Baxter wants his men to show him a burning desire
Rob Baxter wants to see a performance that shows Exeter are “burning with ambition” when the Gallagher Premiership leaders face Bath today.
Victory for the Chiefs, who have lost just three league games this term, would see them book a playoff place with five regularseason games remaining.
Exeter won the Premiership title in 2017, but they were beaten by Saracens at Twickenham last season, which is undoubtedly a driving force.
“I want us to put our foot down and show how good we can be over these final weeks, because the reality is we lost a Premiership Final last year, so we should be burning a bit,” Exeter rugby director Baxter said.
“We should be burning not just to get there again, but we should be trying to prove we can go that one bit better. If we are not burning with a bit of ambition, I would be disappointed.
“I want to make sure our performance on Sunday shows we are burning with ambition and that we are going to get better and go one stage further than last year.”
Exeter are bolstered by returning England internationals Jack Nowell and Henry Slade, who both start, while their Six Nations colleague Luke CowanDickie and Wales Grand Slam winner Tomas Francis are on the bench.
“This weekend’s game marks a lot of things,” Baxter added.
“One, it marks the start of the last quarter of the season; two, it’s the end of the Six Nations, so the international lads are back in focus with the clubs; and three, it just feels like there is a bit of a change in the weather and pitches are starting to firm up that little bit.
“For those reasons alone, that is why we need to put down a marker that we are ready to go and start building on what have been some excellent foundations in the Premiership up to now.
“I want us to look like a team who are ready to move forward.
“Results are results, and they are important of course, but the manner of how we approach this weekend’s game, plus the manner in which we want to play, that is what is most important to me.
“I want see what energy and emotion we can pour into this game.”
Exeter are unbeaten in the Premiership at Sandy Park for 13 months, but Baxter is wary of Bath’s threat.
The visitors welcome back wing Joe Cokanasiga from England duty, while skipper Will Chudley faces his former club as Bath target a win that would keep them in the top six.
“They are playing well and they’ve got some very good players within their ranks,” Baxter said.
“The potential of the team they can bring is there for all to see. They have players coming back from injuries and they’ve got threats across the field.”