Baxter's delight at Waldrom signing

Waldrom in action for Leicester Tigers. Photo: zimbio.com

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has spoken of his delight after it was confirmed England international Thomas Waldrom will be joining the club next season.

The 30-year-old forward has put pen to paper on a three-year deal and joins the Chiefs from reigning Aviva Premiership champions Leicester Tigers.

Waldrom is Baxter’s first confirmed new arrival for the 2014/15 season, although the Chiefs head coach has admitted others may soon be following the back-row ace to Sandy Park in the coming weeks ahead.

“Obviously we’re delighted to have signed Thomas on a three-year contract,” said Baxter. “All the time we say we’re looking to enhance and improve the squad and bringing in someone of his calibre and experience certainly does that.

“Thomas, we know, is not only a top quality international player, but he’s vastly experienced and he joins us from what is a very good Leicester Tigers team. Where he plays on the field is a key position in any side, but add into that his versatility and his skill-set and it makes him a very good signing for us.”

As always Baxter has carried out a thorough and detailed check on Waldrom and he admits he likes what he sees from his new recruit.

“We’ve had a good look at him and done some pretty detailed analysis on him,” said the Chiefs coach.  “What we’ve seen is that he’s not only a very good rugby player, but he’s playing well and he is someone I know will add real top end quality to the squad.

“As we look to move forward as a club, I think it’s vital that we have players like him coming into the squad. Although he has been around for what seems a very long time, he’s still only 30 and we feel his best years are probably still to come.

“If you look at sides who tend to compete at the top end of tables and in the latter stages of competitions, they normally have a good amount of players in that kind of age range. As I said, we feel he ticks a lot of boxes for us in a lot of different areas and having him join and work with what we feel is a young squad moving forward is just fantastic.”

Baxter continued: “Talking to him he’s genuinely excited about coming here and doing well. He can see that we are an ambitious club, on and off the field, and he wants to be part of that process.

“I’ve no doubt that he will thrive in our environment and that he can play a big role for us over the next few years.”

With Waldrom signed and sealed, plus a large majority of the current Chiefs squad also on board for the foreseeable future, Baxter says the make-up of his team for next season is taking shape nicely.

“We’re looking pretty good at the moment,” he added. “Obviously we’ve just signed Thomas; we’ve managed to get quite a few of the current guys signed up on new deals recently; and we’ve got one or two others in the pipeline that are very close to be sorted.

“Each year we say we’ll look to improve the squad and that’s no different again this year. I’m more than happy with the way things are moving along for next season because I think we’re putting together what will be another very strong and competitive group of players.

“Of course there will be guys who come in and others who go, but often the key part of things like this is keeping hold of your core group. We’re doing that right now and that we’ll put us in a great position to keep moving forward.”

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Baxter hails Chiefs' away win against Sale Sharks

Photo: Peter J Dean (via Flickr)

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter described his side’s latest Aviva Premiership win as “precious” as they consolidated their place in the top four with a hard fought 18-16 win at Sale Sharks.

Irish fly-half Gareth Steenson did the damage in terms of points for the visitors as he punished the in-disciplined Sharks with an unblemished six from six at the target.

Sale countered with three penalties of their own from Danny Cipriani, as well as a late converted try for winger Mark Cueto, but it was not enough to dent the inform Devonians.

Afterwards, Baxter not only praised his team’s defensive qualities on a hard night in the North West, but also their character as they looked to quell a lively Sale onslaught in the second half.

“I say all the time that away wins are precious and that you have to work extremely hard to get them,” said Baxter. “When they come along – whatever fashion that come in – it’s always very satisfying.

“I’m sat here now a little disappointed, I know it’s strange to say that after a win, but that was a game we controlled for long periods, but then allowed to get a little pressurised towards the end through a few things we did and also some things that they did.

“Sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition, I thought Sale did some good stuff out there in second half, and fair play to them they fashioned a good try at the end with some good rugby, some good offloads and a bit of continuity. But as a whole, I’d like to take my hat off to the way our guys stood up and defended out there today.”

