Chiefs’ play-off hopes hit by loss to bitter rivals
Defeat at Saracens means fate of Rob Baxter’s side is out of their own hands
DESPITE Exeter Chiefs suffering a 38-22 defeat to arch-rivals Saracens yesterday to severely dent the club’s play-off aspirations, Rob Baxter believes his side can still make the top four.
Chiefs have a bye weekend in Round 24 before going to Bristol Bears in May and finishing at home against Harlequins on the final day of the regular season.
Defeat at the StoneX Stadium after a stunning second-half surge from Saracens who scored tries through Elliot Daly, Sean Maitland, Nick Tompkins and Ben Earl to guarantee their play-off place and leaves Chiefs in fifth place.
Exeter scored two scintillating first-half tries through Sam Skinner and Olly Woodburn, before Stu Townsend capped an incredibly impactful 35 minutes off the bench with a try that shouted of his desire and determination, ducking under the tackle of Daly and then charging through Rotimi Segun to touchdown.
But it was the opportunities left unfinished that killed Chiefs yesterday, with the Devon side held-up over the line on three occasions.
Baxter said: “I don’t think we have ever caused Saracens that many attacking problems, the games we have won against them have tended to be tight affairs, whereas today it felt like we could have scored six, seven or eight tries. That has been a bit of the story of our season.
“We have been held up a couple of times, turned over in the five metres out zone a couple of times and a couple of weird refereeing decisions have gone against us around the try line that has at least stopped us getting a bonus point.”
Northampton Saints’ dramatic 36-31 comeback at the Recreation Ground on Saturday to beat Bath Rugby sees them in fourth by one point having played a game fewer, Gloucester are in sixth, level on 62 points but having also played one game fewer meaning Chiefs chances of making the play-offs is now out of their hands.
Exeter have not missed the playoffs since the 2014/15 season and failure to make the end-of-season shoot-out would end the Chiefs’ remarkable run of six successive appearances in the final.
Baxter insists that there is no sense of crisis at Sandy Park and still has not given up hope of qualifying.
“If finishing fourth or fifth is a reset year for us, then a hell of a lot of clubs would take that.
“There have been a lot of clubs who have spent 10 years bumbling along the bottom as a re-set,” Baxter said.
“We’ll know exactly where we stand after next week’s round. That’s our bye week and the fixtures unwind.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if we’re in a position where two wins would see us through to fourth spot.
“We’re far from saying it’s going to be an experimental two games.
“We’ll give the lads nine or 10 days off then we’ll go after two victories.”