'This is no flash in the pan' - Baxter

By Mark Stevens
21/5/2016

Rob Baxter insists Exeter’s march to a first-ever Aviva Premiership final is no ‘flash in the pan’ - but instead the culmination of years of hard work behind the scenes at Sandy Park.

The Exeter head coach watched on with glowing pride as his side set-up a mouth-watering final assignment of the season against recently crowned European champions Saracens at Twickenham next Saturday (3pm).

Two penalty tries, along with touchdowns for Ian Whitten (pictured) and Dave Ewers, were the highlights on a memorable day for the Devon club, whose remaining points came courtesy of the boot of leading scorer Gareth Steenson.

Wasps countered with converted tries of their own through Carlo Festuccia and Dan Robson, plus three further penalties from Jimmy Gopperth. However, it was never enough to deny Baxter’s side who will now advance to the capital brimming with confidence following their notable scalp.

“It feels good,” said Baxter when asked post-match how he was feeling. “it was one hell of a game, one in which neither team really got away from each other. That said, I think we showed enough qualities over 80 minutes to deserve the win.”

With the elements in their favour during the first half, the Chiefs held a slender 20-14 cushion at the break before Wasps threatened to come fighting back during the second period.

In the end, the Midlanders did not have any enough firepower within their attacking arsenal, surrendering late possession which the Chiefs used to deadly effect to claim a second penalty try of the afternoon.

Now just 80 minutes from potentially lifting English rugby’s top prize, Baxter acknowledges his squad have stepped up to the plate and delivered when called upon recently.

“We have been challenging the players for the last four or five weeks and saying to them this is really the time in the season where you have to take hold of this in your own hands,” explained the Exeter coach. “This is where you take charge of things and look after each other, because if you do that, you tend to achieve big things.

“The lads who played today have made a name for themselves a little further up the ladder than they were before, simply because they have been looking after each other and really caring for things. The players are taking hold of the season now and they have one more week to take charge of things and put in a big performance.

“In time we’re not going to be judged on today. We have won this game, but in a week’s time we are going to be judged on a different performance and we have to make sure we are happy on how we are judged.

“What gives us the backbone and foundations that we have got is that we had to spent a lot of time being tough and dealing with being second. We were saying all those years ago that one day we want to be a very successful rugby club, so and when people laugh at you and think it’s funny when you go to Pertemps Bees and you lose, then say your aims are still to be a top side, you have to pick yourselves up and just get on with it and do another week’s work.

“That’s is what some of them have done and that is why it’s particularly special for a few of the players down there in the changing room. Today is not a flash in the pan, today is a culmination of a lot of people’s hard work over a long time. This will not feel like a shock to the players, it will feel like the next step they want to take.”

Looking ahead to the challenge that lies in wait at English Rugby HQ, Baxter insists it’s the perfect test for him and his players.

“It’s a fantastic challenge for us,” added Baxter. “If someone said to me is there one team you want to face in the final and one team you like to have the opportunity to beat, you’d have to say Saracens because they have been the stand out side all season. They’ve finished top of the Premiership and they’ve just won Europe, so if you are going to win the Premiership, let’s go up against a very good side and see where it takes us.

“We won a big game today, we finished second in the Premiership and we’ve won a semi-final. Right now I’m not looking to far ahead, instead let’s take a couple of hours to enjoy what we have done, enjoy the experience, and then we can to restart and look to plan for next week.”