Baxter added: “It was almost brutal in the way they held on in there, but composed at the same time. I thought our discipline was fantastic today and it was probably the deciding factor between the two teams. When we pressurised them, especially in the first half, they were ill disciplined and we kicked our points. Then when we were under pressure, we held our discipline together.

“That’s a great credit to a team who were composed and at the same time very disciplined. Often we don’t tend to win tight, scrappy contests like this, instead we tend to win with a bit to spare like last week. Therefore, for us to shade a tight contest like this, I have to say is very satisfying.”

In a brusing battle throughout, the Chiefs made the most of three first half yellow cards given to the Sharks to establish a 15-6 lead at the break. Steenson, as is the case, was his normal metronomic self with the right boot, punishing the home side’s indiscretion at every opportunity.

“Steeno’s a penalty machine and that’s one of the reasons why he is in the team,” continued Baxter. “He led the team on the pitch very well tonight and I’m sure he will lead them on the bus journey home as well! “He played his part tonight in what was a very attritional game of rugby. As I said, both sides tried to play in what were pretty tough conditions out there, but we’ve come out on top in the end I’m very pleased with the win.

“As I’ve just said to the guys, sometimes it’s nice to see them win and score lots of tries and other times it’s nice to stand up and fight. I’d rather they score tries and make it a little easier for us coaches, but at the same time you have to have lots of qualities within your game. Make no bones about it, that was a tough physical game of Premiership rugby, where no quarter was asked or given. You had two teams backing themselves to a standstill and it was a very close game at the end.

“From our perspective, I thought that was one of the best defensive displays of the season and we’ve got our rewards for it. For me, where we are, what we are doing – winning away in tough Premiership environments like this – it’s a pretty good place to be right now.”

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Baxter expects Worcester to pose challenge for Chiefs

Worcester Warriors in action against Bristol. Photo credits: Mole_Farmer (via Flickr)

Rob Baxter insists his Exeter Chiefs side can expect a “huge challenge” when Aviva Premiership action returns to Sandy Park this Saturday with the visit of Worcester Warriors (3pm).

Without a win in the top flight this season, the Warriors are hoping the recent enforced European break has allowed them to address early season woes and hopefully get their campaign back on track.

The Chiefs, though, are hoping to prolong their agony a little longer and buoyed by their own impressive exploits in the Heineken Cup, Baxter wants his troops to maintain top form in the pursuit of vital league points.

“Everyone’s very aware the challenges of playing a team that’s fighting away are huge,” said Baxter. “That’s why I’m so determined to make sure the most important thing we do is not get too carried away or focused on what happened in the Heineken Cup, as far as I’m concerned that’s done now.

“We have to flick that mental switch now because we know it’s going to be a very important game for Worcester, but it’s also a very important game for us. Nothing else but 100 per cent concentration and focus will do in the Premiership. We’ll be looking to ram that home to the players.”

In their last Premiership outing, the Chiefs produced an excellent display in disposing of Gloucester 29-12 on their own Kingsholm turf and that Baxter believes is the standard which his players must continue to replicate moving forward.

“Teams that claim to be ambitious and want to be involved in big games at the end of the season are good at this stage of the season,” added the Chiefs’ coach. “Coming out of the Heineken Cup they’re tough and they make sure they get the results they need to keep the season alive.

“I want our players to be excited about every game they play because of how ambitious they are and where they want to go. I would be disappointed if a Premiership game at Sandy Park is not exciting for our players. Sometimes you have to re-focus on that. This is a Premiership game at Sandy Park, in front of our supporters, who are fantastic for us. We’re in the Premiership – let’s relish every moment.”

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Chiefs gear up to face Cardiff Blues

Cardiff Blues taking on eventual champions Toulon during last year’s Heineken Cup. Photo credits: Simon Williams (via Flickr)

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter says his players should relish the challenge of tackling Europe’s elite when they kick-off their Heineken Cup campaign at home to Cardiff Blues on Sunday (12.45pm).

Having been given an initial taste of the tournament last season against the likes of Leinster, Clermont Auvergne and Scarlets, Baxter’s men are back for a second bout of the action again this season.

