Baxter delighted with win
By Mark Stevens
26/11/17
Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter hailed his side’s character as they produced a strong second half showing at Saracens to extend their lead at the top of the Aviva Premiership to five points.
In a meeting of the division’s top two sides, it was the Chiefs who prevailed in the end as converted tries from Ian Whitten and Moray Low, plus two penalties from the boot of Gareth Steenson, ensured a 20-18 victory in the capital for the Devonians.
Saracens, it has to be said, played their part in hard fought encounter and they were rewarded on the day with tries from Alex Goode and Schalk Brits, while Ben Spencer and Marcelo Bosch kicked the remainder of their points.
Exeter, though, were not to be denied and having ended a 21-month long unbeaten run for the European champions at Allianz Park, it’s Baxter side who now lead English rugby’s top flight by five points from the Londoners.
After a somewhat passive opening quarter - one in which Sarries struck twice through Goode and Brits - the Chiefs finally clicked into gear and it was their display after the break which underlined their championship credentials as they struck with two scores of their own.
“When you come to Saracens what you have to have is real energy in everything you do and for the first 15,20 minutes of today’s game, we didn’t have that,” admitted Baxter. “We gave up a soft try off an exit, more so by no talking to one another or putting in a full effort to get close together in the defensive line.
“We then had a few moments of ill discipline and got a yellow card because we got fractured in defence - and all of a sudden everything you don’t want happening against a team the quality of Saracens is then happening.
“After that, I actually think the boys on the pitch then looked at one another and had a word amongst themselves. And for that second half of the first half, we were a lot better. We were more physical and tactically we were much better.”
Baxter added: “At half time we said it would be a test of character because we were coming up a bit short. I kind of felt we rolled into today’s game thinking we could do OK, without really putting the endeavour and effort behind it like you need.
“Thankfully, that changed and at half time we looked like a group of players who had made their minds up and they wanted to make sure this game had something in it for them. We talk about it a lot, but still the most important thing for us being in the Premiership is that every game or rugby is a precious thing.
“The minute you look around and think this is just another game and we move on, that can be when you make your biggest mistakes. As I said, there was great endeavour and great effort from all of the players to haul us back into that game. Yes, we were a bit shaky in the last five minutes, but on the whole the players showed fantastic character.There are not many teams who come to Saracens and then fight back from that many points down, yet we managed to do it.
Although content with large facets of his side’s performance, Baxter knows there are still one or two areas that he and his fellow coaches can work on ahead of the impending visit of Bath to Sandy Park this coming Saturday.
“I have to give all the credit to the players because they have just won a very important game away from home in the Premiership,” said Baxter. “These are very precious points, especially against one or our closest rivals, but there are still things to work on this week.
“The players will be in tomorrow and they will watch the video and think ‘I need to do this or that little bit better’. Sometimes that is the kick in the pants you need to push on. Today, it’s a useful kick in the pants for us without us losing the game.”