Chiefs side to face La Rochelle

Over the years the Chiefs have produced some unbelievable displays in the Champions Cup, but too often it’s been combined with their inability to follow things up in other pool games. And Baxter is hopeful those games - plus greater big-game experiences - can come to the fore as his side strive to find some real consistency within Europe.

“It’s consistency of very good performances that we want, because consistency of average performances doesn’t get you very much,” said Baxter. “For us, there has never been a year in Europe where we haven’t done something quite special in one of our performances. It’s now a case of making sure those types of performances get spread our more across the pool stages.”

Standing in the way of the Chiefs will be a La Rochelle outfit, who have yet to taste defeat on home turf this season. Like Baxter’s side, they’ve had a mixed return from their nine league games to date, but the Exeter boss is aware of the threat they pose to his side’s chances.

“We’ve had a look at four or five of their games and they look a good, tough side, especially at home,” warned Baxter. “When you review them, it’s clear they have more than one way to beat you. Some teams you can look at and think they are set to maybe counter-attack or set-up to keep ball and attack you in other ways, but they seem to have done everything this season.

“They have changed in some game from trying to get the ball into the opposition 22 and really squeeze you around scrum and maul time - to in other games where they have been prepared to run from the very first kick exit of the game and take teams on with tempo and momentum, so we have to be ready for everything.”

That said, the Chiefs do know how to beat their hosts, having seen the Frenchmen off in their two previous European fixtures back in the 2014/15 season.

Baxter is also hoping that tomorrow’s fixture will also serve as the ignition point to get his side fully firing, particularly after last weekend’s last-gasp home defeat to Bristol Bears in the Premiership.

“I’m kind of hoping this will be the trigger that kickstarts us into seeing a bit more of an Exeter Chiefs-like performance,” he continued. “Ironically, we have been OK for the last four weeks. We’ve got through four tough games of rugby and we’re just four points off the top of the table. There isn’t many years where you wouldn’t be happy with that kind of return.

“I know that sounds a bit strange compared to the last couple of years, but that’s what it’s kind of been like and we probably feel we are there without really playing all that well. And when I say we’ve not been playing that well, it’s more like it’s not been a joined up Exeter Chiefs performance, one where the well-oiled machine just rumbles on and gets a result.

“As I say, I’m OK with things because I know why the machine isn’t quite functioning. It’s not because the players are wanting to work hard and play well, I think it’s more because we are wanting to press on, yet we just have to realign ourselves a little bit. It could be that this is the perfect week for us do that and I’m hopeful that we can find that kind of emotional kickstart that we need to really get our season to explode into life.”

Ahead of kick-off, team news sees Baxter sticks largely with the same squad of players who featured against the Bears. In the pack, Dave Dennis and Dave Ewers come in for Jannes Kirsten and Matt Kvesic, whilst behind Ian Whitten - a try-scorer the last time the two sides played - comes into the centre in place of Sam Hill.