Baxter turns Exeter’s focus on to Glasgow
The magic number for Exeter is 19. In a 19-minute period in the second half against a tiring Montpellier, the Premiership champions scored five times to add to their first-half try, helping salvage their Champions Cup campaign – and now a bonus-point win against Glasgow next week would see them reach 19 points in Pool Three with a potential quarter-final spot in sight.
Exeter’s director of rugby Rob Baxter emphasised that the players’ focus must now be on Glasgow. “I’ve just said to the players there are two things we can do: we can now actually look like a mature side wanting to fight for a place in the quarter-finals and do absolutely everything right and leave what was a fantastic game behind very quickly.”
It took until the 27-minute mark for Exeter to open their account as blindside flanker Dave Ewers pushed over the line from two metres out after impressive work from Nic White, Sam Simmonds and Mitch Lees. After Aaron Cruden slotted over a 52nd-minute penalty to take the Top 14 leaders to within four points, Exeter showed a superior hunger and athleticism: prop Ben Moon was instrumental in the build-up to Sam Simmonds’ try.
Regarding his side’s good work at scrum time, Baxter said: “Set-piece played a huge part. There aren’t many who can get territory from winning scrum penalties against Montpellier. Our As, Bs and Cs all linked together.”
The Chiefs’ two following tries were scored by wing Olly Woodburn, the second coming off the back off a beautifully timed looping pass from White.
The Australian ran in himself just minutes later. Both Woodburn and Don Armand, who scored Exeter’s final try, drew attention to themselves as potential picks for England.
Baxter believes both have “many caps ahead of them,” but he also warned: “To break in you have got to be exceptionally consistent, and our guys are starting to show that. Olly and Don have to keep working hard.”
In the dying moments Montpellier burst back into life and were rewarded with a try from Nemani Nadolo.