Baxter stays positive

By Mark Stevens

Nobody said Exeter's first-ever involvement in the Heineken Cup would be easy, but Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter refused to be too downbeat despite seeing his side slip to a second successive defeat in the competition against French giants Clermont Auvergne at Sandy Park.

With Baxter's side leading 12-10 at the break thanks to four Gareth Steenson penalties, the Devon club - who had lost narrowly to reigning champions Leinster in their opening fixture in Dublin - were then hit by a ferocious second half attacking display from the visitors.

Clermont were simply sublime during the second period, running in 36 unanswered points - including five tries - to ensure they remain top of Pool 5 with a maximum haul of 10 points.

Afterwards, Baxter said: "We gave it a real go, but we created some good try-scoring opportunities in the first half, which we didn't take. We kicked our penalties and we stayed in the game, but in hindsight not scoring those opportunities stopped it becoming a real pressure game for Clermont.

"We said before the game that we knew we had to come out and play and try and make the game about us - and we did that for 50 minutes of the game - but the trouble was the other half hour was a little bit too good coming the other way.

"You have to take your hats off to them because they really played in the second half. They attacked from deep and kept the ball and tried to wrestle the momentum of the game away from us."

Baxter added: "We asked the players to be brave and we asked them to go out and play and they did that in spades. Yes the game got away from us, but it got away from us because we were up against a very good side and I think some of the stuff we saw from them in the second half was exceptional. Personally, I think if they play like they did in the second half for the rest of the season, you may have your favourites for the Heineken Cup there.

"Right now I'm not too despondent about things because I have just said to the guys the only important thing is that we have learnt from today. That was always our aim when we started this Heineken Cup campaign and that remains our aim moving forward. From here we'll go away and reflect on things, then we'll meet with the boys on Monday and look to be a better team than we were on Friday."

With little to choose between either side in the first period, it was the first of centre Wesley Fofana's two tries on the night that proved such a telling moment in the contest. In the build-up to the score it appeared Exeter backs Jason Shoemark and Phil Dollman were both impeded as they look to close in on the French international, whilst a foot in touch from the French player as he headed towards the line was also discounted by Irish referee John Lacey.

"A crucial moment came with a bad official's call when he missed [Wesley] Fofana stepping into touch in the lead up to his try and couple of guys getting blocked out," said Baxter. "However, when you look at the final scoreline, it is a little churlish to say that, simply because they were more clinical, and when they got momentum of the game, they scored their points, which is what you have got to do."

And with the Heineken Cup now put on the back burner until December, Baxter will be hoping for an immediate response from his squad this weekend when they return to Aviva Premiership action away to Bath on Saturday.

He continued: "In a perverse kind of way I'm glad it was tough out there because it is supposed to be tough. You get better as a team and as players when you deal with tough situations.

"I have told the guys not to sit around in the dressing room with their heads down and expect the coaches to walk round and build them up. I am not going to build them up. They are a good team, who have given it a real go and we've come up a little bit short, but we haven't come up as short as the scoreline suggests.

"It was tough, but everything we have put out onto the pitch has been worth it, and by dealing with reality and looking to get better, we will progress."