Baxter has to be made Eddie’s heir

THE RFU’S new chief executive, Stephen Brown, should drive to Devon and only come back when Rob Baxter has agreed to take charge of England after the next World Cup.

There is no need for a global search. Eddie Jones’s successor is in the country already. Exeter’s head coach has compiled enough compelling evidence that he is capable of making the step up into Test rugby. What his side did to Bath on Saturday was another powerful entry on his bulging c.v.

Ignore the distorting late rearguard action by the visitors, the Chiefs absolutely destroyed their title rivals at Sandy Park. Exeter’s performance was a complete exhibition of their formidable repertoire. Power, pace, precision. Intensity, ambition, resilience and composure. It had all the hallmarks of a team who are superbly coached and man-managed.

This is no surprise. Baxter (right) began in his role in 2009 and by the end of his first season, the Chiefs were up to the Premiership. Since then, midtable stability has given way to upward mobility, culminating in last season’s triumph at Twickenham.

Exeter can be fast and loose, or tight and tough. There is a relentless purpose and clarity about them which suggests they are being driven well and astutely behind the scenes, with Ali Hepher working wonders as Baxter’s right-hand man. They should come to Twickenham as a pair.

Baxter toured with England in 2013 and was well received by the players on that trip to Argentina. He is the best of the English coaches in the domestic game, by current reputation. Mark McCall of Saracens is another potential successor to Jones, but the outstanding Ulsterman may have designs on coaching Ireland instead.

Never mind scouring the global market. There are not so many of these so- called ‘ super- coaches’ around anyway, and most of them are New Zealanders who ultimately covet the All Blacks job, so why would the RFU wish to aid their development, or serve as a stepping stone? Dave Rennie at Glasgow comes into that category and is feted as a Test coach-in-waiting. He can be. Back at home.

Baxter should be hired, whatever it costs, to join the England set-up after this season, in order to spend a year immersing himself in the Test game leading into the World Cup. That time operating under Jones would serve as an ideal international apprenticeship. As gambles go, it would be a modest one. The evidence is irrefutable; Baxter is a very good coach and team figurehead. He understands what makes players tick and how to make them better. He deserves his shot.