Baxter relishes Tigers double
Exeter head coach Rob Baxter said seeing his side complete an Premiership double over Leicester Tigers was a “special feeling” after the Chiefs won 19-11 at Sandy Park at the weekend.
A second half try from younger brother Richard and 14 points from the boot of flyhalf Ignacio Mieres ensured the Devon club of their seventh league win of the season and helped lift the Chiefs to fifth in the standings, just a point behind the fourth-placed Tigers.
Earlier in the contest, Leicester had led 8-0 thanks to a try from Alesana Tuilagi and a penalty from Toby Flood, who later a second penalty for the visitors.
However, it was no match for the rampant Exeter Chiefs unit.
“Any Premiership win is great, but to win at this stage of the season against Leicester feels special,” said Baxter. “I say that primarily because Leicester are a very good rugby team. We respect them hugely and to win these types of games – especially at this stage of the season when the big teams are cranking it up – that is what it is all about for us.
“Winning games of rugby is great but watching your team perform so well – and with such hunger and such desire is what really pleases me. Sometimes games go against you, but you can still feel pleased.
“I’m pleased with not only our performance, but also the outcome. It was tremendous. It’s fantastic to see the players in the changing room now with big smiles on their faces and to see they can enjoy achieving things. That is where we are right now, we are talking about being an ambitious side and we are going to ride the wave for as long as we can.
“You have to do that because you never know when a loss is coming. As I said, at the moment we are enjoying playing well and trying to be ambitious. There is no reason for us not to think like that because we are comfortably in the middle of the table now, so why can’t we talk about winning every game and seeing what it brings. From our perspective, we’ll attack every game, fly into every game and see what comes from it.”
Saturday’s success was the first in four crucial Premiership clashes for the Chiefs, who next travel to London Wasps before then hosting Bath and Sale Sharks in successive weeks.
Baxter added: “We are in a nice position right now, one where we are enjoying ourselves and enjoying trying to be better. You can see it is bringing the best out in guys and it’s something we are going to try and follow through.
“Next week we have a really tough game up at Wasps. I know people will talk about where they are in the table, but I know it’s not easy place to go and play. We know what it is like to be fighting for your lives and how important the Premiership is for anyone.
“We won’t be taking anything lightly and we’ll go out and shows people respect by playing hard just like we did. We probably respect Leicester more than any other side because we look at them and we’ve seen what they have achieved. It’s a model you want to get to and as I always say to our players, the way to earn respect is to go out and play hard as we can.”
And although there were plenty of positives for Baxter to rejoice about come the final whistle, one big blow for the Exeter leader were the late injuries to props Brett Sturgess and Ben Moon.
Baxter said: “If good players are playing well and they hurt themselves being fully committed to what we are trying to achieve, of course it takes the gloss off things. It looks at this stage that Sturge may have broken his arm and be out for a while – but Moony we are hopeful is not too bad with his ankle.
“It is always tough whenever you get injuries, but you have squads of players to get through these things and it’s an opportunity now for someone else next week.”
Indeed, Baxter believes injuries are part and parcel of the modern-day game, especially if players are fully committed to the cause.
“The players are buying into what we are trying to achieve here and they are chucking themselves into things,” he said. “It seems we have broken a few again, but let’s just hope we don’t break too many more.”
