Baxter wants Chiefs to end ‘ fantastic journey’ with victory
England's dominant club Exeter will aim to conquer Europe on Saturday in the latest stage of what Chiefs boss Rob Baxter describes as "a fantastic journey".
Eleven years to the day since Exeter beat Birmingham and Solihull in a low- key Championship game, they will contest European club rugby's biggest prize.
Standing between them and the Heineken Champions Cup in Exeter's first European final are French side Racing 92.
It will unfold behind closed doors at Ashton Gate in Bristol and victory for Baxter's men would maintain their domestic and European trophy double hopes ahead of next weekend's Gallagher Premiership final against Wasps.
"It feels a fantastic journey and it has been great, but the important things are what we do every day, every week and every month," Baxter said.
"We are not running around with big smiles on our faces being silly because we have got to a European final for the first time. We are actually locking down into what it will take to win it.”
England wing Jack Nowell has recovered from a foot injury and starts in an Exeter team showing one change from their European semi-final win against Toulouse. Flanker Jacques Vermeulen plays instead of Scotland’ s Sam Skinner, who is a sub, while Racing show three changes after they knocked out semifinal opponents Saracens. Wing Louis Dupichot, centre Henry Chavancy and lock Bernard Le Roux all start, with Teddy Thomas not featuring among Racing's match- day 23 and Donnacha Ryan and Olivier Klemenczak on the bench.