First up are the Blues, who will arrive in Devon with a star-studded squad that includes victorious British & Irish Lions stars Sam Warburton, Gethin Jenkins, Leigh Halfpenny and Alex Cuthbert. However, that quartet are not the only threats that the Chiefs will need to be aware of as the Welsh region have a plethora of outstanding individuals and Baxter has warned his players they will need to be on top form if they are to achieve their ambitions.

“They have threats all over the field,” warned Exeter’s leader. “This weekend our guys are going to be playing against British Lions and Welsh internationals, so we know it’s going to be a tough game for us. We’re aware that we will need to stay tight defensively and not make individual errors. That said, we’re excited about the challenge, not just because it’s the Heineken Cup, but also because we’re at home and we’re playing in front of our own supporters.”

As well as having home advantage, the Chiefs will also head into the contest buoyed by an impressive victory at Gloucester in their last outing.

Baxter says that display was the “best yet” this season from his team and has asked them to replicate that showing against the visiting Welshmen.

“Finishing that first block of Premiership games with a win like that was huge for us,” admitted Baxter. “Not only was it very satisfying results-wise, but it has given us the foundation to go out and enjoy attacking the Heineken Cup. We have talked about going after this competition as hard as we can, so to have Cardiff come down here with us on decent form is going to be hugely exciting.”

For the Chiefs, overcoming league rivals Gloucester in such a convincing manner not only offered a huge fillip in terms of league placings, but it also gave the club the perfect response following a mixed display against Leicester Tigers in their last home outing.

“Was it a response or was it us just being Exeter again?” asked Baxter. “It was not so much a reaction to the Leicester game, it was more a focus on ourselves and what we want to be about. We did it well in the second half against Leicester and then we put it in for 80 minutes against Gloucester. It was one of those games where a lot of the things we have been working on as a group really came together, so I think if you pull all those things together in one performance, we know we can be a very effective side.”

Baxter is also hoping that experiences gained last season in the competition will also come in handy as his side look to push forward.

“I guess what we learned from last season were things like the intensity of the game; the pressure of playing in this environment and the importance of taking bonus points, keeping your error count low and staying disciplined,” explained Baxter. “Also, I think it’s import that we revel in and enjoy these big moments and these big games.

“I keep saying to our guys that good players and good teams get better under the pressure. Players who go on to play at international level tend to be the players who perform well at club level, get better at Heineken Cup level and get better again at international level. They are the guys that thrive at the top end and that’s what I want from us. I want to see guys who are better in the Heineken Cup than they are in the Premiership. I don’t want OK, I want better, so that’s the challenge.”

Team news for the Chiefs sees Baxter forced to tweak his backline due to injuries sustained in the past week. Former Blues’ winger Tom James rolled an ankle in training, so he misses out and Fetu’u Vainikolo comes in for his first competitive start; whilst the experienced Jason Shoemark returns at centre in place of Sam Hill, who picked up a knock in the latter stages of the game at Kingsholm. The promotion of Tongan international Vainikolo means his spot on the bench is filled by Fijian powerhouse Sireli Naqelevuki.

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Chiefs gear up to face Tigers

Photo: Sam Dredge (Flickr)

Rob Baxter knows all too well there is no hiding place when it comes to the Aviva Premiership and Sunday’s visit of reigning champions Leicester Tigers to Sandy Park offers him and his Exeter Chiefs squad a formidable weekend work-out.

After successive league wins over London Wasps and London Irish, the Chiefs have spent this past week readying themselves for what will be a key date in their seasonal programme.

The Tigers, like the Chiefs, have recorded two wins from three starts so far this term and will arrive in Devon looking to keep pace with unbeaten leaders Saracens at the summit.

Ready to meet that threat head will be the Westcountry outfit who, according to their illustrious leader, have yet to hit top form in the Premiership despite recent successes.

“I am never critical of the players when we get out there and we go for it and play hard,” said Baxter. “That said, we haven’t really put periods of momentum play together for long spells to say we are really happy with things. In some ways that’s a nice place to be as we feel there is more coming all the time and that it’s still early in the season.

“Eight points from your first three games is a really good foundation to push on from and it’s similar to how we have started seasons in the past, so I am comfortable with where we are. Now, though, we have to build on that foundation, collect some points – I don’t mind how we get them – and just make sure we are comfortable with our level of performance.

