'There is no reason, especially when you look at their squad, that they can't make something happen on the day'
Rob Baxter is targeting Exeter’s “biggest performance of the season” when they face Heineken Champions Cup opponents Northampton on Sunday.
A Chiefs victory at Sandy Park would see them reach the tournament’s semi-finals for the first time.
Current form suggests they will achieve it comfortably, with Exeter 31 points above Saints in the Gallagher Premiership and hosting a side reeling from five successive league defeats.
The prize is a last-four home clash against Toulouse or Ulster next weekend, and Baxter knows it is an opportunity his players must not let slip.
“We’ve been looking forward to this game for a while,” Exeter rugby director Baxter said.
“As I’ve said to the players this week, this should be our biggest game of the season so far and that they should be getting ready to put in their biggest performance of the season.
“As a group, we have to hope – and expect – that we see something special on the pitch at the weekend.
“What we have to do is make sure we get everything we can right and correct, and that we focus fully on ourselves and not let anything distract us.”
Exeter’s solitary previous appearance in the Champions Cup quarter-finals came four years ago against Wasps when they lost to the game’s final kick.
Baxter added: “We played exceptionally well on the day, and we came as close as you are ever going to get to winning a game, only to concede a conversion in the last seconds of the game.
“Right now, I think we are getting there. We’ve got a fit squad, we are in decent form, training has gone well, but in the back of your mind it’s still a one-off game.
“All week, we’ve talked about how we have to prepare to face the very best Northampton side, because there is no reason, especially when you look at their squad, that they can’t make something happen on the day.
“That means we have to prepare and be the best Exeter Chiefs team that we can be. If after that we go out there, perform to our best and still come up short, that’s sport.
“What we cannot afford to do is let the moment or the opportunity pass us by simply because we haven’t been willing to commit everything to the game.”
Northampton’s preparations have been dominated by an injury crisis at loosehead prop, with four players in that position sidelined, meaning a start for 19-year-old Manny Iyogun and emergency loan signing Alex Seville featuring on the bench.
And Saints will arrive in Devon on the back of a Premiership defeat against Leicester that left rugby director Chris Boyd searching for answers.
“The result against Leicester was our worst performance for two years,” Boyd said. “It was really poor.
“I can’t explain particularly why that was, but we had some fairly serious dialogue the following day and had a really good meeting on Tuesday.
“We have trained with as much enthusiasm and energy since I have been here.”
Meanwhile, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) announced that Sunday’s Challenge Cup match between Leicester and Castres has been cancelled after three players and a member of staff from the French team tested positive for Covid-19.
The quarter-final had been due to take place at Welford Road, but an EPCR statement said the decision was taken to call off the contest following a meeting of the Medical Committee.
As a result, Castres will forfeit the match, sending Leicester through to the semi-finals.
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Skelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
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