Chiefs side to face Bath
By Mark Stevens
22/3/19
Rob Baxter says he wants his Exeter Chiefs side to ‘lay down a marker’ as the Gallagher Premiership heads towards it’s final straight.
With just six rounds left in the regular season, Devon’s finest sit eight points clear of defending champions Saracens at the top of the current standings.Three wins out of four, plus a losing bonus point in their other fixture last month, has seen Baxter’s side edge to within one victory of guaranteeing a top-four placing.
And ahead of Sunday’s visit of rivals Bath to a sold-out Sandy Park (3pm), the Chiefs Director of Rugby is calling on his troops to not only prepare for battle, but at the same time deliver a powerful on-field message that will help them ignite some real momentum for the final weeks of the campaign.
“This weekend’s game marks a lot of things,” explained Baxter. “One, it marks the start of the last quarter of the season. Two, it’s the end of the Six Nations, so the international lads are back in focus with the clubs and three, it just feels like there is a bit of a change in the weather and that pitches are starting to firm up that little bit.
“For those reasons alone, that is why we need to put down a marker that we’re ready to go and start building on what have been some excellent foundations in the Premiership up to now.
“I want us to look like a team who are ready to move forward. Results are results and they are important of course, but the manner of how we approach this weekend’s game, plus the manner in which we want to play, that is what is most important to me because I want to see what energy and emotion we can pour into this game.”
Buoyed by the return of his international contingent after the Six Nations, Baxter admits he and his fellow coaches have had plenty to ponder in terms of selection this week.
Exeter’s 15-point haul in the last block of Premiership fixtures was the best in the division during that period and the Exeter leader was quick to talk up the qualities and strength of his Chiefs squad.
“It’s something I can’t credit the playing group and the coaching group strongly enough for,” said Baxter. “I’ll admit I looked at that last block and I remember saying to a few people that this was going to be a real challenge for us. Gloucester away first up, against a team who were showing some real form, is a real tough ask.We then had Newcastle at home, a side fighting for their lives and coming down here with really nothing to lose, before two more away games at Sale and Worcester.
“At the time, Sale were bang on form, playing well, and probably the form side in the division. Then we had Worcester away, another side fighting for their lives, yet we’ve come away from there with a bonus point and the week before that, four vital points from what was a solid, hard-working, tough performance up at Sale. As I said, you have to say ‘well done’ to the whole group because they have been massively competitive for the full 80 minutes in what were four very tough games of rugby.”
However, any thoughts of a let-up in fixtures has been dismissed by Baxter, who knows Sunday’s visitors Bath will post a more than creditable threat to his side.
“They are playing well and they’ve got some very good players within their ranks,” continued Baxter. “The potential of the team they can bring is there for all to see. They have players coming back from injuries and they’ve got threats across the field. Looking at them, they’ve got players starting to thrive, not just at club level but on the international stage as well, who have to make sure we win our individual match-ups first and foremost, after which the team need to lock down, focus and create a performance that shows we are ready to put down a marker.
“I want us to put out foot down and show how good we can be over these final weeks because the reality is, we lost a Premiership Final last year, so we should be burning a bit. We should be burning not just to get there again, but we should be trying to prove we can go that one bit better. If we’re not burning with a bit of ambition, I’d be disappointed. I want to make sure out performance on Sunday shows we are burning with ambition and that we are going to get better and go one stage further than last year.”
Although victorious last time out, Baxter has made changes to his winning formula.Up front, Harry Williams starts at tight-head ahead of Greg Homes, while behind Nic White gets the nod at scrum-half in place of Jack Maunder, and England duo Jack Nowell and Henry Slade are brought in at the expense of Tom O’Flaherty and Ian Whitten, On the bench, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Grand Slam winner Tomas Francis are also recalled to duty, taking over from Elvis Taione and Marcus Street.
CHIEFS SIDE TO FACE BATH RUGBY
15 Santiago Cordero
14 Jack Nowell
13 Henry Slade
12 Ollie Devoto
11 Olly Woodburn
10 Gareth Steenson
9 Nic White
1 Alec Hepburn
2 Jack Yeandle (capt)
3 Harry Williams
4 Dave Dennis
5 Jonny Hill
6 Dave Ewers
7 Don Armand
8 Matt Kvesic
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie
17 Billy Keast
18 Tomas Francis
19 Mitch Lees
20 Sam Skinner
21 Jack Maunder
22 Joe Simmonds
23 Sam Hill
Match Sponsors for Sunday's clash are Bradfords Building Supplies & EBCS Leisure
