BAX FACTOR!
Boss Rob demands a repeat against the high-flyers
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Saracens
EXETER boss Rob Baxter watched his side knock over their most bitter rivals but insists they have to repeat the dose against more top dogs to be title contenders again.
Hooker Luke Cowan-dickie, back from an ankle injury, scored the game-breaking try on 56 minutes and Chiefs hung on despite Alex Lozowski’s five penalties.
It was just Chiefs’ second home win of the season but they are up to third in the Premiership heading into two weeks of European action.
But Baxter reckons they need more of the same against the league’s other big names if they are going to nail down a third Premiership title after a shaky start.
The Exeter supremo said: “We have to show that we can knock these guys over because that is what we haven’t done. We lost to Leicester, we haven’t beaten them and we need to find a way to...if we want to win the Premiership.
“We had to show we could do that to Saracens, we have to show we can do that to Quins.
“I am just really pleased we put in that kind of performance against a team we should expect to be around the top of the table at the end of the season.”
Spot on
Cowan-dickie has not played since 16 October when he was carted off against Wasps and missed England’s autumn campaign.
But apart from a couple of wobbly lineout throws he was spot on here and Baxter confirmed he will captain Chiefs in Europe against Montpellier next weekend.
He said: “He is just flat out, he has got one speed and he did that today. He has had an incredible period of rehab and he has come back in better condition than our conditioners have seen him.”
Saracens were left to regret getting on the wrong side of referee Luke Pearce who hammered them for back chat.
Billy Vunipola got marched back 20 metres for two consecutive rows with the official, and that cost his side three points as it put the kick in Joe Simmonds’ range, while Mako Vunipola and Nick Isiekwe also were pinged for verbals.
Sarries boss Mark Mccall said: “We were let down today by inaccuracy and ill discipline.
“It’s not just frustrating, it’s highly costly. It cost us points and it cost us decisions later because you’re on the wrong side of the referee.
“Maro Itoje was over the ball a couple of times on halfway and we got nothing, probably because of
how we’d behaved earlier.” Exeter led 8-6 at the break thanks to Tom O’flaherty’s try when he beat Sarries scrum-half Aled Davies to a cross-kick by Simmonds.
They butchered a few chances before Cowan-dickie barged over from a driving lineout. Lozowski’s boot kept the visitors in touch but they could not edge ahead.