Chiefs to face Newcastle Falcons
By Mark Stevens
10/3/23
Monday’s video nasty of last weekend’s Twickenham torment would not have made for comfortable viewing, but Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, is confident there will be a reaction of sorts from his players this weekend.
Tomorrow, the Devonians welcome Newcastle Falcons to Sandy Park (2:30pm) in their latest Gallagher Premiership fixture knowing that victory is essential in their quest to reach the end of season play-offs.
Exeter’s 40-5 loss to Harlequins in Big Game 14 at Twickenham a week ago not only saw the Chiefs drop to eighth in the standings, but it brought to an end an impressive run of victories that have kept them firmly in the mix for the top four.
It was an untimely setback for the Chiefs, but Baxter believes his squad can hit back at the first opportunity.
“There was disappointment and frustration around the performance, of course there was, but we have to use those feelings in the right way this weekend,” he said. “If we’re honest, we didn’t get much right in the build-up to that game - and our performance showed that - and the responsibility of that lies at my door.
“Right now, we’re still very much in that fight for third and fourth spot, but we can't go on just going 'well win one, we'll lose one, we'll win one, we'll lose one' and expect to be anywhere near.
"We actually have got to go 'right there is an opportunity here and it's in our hands, but we do have to take it' and to take it we're going to have to put in some away performances without doubt. We can't just say 'let's knock our home games off' because the season's gone well beyond that for us."
Unlike last season where the Chiefs struggled at home, results at Sandy Park have been impressive this term with only Saracens emerging victorious from all competitions. It has been on the road, together with a lack of bonus points, that have hindered Baxter’s side in their quest for the play-offs.
"We have been a team that's been irritatingly like a rubber ball in that losses we can shake them off and get on with things," Baxter added. "That's why we're still in the mix really, because we've still won, but when you look at the teams around us, a good proportion of the games, we've lacked bonus points.
"If you're going to to say to me what was the most frustrating thing about the Quins game other than the performance where we don't really fire too many shots, we've not really linked too much together and we look a little bit lacking in genuine emotion for the game, probably the fact that we're so far off the bonus point is the real thing, that's the hurting thing.
"Maybe if we'd have got to three tries and we were scrapping for the fourth try, there were some positives there. If we were scrapping to stay within seven points and keeping that game completely competitive there'd be some real positives there.
"You've got to build your season, and you build your season in lots of ways, and sometimes games will go wrong, you'll be in a real tough environment, there'll be a lot of tough situational things that'll happen around injuries, around availability, around those short turnarounds compared to long turnarounds. Those are the games you get a bonus point, that shows real mettle and a real spirit that you know where the season's going.
“Yes, all of us are frustrated with elements of the season but, at the end of the day, the club is still the club. When we get it right - and people will have seen it - we can beat any team in the league. If we get it in a European game, we look very tough team to beat. We haven’t got last 16 of Europe because we can’t win in Europe. We have ability within the group, we just have to hold fast and get ourselves right.”
As well as Baxter and the coaches having their say in the wake of the Harlequins loss, senior stars such as Jack Nowell and Jack Yeandle also spelt out the realities of the result in a passionate post-match debrief.
“Ultimately, the power is when the players embrace situations themselves,” added Baxter. “That said, they have to agree with each other, buy into things and then implement that in training and in games. Probably what has happened over time is some of those key targets we have identified haven’t been fully carried out.
“What we have to do is make sure we get that consistency from a to b; b to c; c to d all the way through the week, the month, the year. That’s the process we are going to work on, it’s what works for every team. Everything should align from day one and that’s what we have to make sure we fight for.”
Certainly, the Falcons will offer plenty of fight tomorrow and Baxter is aware of the threat posed by the visitors, who won the corresponding fixture at Kingston Park 24-21 back in November.
“They are a side who with a lot of territory can score points against you,” he said. “They did that to do us up at their place and they’ve done it a lot in recent games. We know we will need to be good across a lot of areas - set-piece, defensive disciplinary, especially in the middle third, and attacking discipline - but if we can do that, then we’ll control the game.
“At the same time, they are a side who are also playing with a lot of freedom, so that brings its own dangers as well.”
Team news for the Chiefs sees Baxter make five changes to his pack. In the front-row, Dan Frost and Marcus Street both start in place of Jack Innard and the injured Harry Williams, whilst behind there is a new second-row pairing of Jannes Kirsten and Jack Dunne, while Dave Ewers is restored to the blindside flank.
Behind the scrum, the back division remains untouched, while on the bench there are recalls for Patrick Schickerling, Mike Williams, Aidon Davis and Rory O’Loughlin.
