The 'full-blooded' Exeter emotions as Saracens look to 'dent' them
Exeter boss Rob Baxter reckons there is no underestimating the importance of the outcome of this Sunday’s renewal of their edgy rivalry with Saracens, the club found to have won Premiership titles in a number of seasons in which they broke the league’s salary cap. Rather than have that silverware taken from them, the London outfit were instead only automatically relegated from the top flight for the 2020/21 Championship season.
With Saracens winning promotion back at the first attempt, it resulted in them visiting Sandy Park last December for a Premiership fixture that was narrowly won by Exeter on an 18-15 scoreline. However, with the Chiefs winning only six of their eleven league games since then, they are clinging on in the fourth and final position for the end-of-season playoffs.
That inconsistency is in contrast to the better form of Saracens, which currently has them flying high in second place and looking to nail down home advantage in the semi-finals, a target that comes with the added incentive of knowing that a win over Exeter at the StoneX on Sunday would be a huge blow to Baxter and his hopes of reaching the Premiership final for the seventh successive season.
With Harlequins, the defending champions, hosting league leaders Leicester on Saturday, the level of hype leading into this weekend isn’t the same as it used to be for previous Saracens versus Exeter games. For instance, only a half-dozen journalists joined Baxter on Thursday for his Exeter media briefing Zoom call previewing the latest instalment of a rivalry that usually attracts way more publicity, especially given the fallout from the salary cap controversy of recent years surrounding the Londoners.
However, that lessened glare of publicity isn’t taking anything away from this latest meeting in the eyes of Baxter, who knows his Exeter team must deliver as five of the six teams surrounding them on the table have a game in hand on the Chiefs who will be on a bye week in next week’s round 24. “It is (a must-see game),” he agreed when asked by RugbyPass about the current status of the fierce Exeter rivalry with Saracens.
“It’s important to both sides. We have met in numerous finals, people are aware there is a bit of history around the salary cap stuff and there is no point in me saying that doesn’t exist because it plainly does. If you play in numerous finals against a team, then what happened is bound to have some effect on how a club feels from the top to the bottom. If it happened the other way around the feeling would be exactly the same.
“No one is going to be naive enough to say it wouldn’t, that (feeling) would have happened anyway. But I still think as well the key and why I think particularly the players like playing against each other is they tend to be a close rival on the field in all kinds of ways.
“Vying for international places, where we want to be in the league, trying to win trophies, so it itself has become a big game because we have been around a lot of big games, semi-finals and finals together, and even without any of the other stuff that has happened, it would be a growing rivalry.
“For us now it is a growing rivalry because this week it is an opportunity for Saracens to dent us getting into the top four and to help them cement a top two. For us, it is a fight to stay in the top four. This game has got a lot of connotations and for that reason, it should be a very full-blooded encounter. If it is not that will probably be us not delivering on the day what we need to.”
In contrast to previous seasons where Exeter metronomically produced the wins that had them placed higher on the table, their uncharacteristic inconsistencies this season have left Baxter and co frustrated that they have lost momentum – but he isn’t writing off their chances of producing a winning performance in London just eight days after they exited the Heineken Champions Cup at the hands of Munster.
“I have seen these guys do some amazing things and that is why it would be a big result for us because it is going to be a very important game for the reasons of keeping our season alive and to keep going. When I say I am baffled, I’m not really baffled. I pretty much know what has happened and what has deflected our performances and our togetherness a little bit.
“What I am saying is what is a little baffling is one week it can all come together and then another week it can’t and it is that bit that is a little baffling, but I kind of know why it is. It is because we step up to a challenge one minute and then we kind of draw a breath and go, ‘That’s okay, everything is right now’. But actually, it doesn’t work like that.
“Every game is a huge challenge and you have got to step up and step up and step up and that builds you your momentum, builds your belief across the board and everyone is buying in, turning up at training and doing what needs to get done, questions don’t need to be asked, guys aren’t looking around for a reason to do something different and you just get on with things.
“That is where you have got to really credit Saracens. They get on with things probably with the best, the most consistency in the Premiership for a long time now but then you look at the teams that are thriving this year like Leicester, they are getting on with it. Their lads are just getting on with it, they are doing what Leicester do and they have agreed to do it and they work hard at it.
“It makes you a very good side and there are not really any questions being asked because it is successful for them so they love doing it. That is what makes strength and that is the little bit we have got to re-find, that we just get on with things and we enjoy doing it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Irish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
4 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
4 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to commentsSimple reason for wanting him back. Robertson wants him as captain. Otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering chasing him. Not enough reason to come back just to mentor.
10 Go to commentsI had not considered this topic like this at all, brilliant read. I had been looking at his record at the Waratahs and thought it odd the Crusaders appointed him, then couple that with all that experience and talent departing and boom. They’ve got some great talent developing though, and in all honesty I don’t think anyone would be over confident taking them on in a playoff match, no matter how poor the first half of their season was. I think they can pull a game out of their ass when it counts.
2 Go to commentsNot a bad list but not Porecki and not Donaldson. Not because they are Tahs, or Ex Tahs, they are just not good enough. Edmed should be ahead. Far more potential. Wilson should be 8 and Valentini 6. Wilson needs to be told by his father and his coach, stop bloody running in to brick wall defence. You’re not playing under the genius Thorn any more. He’s a fantastic angle runner. The young new 8 from the Brumbies looks really good too. The Lonegrans are just too small for international rugby as is Paisami, as is Hamish Stewart at 12. Both great at Super Rugby level. Stewart could have been a great 10 if not for Brad Thorn. Uru should be there and so should Tupou. Tupou just needs good Australian coaching which he hasn’t been getting. I don’t think Schmidt will excite him.
3 Go to commentsIf he wants to come back then he should. He will be a major asset to the younger locks and could easily be played as an impact player off the bench coming on in the last 30. He is fit, strong and capable and has all the experience to make up for any loss in physical prowess. He could also be brought back with a view to coaching within the structures one day. Duane Vermeulen played until he was 37 or 38. He is now a roaming coach within the South African coaching structures. He was valuable in the last world cup and has been a major influence on Jasper Wiese and other young players which has helped and accelerated their development and growth. Whitelock could do the exact same thing for NZ
10 Go to commentsBrett Excellent words… finally someone (other than DC) has noted that Hanigan is very hard and very good at doing what Backrow should do… his performance via the Drua sauna was quite daunting for those on the other side… very high tackle count… carries with good end result… constant threat to make a good 20-25 meters with those long legs… providing his mass effectively to crunching the Drua pack… Finally he is returning to quality form… way to much injury time over the last 2 years… smart-strong-competent in his skills… caught every lineout throw aimed at him and delivered clean pass to whoever was down below… and he worked hard for the whole 80 minutes… Ned has to be in the top 5 for backrow honors… He knows what is required as he has been there before…
20 Go to commentsI think Sam Whitelock should not touch a return with a bargepole. He went out on a high, playing in the RWC Final. He would be coming back into a team that will be weaker than last years, and might even be struggling to win games, especially against the Boks. Stay in France, enjoy another year with Pau, playing alongside his brother.
10 Go to comments