Nowell lights up the Chiefs BAXTER: THIS IS JUST START
ROB BAXTER saw his Exeter side march into the Champions Cup semi- finals for the first time – and then insisted they have only just started.
A wonder try from England wing Jack Nowell just after the break and in front of Red Rose coach Eddie Jones opened up the game and sealed a last- four spot.
Chiefs will now face four- times European champions Toulouse back at Sandy Park on Saturday.
The French side smashed Ulster 36- 8 in the day’s other quarterfinal, but Chiefs coach Baxter insisted: “It is exactly what we need – the bigger the name the bigger the game the better it will be for us.
“We will be confident we can improve our line- out, improve our scrum and some of the discipline stuff. We have a short period of time when we can re- energise – we need a big challenge to get the best out of ourselves.”
Northampton needed to get off to a flier to get any change out of the Premiership leaders but, after dominating for the first 15 minutes, they had only a three- point lead to show for it. Then England centre Henry
Slade cut Saints’ defence to pieces before feeding scrum- half Jack Maunder to score under the posts.
And the writing was on the wall when Exeter’s famed driving maul enabled No7 Jacques Vermeulen to be shoved over before Saints hit back through their skipper Teimana Harrison.
Northampton trailed 14- 10 at half- time but they could have folded when Nowell performed his party piece on 41 minutes and lock Jonny Hill scored Chiefs’ fourth. Saints director of rugby Chris Boyd said: “I’m not happy with 38- 15 but I am extremely happy with the intent.”
EXETER – Tries: Maunder, Vermeulen ( 2), Nowell, Hill. Cons: J Simmonds ( 4),
Steenson. Pen: J Simmonds. NORTHAMPTON – Tries: Harrison, Dingwall. Con: Biggar. Pen: Biggar.