'Sloppy errors' cost us - Baxter
By Mark Stevens
11/11/19
Frustrated Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, blamed ‘sloppy’ errors for his side’s 20-17 defeat to Bristol Bears in the Gallagher Premiership.
The visitors became the first side since Wasps last April to win at Sandy Park, claiming victory with the very last play of the game. Dan Thomas’ converted try sealed a remarkable comeback for the Bears, who had earlier trailed 17-0 at the break.
It sealed a first-ever win for the Bears over the Chiefs in the top-flight – and moved Pat Lam’s side to the top of the standings after four rounds of battle.
Post-game, Baxter praised the fighting qualities of the visitors, but at the same time was critical of his own side’s performance.
“I thought we started the game really well,” said Baxter. “We had a good bit of control and composure, and probably we could have got more out of the first half than we did. That said, it felt like we were at a level we needed to be to win a tough game of Premiership rugby.”
First half tries from Sam Simmonds and Nic White, together with seven points from the boot of fly-half Joe Simmonds, appeared to have put the Chiefs in control of proceedings at the break.
However, the Bears used the interval to regroup and having cut the deficit through two penalties from Callum Sheedy, they set-up a grandstand finish when winger Piers O’Conor raced over just past the hour mark.
Even then, the Chiefs had chances not only to add to their tally, but also close out the contest. However, they appeared to self-implode in the dying embers and it was the Bears who clawed their way back for a famous victory.
“After half time, I thought we got sloppy,” added Baxter. “When we got some five metre pressure, we somehow managed to mess things up. We were got sloppy with some of our defence, some of our kicking and some of our passing. Gradually, we got in a situation where Bristol got some territory, got a few kicks, and then the yellow card to Nic White kind of led to a bit of a mental breakdown in that we started to do some really silly things.
“All of sudden we were seeing guys throw the ball into touch, when really all we needed to do was keep possession. Other things like not adjusting to having a scrum-half, there seemed to be a lot of things happening that we didn’t really adjust to.
“It was the same really at the end of the game. Even at the end where we've kind of muddled our way through to winning the game, we just needed to get some control about the situation. With 45 seconds left, it just requires your half backs to have two slow rucks, kick the ball off the field, and this game is done. Instead, we're playing phase play, we get turned over, and we contrive to give up a length of the field with two penalties, and then we are getting hammered over the line
“Fair play to Bristol, they carved an opportunity at the end - and they took it. Great credit to them, but I have to say we are disappointed with the end outcome.”
Moving forward, the Premiership now takes a back seat for a couple of weeks and it’s the Heineken Champions Cup that takes centre stage for Baxter and his Chiefs, who on Saturday open up their Pool 2 account with a trip across the English Channel to face La Rochelle.
Baxter is already looking to that fixture to try and get his side back on the straight and narrow. He said: “The positive - if there is ever a positive when you lose - is we haven't got anywhere to go. We go into the Heineken Cup next week and we just have to knuckle down with things.
“That’s sometimes the best thing with sport, we can actually take a bit of pressure of ourselves and as I've just said to the lads, we're not going into the Heineken Cup absolutely flying. Instead, let’s go over there and put in a fighting performance at La Rochelle. Let’s get our heads down, go over there and work really hard.”
Hard work is a trait the Chiefs are never short of lacking in – and Baxter acknowledges he will use this week’s training to get his side primed for what will be a stiff test at the Stade Marcel Deflandre.
“We are still well placed in the table, we've got a bonus point from today, but it's still a little frustrating,” continued the Exeter chief. “We haven't lost a lot of games at home, so it feels tough to lose here, especially after a battling win last week. As I said, we looked like we were getting ourselves well set at half time, but then we have contrived all sorts of ways to lose the game today.
“I’ve just said to the lads, if we all sit and watch that last ten minutes, we would just be shaking our heads in disbelief at what is going on out there. That is something you just have to get some clarity around. We just need to calm down, see things how they are, and look to move forward.
“As a squad we have to analyse ourselves and what we are doing, but more than anything, we just have to find a cohesive direction that everyone just settles down into. That can sometimes get broken up by players coming back, but I actually thought we had settled back in and trained pretty well, all the signs were there, but we have just lost some composure and some directness at times there and we just have to fight to get it back.”