“The truth is the best teams aren’t at their best right now, this is the time when they bed in and get better, so that’s what we have to do, which is bed in and get better.”

Exeter Chiefs

Baxter praises Chiefs' character

The Chiefs’ latest victory over London Irish places them 7th in the Aviva Premiership table. Photo credit: Sam Dredge (via Flickr)

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter praised the character of his team as they claimed their first away victory of the season with a 29-23 success at London Irish.

Training 23-12 with just 20 minutes remaining, the Chiefs produced a sterling fightback thanks to tries from skipper Dean Mumm and Ben White to ensure they were able to follow up last week’s home win over London Wasps.

Fly-half Gareth Steenson converted both those scores, as well as adding five penalties, to give him a 19 point haul that took past 1,000 league points for the Devon club.

In reply, Irish bagged tries of their own through Nic Rouse and Marland Yarde, whilst Ian Humphreys kicked the remainder of their posts. However, it was not enough to halt Baxter’s side at the Madejski Stadium.

Afterwards, the Exeter leader admitted he was pleased to take the win, but knows a much-improved display will be needed when his side welcome defending champions Leicester Tigers to Sandy Park this Sunday.

“It was probably one of those games when we look back, we’ll say it was a very important win for us,” said Baxter. “I thought the players showed some fantastic character, and that is the biggest thing for us to take out of the game, but I’m not sure there is too much more we want to take out of it.

“If we’re being honest, I don’t think we are firing on the same level that we were last season. But then I stop, think back to last season, and realise that we won some pretty scrappy games last year. That, I suppose, is where you have to be realistic and not expect every time you go out there that every pass will stick and that every decision is going to be perfect. There are always going to be little things that change the momentum of the game and it tends to be how you deal with them over the 80 minutes that dictates how you ultimately end up playing.

“To be fair, when we look back at the territory and possession over the 80 minutes, I think we will be pretty happy with a lot of that. What we won’t be happy with are a couple of silly penalties, some silly decisions that put us under pressure and our turnover rate at times. I think once we eradicate more of those from our games, we’ll be fine. What we have to do is just keep working hard because we’ve never claimed to be the finished article, nor have we claimed to be one of the best teams in the Premiership. We just have to keep working hard and today showed that when we do work hard – and we do pull things together, that is when we are a good side.”

It was during the period when the Chiefs lost winger Tom James to the sin-bin for pulling back an opponent without the ball that Irish exerted their main attacking threat. The home side claimed 13 points whilst the Welshman spent 10 minutes on the sidelines – but once parity was restored, it was the visitors who finished with aplomb.

Exeter’s impressive work up front, together with the lively introduction of scrum-half Dave Lewis, helped spark the revival form which Baxter’s troops were able to pounce.

And post-match, Baxter was quick to praise his pack of forwards, adding: “I thought we won the game in a way that is relatively unusual for us, because we did it by putting a real squeeze on up front. Our forwards rolled their sleeves up, got on with it and great credit to them and the work (assistant/forwards coach) Rob Hunter has been doing with them, because once we got our driving maul going, we forced penalties and a yellow card.

“We then got a five-metre scrum, and our forwards went for it until we scored. As I said, we created some good moments today, and I am really pleased with the efforts the players put into the final quarter. But I can’t say I’m too pleased with a lot of the other stuff that we did for 50 to 60 minutes. We just looked a little bit indecisive, and a little bit lacking in penetration, instead of just carrying it hard and enjoying playing multi-phase rugby.

“I think we tried to pass around London Irish a little bit, without really engaging them, and that is a tough way to play rugby. Most defences are pretty good at staying on the move, and if you don’t engage them in a physical contest, it can become a little bit scrappy, and I think that is what we did for a little while.”

So, with two wins in the bag, Baxter is now focusing his thought to the impending visit of the Tigers to the Westcountry.

He continued: “It was good to back up the Wasps win. To come away from home and get that victory always makes a big difference in the table, so for me two wins out of three in the table is a pretty good return for any team. We’ll certainly take it, especially as two of those games have been away from home, but now we have to knuckle down as we have some tough games coming up.

