Plenty to ponder for Baxter

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter admits he will have a number of selections headaches this week after his side wrapped up their pre-season programme with a 32-16 win at the Dragons.

Having already accrued victories over the Scarlets and Ulster Rugby on home soil, the Aviva Premiership made it a full house thanks to a powerful second half display at Rodney Parade.

Winger Olly Woodburn helped himself to a hat-trick of tries on the night, while there were further touchdowns for hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and centre Ollie Devoto.

Although satisfied to round things off with a third successive win, Baxter admitted there was still plenty for his side to work on ahead of their league opener away to Wasps on Sunday week at the Ricoh Arena.

“Am I satisfied? Yes and no,” said Baxter at the final whistle. “Great credit to the Dragons, I thought the intensity they brought in that first 20, 25 minutes kind of rattled us and knocked us out of our stride a little bit.

“I know this sounds off, but I think we dropped into playing some pretty rugby in a way. It was quite fancy and nice at times and it looked like it distressed the Dragons a bit, but actually it was a bit loose, a bit messy and it meant we made a lot of mistakes.

“We put down a lot of ball and that meant the Dragons could counter-attack and that’s what they scored from. For us it got a bit ragged and when you get like that, you lose a bit of discipline and in turn you start to concede penalties, which we did.

“For a period I thought we looked a bit ordinary and a bit un-Exeter like – and I said to the guys at half time, it looks like you have come here a bit under prepared and not quite hitting the pitch in the mindset you need to be.

“We lacked intensity, direction and chat and to be a good side you all need to be singing off the same hymn sheet. Fair play to the lads, though, we got that composure back pretty well during the second quarter and we weathered the storm well and I was pretty satisfied to go in level at half time.”

Read the rest of the interview here http://exeterchiefs.co.uk/news/baxter-plenty-ponder/