Travel issues an 'anomaly' as SA teams crash out of Europe
SPOTLIGHT: Exeter’s Director of Rugby Rob Baxter has weighed in on the travelling debate after his team smashed the Stormers in their Champions Cup quarterfinal on Saturday.
Exeter outplayed the Capetonians from minute one on their way to a 42-17 win at Sandy Park and Baxter conceded that his opponents’ preparation for the encounter was “far from perfect”.
The Stormers had to deal with a travel setback as their trip to Exeter was delayed due to logistical issues. The original plan was to leave Cape Town last Monday, however, they found themselves still in Cape Town the Tuesday morning.
The team eventually had to split into three or four groups with the last of those groups arriving in England late on Wednesday.
The Sharks and Lions also had tough journeys to Europe for their respective European quarterfinals. The Sharks fell to a 20-54 defeat to Toulouse in the Champions Cup, while the Lions went down 21-31 to Glasgow Warriors in the Challenge Cup.
“Without doubt, their [Stormers’] preparation was far from perfect, we’re aware of that, but it’s been the same when you travel over there,” Baxter told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It’s probably one of the quandaries around these end stages and the knockouts. When the games come thick and fast and everything’s up in the air, it’s difficult to make arrangements.
“We’re going to be slightly challenged if we end up going to France [for a semifinal against La Rochelle] because it’s only a couple of weeks away and all of a sudden you’ve got to get hotels, flights and the whole thing.
“Obviously it’s a little easier going to France, but I think it’s probably one of the anomalies that we’ve got to try to iron out in these end stages to make it fair across the board, a little bit like you’ve got to iron out an anomaly like a team having three or four home fixtures in a row like Leinster are going to have.”
#ICYMI: Stormers head coach John Dobson said he is disappointed with his role in Saturday’s Champions Cup quarterfinal defeat to Exeter Chiefs. 👇 #ChampionsCup #ExeterChiefs #Stormers #EXEvSTO https://t.co/tjkwqa6Rbd
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) April 10, 2023
When asked for possible solutions to the current travelling problems, Baxter added: “I’m not sure because obviously the knockouts happen as they are around the seedings.
“You’ve probably got to try to maybe separate the rounds a little bit.”
Exeter will face La Rochelle in Bordeaux on April 30 in the last four of the Champions Cup.
In the other semifinal 24 hours earlier, record five-time winners Toulouse will face Leinster, champions on four occasions, at Lansdowne Road, the same venue as May 20’s final.
Source: BBC Radio 5 Live
#ICYMI: Sharks Director of Rugby Neil Powell says his team’s disallowed try midway in the second half against Toulouse was the big “turning point in the game”. 👇#ChampionsCup #Toulouse #Sharks #TOUvSHA https://t.co/ss4wNQzTGY
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) April 10, 2023