“Leicester at home next week is a huge fixture and we are all aware we will have to be a lot better than today to really challenge them., That said, we tend to be better at home, especially when we play Leicester, so it’s going to be a big week for us. The important thing now is to get the boys recovered, fresh and ready to fire into next week.”

Exeter Chiefs

Chiefs to face London Irish

Exeter Chiefs beat London Wasps last weekend 30-26 at Sandy Park. Photo credit: Peter Dean (via Flickr)

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has challenged his side to “back up” last weekend’s Aviva Premiership win over London Wasps by inflicting a similar outcome on tomorrow’s hosts London Irish.

Having come unstuck at Northampton Saints on the opening day, the Chiefs responded in fine fashion by seeing off Wasps 30-26 on their own Sandy Park turf thanks to tries from Tom James (2) and James Scaysbrook, as well as the boot of fly-half Gareth Steenson.

A week on from that triumph, Baxter has been preparing his troops for their latest top flight battle at the Madejski Stadium – and has warned that another big performance will be needed if they are to overcome the Exiles, who themselves netted their first win at Worcester Warriors.

And part of Exeter’s pre-match preparation has been ensuring that mental attitudes are spot-on within the visiting ranks.

“It was great to get our season under way [against Wasps], get some points on the board and get off the bottom of the table, and the important thing now is to back that up,” said Baxter. “I want to make sure that our attitude is not ‘we’ve won a game of rugby, we can roll along now and everything’s fine’ because it’s not.

“If we think we can roll into the London Irish game we’ll put ourselves into a lot of problems. If we think we’re on the move now and if we keep rolling the wins will keep coming, that definitely won’t happen. We have to keep fighting and keep making things happen.”

As has been the case ever since they arrived in the Premiership, the Chiefs are never a side that gets carried away by victories or defeats and Baxter is keen that philosophy remains intact as they push on this term.

“It was nice to get points on the board and get our season underway properly,” added Baxter.  “We often say  we don’t get on a rollercoaster of emotions, so after the Northampton defeat we didn’t turn up on the Monday in a blind panic and start worrying too much about the way we were playing. We were pretty level headed about it all. It also means the Monday after you win, like this week, you need to be level headed again because the reality is we’ve not become a fantastic side overnight. We know what we did better [against Wasps] and we still know what we need to get better at. It’s therefore important we work and focus on those points and make sure they are at the forefront of our minds going into this weekend.”

Like the Chiefs, the Exiles are also on a high after their success at Sixways and having reviewed the opposition in depth this week, Baxter know the threat posed by their rivals in Reading.

“The Premiership is what it is,” he said. “Every game is important and has something on it.

“After you have won at home, like we’ve just done, the teams that can then go away from home and pick up points are the teams that tend to climb the league because that is what you have to do. You have to try and put runs of points together. We are very aware London Irish are a very good side; they’ve just had a good win at Worcester;  and there job is the opposite to ours, which is they’ve banged in that away win, now they’ll be hoping to follow it up at home. Either way it’s a good challenge for us both, so we need to be ready to meet that threat head on this week.

“Looking at things, we are both feeling a fair bit better this week than we were after week one, so it should be an interesting game. Also the conditions look good, so we both should be able to play how we want to play.”

Although victorious last weekend, Baxter has been forced to tinker with his winning formula due to injuries sustained. No.8 Dave Ewers has been ruled out with a hamstring problem, so England international Tom Johnson shuffles over from the blind-side flank and Ben White is brought in for his first start of the season. White’s void on the bench is filled by Kai Horstmann, whilst the other change is also on the bench where Carl Rimmer replaces Craig Mitchell, who picked up a knock in Monday’s A League game over Wasps.

Exeter Chiefs

Consistency key for a Chiefs top four finish

The Chiefs in action earlier this year against the London Wasps. Photo credits: Peter Dean (via Flickr)

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter says he has urged his team to remain realistic and patient in their pursuit of honours on the eve of what promises to be another exciting season at Sandy Park.

Having spent 14 years as a Chiefs player (10 as captain), Baxter knows the club incredibly well and is very focused on the principles that facilitated his side’s ascension into the upper echelons of English and European rugby.

Speaking to Exeposé Sport at the Exeter Chiefs Media Day, Baxter was keen to stress the long-term ambitions of his squad.

