Chiefs keen to learn from recent defeat

Long-serving No.8 Richard Baxter believes that Exeter Chiefs are still learning in the Aviva Premiership and that is key to their future in the top flight.

Baxter, who captained the Devon club in their narrow defeat to Leicester Tigers at the weekend, is taking all the positives out of the performance at Sandy Park – whilst at the same time focusing his attentions firmly on Saturday’s trip up the M5 to rivals Worcester Warriors (3pm)

“Full credit to Leicester, they were able to grind out the result better than we did,” said Baxter afterwards. “At the moment we’re striving to win as many games as we can and push on – Saturday was a good performance, but not a win, so we’ll look to get better and put that behind us and move on to next week.”

Exeter’s 12-9 defeat – only their second on home turf in the Premiership this season – saw the Chiefs remain in eighth spot and still five points adrift of the all-important top six.

Baxter added: “It has stung us a bit. We’re down because we’ve lost, but crucially we got a bonus point. Looking at it now, I suppose we’re a little bit frustrated that the game probably could have gone our way 12-9 as much as their way.

“It was very tough out there, you’re playing Leicester and that’s where you have to front up first of all and I thought we did that for most parts today.”

As the Devon club’s longest-serving player with 428 appearances to his name, Baxter hopes he and his team-mates will learn from experiences like that of the weekend and use it to finish the season on a high note.

The 35-year-old said: “They [Leicester] are players who are experienced in Premiership rugby, but with us we haven’t got as much Premiership experience as other teams, so we’re learning all the time.

“Sometimes those close games aren’t going our way, but I think that will come with experience because we’re still a very young side.

“Leicester are a great team, they pride themselves on their set-piece and their forward work, and we knew we had to front up, which we did for large parts of the game. Like I said, full credit to them they came through and they snatched a win from us.

“The most important thing is that we keep learning and keep wanting to improve, we’ll move on to next week and look to put in a big performance.”

Richard – the younger brother of Head Coach Rob Baxter – is still optimistic that the Chiefs can secure European Rugby next season and knows that they face a tough test at Worcester on Saturday.

“We’re still alive in this season, we’ve got a lot to play for which is the important thing and that’s what will drive us forward,” he continued. “Worcester are a very good side, particularly at home, and they’re another side who pride themselves up front, so that’s where we’ll have to match them.

“Looking at the final few weeks of the season, I think it’s great to have things in our hands and still have something to play for towards the end of the season.  The last three weeks have really given us a chance to get in the top six and who knows if we can play as well as we can, and we get some more results, it might give us a little bit more to play for.”

Photo courtesy of Exeter Rugby Club / Pinnacle Photo Agency

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