back for the next month, but for Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter there can be no let up in intensity from his in-form side as they prepare for a crucial block of cup fixtures.

Having lost just once in their last eight matches in English rugby’s top flight, Devon’s finest have moved nicely into the division’s top three, and in prime position to attack what will be an exciting second half to the season.

In the Cups, the Anglo-Welsh version - which resumes in a fortnight’s time with a home date against Wasps - is also in a healthy predicament with just two rounds to play. However, the European Champions Cup is another matter all together for the Chiefs, who heading into this weekend sit bottom of Pool 5 with just a solitary win.

Three successive losses at the start of the campaign to rivals ASM Clermont Auvergne (home), Ulster Rugby (away) and Bordeaux-Begles (home) were not quite what Baxter had envisaged when his side set out on their latest European adventure back in October.

That said, a first-ever Champions Cup win in Bordeaux last month did at least renew confidence, ahead of the final two rounds, which start with this Sunday’s visit of Ulster to Sandy Park (5:30pm).

With qualification hopes remote, even by last season’s standards, Baxter is keen to see his players maintain their recent run of form, as well as produce a home performance of note in Europe this season.

Ulster, meanwhile, will arrive in the Westcountry looking not only to complete a European double over their hosts, they won the earlier meeting 19-18 thanks to a last-gasp drop-goal from Paddy Jackson, but at the same time keep up their own pursuit of Clermont Auvergne in the qualification race.

It all adds up to the makings of a crackerjack of a game, one in which Baxter knows can still offer plenty to the respective rivals.

"It's going to be a high intensity game this weekend because it's two very good sides who are going well," he said.

"Ulster have probably got a bit more to play for than we have, but we're used to facing that in the Champions Cup and we've got to make sure that's something that brings the best out of us.

"What I'd be really disappointed about is if any players relax or the team relax because we've got ourselves to a level of intensity and level of quality of play now in the Premiership that's held us in good stead; you don't want to slip off those standards.

"I don't want to be saying to the team in two weeks' time that we've got to kick-start ourselves again."

Certainly the Chiefs have responded well to earlier setbacks in both the Premiership and Europe, the latter of which Baxter feels could have been so much better had one or two things gone a little better.

Jackson’s late drop-goal, coupled with an even later miss by Gareth Steenson at the Kingspan Stadium, could easily have seen the Chiefs emerge from Belfast with a notable scalp, while the home defeat to Bordeaux-Begles hinged on a short period in the second half when Baptiste Serin capitalised on an Exeter mistake to claim the all-important, match-winning score.

Baxter continued: “When you enter these blocks at this time of year with varying results so far you know it's going to be very hard to go through.

"We got ourselves in the same situation last year and we didn't talk about what winning the games would give us, we talked about what qualities we wanted to show in the games and why it was important for us to play well at home.

"I'm not saying the same thing is going to happen again this year, but driving ourselves in that way created some very positive things for us. Ultimately it created us winning the games and ultimately created us going through. That's how we're going to approach these two games.”

As for the Chiefs, Baxter will parade a powerful line-up for the visit of Ulster, who have lost six of their last eight away games in Europe.

In the pack, Ben Moon, Mitch Lees and Jonny Hill all return to the fray, while behind Dave Lewis (pictured) comes in at scrum-half for Will Chudley, who is nursing a knock, and former Ulsterman Ian Whitten forms a new midfield partnership alongside Italian international Michele Campagnaro. The only other change sees Olly Woodburn given the nod on the wing ahead of James Short.

The changes, however, are seen as part and parcel of the modern-day game with Baxter keen to ensure all his players are battle hardened over the coming weeks.

"Selection will be based around the 30 guys who've been playing the most over the last four or five months," he said. "It’s a good, fresh, fit group that will be ready to go out and play very well, and we expect to win games of rugby at home no matter who the opposition.

"It's very rare now that it's every just about the next game. If you look at the three games against Leicester, Bath and Saracens they're a perfect example; we didn't pick the same 23 players in those games.

"There are ways of manipulating your team and resting players or bringing in fresh energy or altering the make-up of your team to challenge a team in a different way and that's what you'll see over the next four weeks. We'll look to be as competitive as we can be in each game, but there'll be a variety of ways we look to do that.

"We've got a good bit of momentum in the Premiership, and in some ways it's a little disappointing we've stepped out of the Premiership but we're stepping into a fantastic competition."

Tickets for Sunday’s game are still available from the Trading Post, which is open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm or online by clicking here

CHIEFS SIDE TO FACE ULSTER RUGBY

15 Phil Dollman
14 Jack Nowell
13 Michele Campagnaro
12 Ian Whitten
11 Olly Woodburn
10 Gareth Steenson (capt)
9 Dave Lewis
1 Ben Moon
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Greg Holmes
4 Mitch Lees
5 Jonny Hill
6 Tom Johnson
7 Don Armand
8 Thomas Waldrom

16 Jack Yeandle
17 Moray Low
18 Harry Williams
19 Dave Dennis
20 Kai Horstmann
21 Stuart Townsend
22 Joe Simmonds
23 Ollie Devoto