Chiefs side to face Irish

“There is an incredible amount of rugby still to play,” said Baxter this week. “What are we, seven rounds into the Premiership, we’re only a third of the way through, that’s all. Most of the competition is still all out there and in front of us, so as much as we finished 2019 on a high note, it won’t count for anything if we don’t follow it up now.”

And that’s the message Baxter and his fellow coaches have been drilling into their players this week during training. They have seen how the Exiles, promoted last season from the Championship, have performed on their return to the Premiership and they have warned that Sunday’s showdown will be anything but a stroll in the park.

Baxter continued: “When you have one of those big emotional performances – and it was a big emotional performance in all kinds of ways last weekend – the atmosphere here inside the stadium was fantastic, the performance from the lads was full of endeavour, energy and emotion, you then have to come down to earth the next week in training and follow it up, because you are In another important Premiership game.

“That’s our challenge this week. Our challenge is getting ourselves mentally and emotionally right, because without that, you don’t stand a chance of winning any game. We have to make sure we get those bits right and that in turn will hopefully allow us to do well on the technical and tactical rugby front.

“As I said, we’re very aware we have to front up. We’re also very aware we have seen some of London Irish’s best performances earlier in the season, when they looked a real handful. I know they may not have been playing as well as they would have liked in the last few weeks, but there is a reality, as we have seen time and time again, that any team in the Premiership is capable of beating each other. That means you all have to all decide to turn up and that will be our challenge this weekend.”

Certainly, the Chiefs showed they have that fighting spirit within their make-up, holding off a fully-loaded Saracens side in their last outing. It was a sweet victory for a whole host of reasons, but Baxter says that must now be confined to the history books and that his team must continue to push forward on all fronts.

Top of the Premiership and in Pool Two of the Heineken Champions Cup, a home semi-final in the Premiership Rugby Cup, and pole position in the Southern Conference of the Premiership Rugby Shield, on all fronts the Chiefs could not be better placed to attack 2020.

“It’s exciting, of course it is,” said Baxter. “The best thing from our point of view is that every competition is in our hands. We can stay where we are in the Premiership, if we win our games. We don’t have to rely on anyone else to win games for us. It’s the same in the Champions Cup and the A League. We’re also in a semi-final of the Premiership Rugby Cup. All these things are in our hands and that’s what keep this season exciting for us.”

Ahead of Sunday’s clash, Baxter has been forced to change his winning formula with England prop Harry Williams suspended following his red card against Saracens. His absence means a first Premiership start for Argentinian international Enrique Pieretto.

Other changes in the pack see Jannes Kirsten come into the engine room in place of Jonny Hill and Don Armand start in the back-row with Jacques Vermeulen sitting this weekend out. Behind the scrum, the vastly experienced Gareth Steenson starts at fly-half, while Sam Hill comes into the centre alongside Ollie Devoto.