“I haven’t sat down with the team and said ‘we were sixth last year, we have to be fifth or fourth this year’. We’ve talked a lot about how we want to train today, how we want to train tomorrow, how we want to portray ourselves as a squad and as individuals, and the things each player can do to bring reward and success down the line.

“Now whether that’s this year, next year or the year after, that’s a little bit of a fluid thing because the reality is we don’t have to win things this year.

“The club are ambitious on and off the field, and really, it’s for this group of players to decide when that happens. I think it will happen at some stage in the future and what we have to decide as a group is how quickly it happens.”

His success so far with the Chiefs earned a summer coaching the England Saxons on their tour of Argentina and Uruguay, an experience Baxter relished and will no doubt draw from in the coming months.

Speaking about the trip, he said: “Obviously it was nice to pick the brains of some other coaches as well, and also pick the brains of some players who are playing different styles of rugby at different clubs. I like to think I’ve learnt a few things and hopefully there’s a few tweaks we can add to what we do here because that is the key, to make sure we try and get a bit better.”

This international exposure for Baxter will be crucial if they are to escape the group stages of this year’s Heineken Cup. Reigning champions Toulon, armed with a fantasy XV including Jonny Wilkinson, are the headline act scheduled to play at Sandy Park, along with Cardiff Blues and Glasgow Warriors who complete the Chiefs group for 2013-14.

“They’re great fixtures for us; a great reward for our supporters because they’ve supported us for a long time and they’re getting to see some absolutely fantastic fixtures now,” said Baxter. “It’s all part of the ongoing strategy of the club to play good rugby, attract a good level of support and a good type of support, and then develop the facility as well to hopefully develop the number of our supporters.

“I’ve always said that the key is that you give your players as many big challenges as you can. Playing in the Heineken Cup group we’ve got is going to be a fantastic challenge but we’ll be a better team for it. I’m very confident in that; I said the same last year, we had a tough Heineken Cup group and we were a better Premiership team in the second half of the season last year because of our experiences in the Heineken Cup.

“We didn’t run away from it, we weren’t scared of it, we went for it full on, we had some real tough games, we learnt a few lessons and brought them back into the Premiership, and that’s exactly what we’ll do again.”

Exeter Chiefs began their domestic campaign last weekend with a tricky opener away at Northampton Saints, where new captain Dean Mumm would have hoped to begin his captaincy journey with a win. The Australian lock, with 33 caps for the Wallabies, has replaced Tom Hayes as skipper and certainly has big boots to fill.

“It’s pretty exciting and obviously a big honour to be asked to do it,” Mumm said. “I haven’t done it yet, but it’ll be great to get stuck into it and lead the boys. Tommy Hayes has done a wonderful job whilst he’s been captain, leading the team up from the Championship and through three very successful seasons in the Premiership and Heineken Cup as well. I didn’t expect it but I’m very honoured to receive the invitation to do it.”

With only one season on English soil under his belt, Mumm still has a lot to learn about the game here and admits the captaincy will be a challenge.

“I think one of the key things for us is to be really consistent. Last year we had good periods at the start and the end of the season, but we had a period in the middle where we weren’t as successful as we’d like to be. It’s a challenge individually and for the coaches to keep producing that week after week. If we can do that, I think we can have a successful season.”

Mumm, like Baxter, is seeking constant improvements throughout the season instead of laying down absolute targets for each competition. “This is a very ambitious place. If you focus on goals you can get lost in the season, particularly if things don’t go for you.”

One player with ambitions to play at the highest level is young Jack Nowell. Having won the Junior World Cup this summer alongside fellow Chiefs academy players Henry Slade, Sam Hill and Luke Cowan-Dickie, the 20-year-old has recently been selected for the England Saxons. The excitable back three man will be looking to impress again this year in all competitions.

Everyone at the Exeter Chiefs is clearly very excited by the route the club is taking to the top. Chief Executive Tony Rowe was less reserved than Baxter and Mumm, suggesting the Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup are realistic targets for the future. For this season though, disturbing the Premiership ‘top four’ or making past the Heineken Cup group stages would be fantastic achievements.

Dougie Wilson