Chiefs’ director of rugby on the club’s phenomenal success and the prospect of succeeding Eddie Jones as
England coach
“Definitely,” Rob Baxter says with a steely edge when asked if he feels as driven as ever despite the euphoria of coaching Exeter Chiefs to the European Champions Cup and Premiership double last month after his life-long association with the club. Baxter captained Exeter for years in the lower divisions before becoming their caretaker coach in 2006. He was appointed head coach in 2009 and a year later the club were promoted to the Premiership.
This cemented his family’s extraordinary bond with Exeter for his father, John, had also captained and been chairman of the club while his younger brother, Richie, played for Baxter until his retirement in 2013. Exeter’s subsequent climb to the peak of European rugby makes it one of the most uplifting stories in
British sport.The question of renewed ambition has been partly answered by a glance at the time. Baxter is so busy he suggested we do this interview at 7.15 this morning and, soon after we begin our 50-minute conversation, he talks as animatedly about the challenge posed by Harlequins on Friday night as he does when analysing Exeter’s remarkable achievement.“I haven’t stopped thinking about Harlequins,” he says of the opening game of a new season at the Stoop, “because they beat us at their place [in February Quins won 34-30 after an injury-time penalty try]. I’m frustrated and disappointed with that performance even now. I’ve told the players that should be a driver to enjoy training harder than ever. Not many players will get a game in the Premiership this weekend. But they will. So we should cherish that and make the most of every minute because it really is precious.“On the Monday [after beating Wasps to secure the double following the previous weekend’s defeat of Racing 92 in the European final] someone said: ‘You’ve been at the club all this time and you can’t win anything bigger now. What does it feel like?’ I said: ‘It does feel like a little weight has lifted.’ You kind of go: ‘Well, we’ve achieved the best we can achieve.’”