'We need to be better' - Baxter

By Mark Stevens
25/3/17

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter insisted questions would be asked of his side despite them picking up maximum reward from their latest Aviva Premiership encounter against visiting Sale Sharks.

The Chiefs maintained their top two status - drawing level on points with leaders Wasps, who face Worcester Warriors tomorrow - by running in four tries against the Sharks at Sandy Park.

Kai Horstmann and Luke Cowan-Dickie both crossed during the first half, while Olly Woodburn and skipper Don Armand got in on the act during the second period. Fly-half Henry Slade kicked the remainder of the points for the Chiefs, who have not lost in the Premiership since late October.

Despite the victory, Baxter - whose side trailed 19-5 at one point during the first half - was less than impressed by his side’s showing and has said marked improvements will be needed by the time local rivals Bristol head to Devon on April 8.

"I can't be happy at us playing at that level and we need to shake ourselves up for the remainder the season," said Baxter. "We were disrupted in the first half and threw careless passes, which made it difficult for ourselves - and had we not scored just before interval the mountain may have been too high to climb.

“Perhaps after winning at Leicester we were riding on the crest of the wave, but this was a real wake-up call for us as Sale have worried us down there in the past and we weren’t ready for them.”

Up against a ferocious first half wind, the Chiefs really struggled not only with the elements, but also their rivals who not only claimed a converted try through winger Denny Solomona, but also punished numerous on-field indiscretions through the boot of fly-half AJ MacGinty.

“We had the Anglo-Welsh Cup to think about in the interim and perhaps we got slightly the wrong focus by tilting too much towards those games.,” added Baxter. "This was a real wake-up call for us as Sale have worried us in the past and we weren't ready for them.”

Baxter was quick to praise the contribution of the Sharks, who were eventually rewarded with a losing bonus point in the final minute when MacGinty slotted his fifth penalty of the game

“Full credit to Sale, who really challenged us, but I can’t be happy with our level of performance,” continued Baxter. “We showed some good mental qualities to come from behind and get a five-point win, and it has kept us second in the Premiership, which is massively important. But we are going to have to shake ourselves up a little bit.

“We looked like a team who wanted an easy score to come, and that wasn’t going to happen today against a decent Premiership side, and I just don’t think we showed Sale the respect they deserved, and that really bothered me.”