Team effort delights Baxter

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs positioned themselves back amongst the Aviva Premiership leading lights as they downed reigning champions Northampton Saints for a second timer this season.

Having emerged triumphant from Franklin’s Gardens back in November, Rob Baxter’s side became the first side to complete a league double over the Midlanders thanks to a 21-10 success at a packed Sandy Park.

Phil Dollman’s first half try, plus a penalty from fly-half Henry Slade, gave the Devonians a slender 8-5 lead at the turn. However, the Chiefs were able to extend that yet further in the second period as Slade added the extras to a Penalty Try, as well as slotting two penalties to move Exeter back into fourth spot.

Northampton countered with a try in each half from James Wilson and Jamie Elliott, but it was scant reward on a tough afternoon’s work in the Westcountry.

Post-match, Baxter hailed the efforts of his team - particularly his pack - as they recorded another notable scalp.

"It was all about collecting some important league points because everyone has been saying that we have had the toughest run-in for the last five or six games - which is probably true - but that makes for some great games," said Baxter.

"No doubt Northampton will feel slightly different but if you look at the first half it was cat and mouse but we probably didn't make the most of the conditions; mainly because we didn't force that scrum pressure into being a try.

"But I think that we grew as the game went on and we did do well in the forward exchanges - there is no getting away from that - and ultimately that pressure counts for a lot.

"Defensively we did everything different that we did at Leicester a couple of weeks ago where we made it very hard for Northampton to score - there wasn't a lot of easy penalties given up.

"They had to go through multi phases to get anything out of us and, like in any pressure game, sometimes who have to give the opponents an opportunity to make a mistake. We were prepared to defend for long period of time, be disciplined, and that worked well for us.”

With play-off rivals Bath and Saracens also winning over the weekend, the Chiefs knew they had to make the most of home advantage against the star-studded Saints if they were to keep themselves firmly in the end-of-season mix.

"The league positions don't lie," added Baxter. "Look at Northampton and that shows that they have been the consistent achievers and performers over the season. We are back in fourth place and that is probably about right.

"We have been a bit different to some other teams; we've had a good run of wins but then we tend to shoot ourselves in the foot with runs of losses. I think the most pleasing thing for me is that we didn't look like a team that are ebbing away to the end of the season.

"We look like a team that look pretty excited about being involved in big games. The lads knew going into this game that we have a massive game next week [against Gloucester in Europe], yet they have laid everything on the line - and that is what you need.

“Yes, we have to do it all again next week, but at this stage of the season you have to do it week in, week out. Right now the lads are excited about the run of games we have coming up and where we are in the league.

“If we’re honest, perhaps at other times this season being third, fourth of fifth has scared us, but it didn’t today and that’s very pleasing."