Baxter aware tougher tests lie ahead for Chiefs

Having been forced to re-invent his squad following a glut of household departures at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, the Chiefs headed into last term somewhat of an unknown commodity.

Yes, there were still a few familiar faces from their triumphant past but by and large, the make-up of the squad was not only different, but also youthful and with a lack of big-game experience.

Times were certainly changing, but for Baxter and his coaching team it was his latest challenge – one in which he was ready to oversee another changing of the guard.

With the Rugby World Cup meaning a delayed start to the Gallagher Premiership, it meant the annual pre-season fixtures were replaced with that of the Premiership Rugby Cup.

For many in the top-flight, they used the competition as a chance to get much-needed game time into their players on an ad hoc basis. For the Chiefs, however, Baxter knew he needed to get his assembled troops quickly up to speed for the battles ahead.

It was a tactic that clearly paid dividends, the Chiefs doing well in their cup exploits, before then stunning both Saracens and Sale Sharks in the opening weeks of the league campaign.

They were highlights of what was an excellent start for the Devonians. Over the coming weeks and months, other notable triumphs would follow, including a famous win in Toulon in the European Champions Cup.

Home form, as always, kept the Chiefs on the straight and narrow, but with results away much harder to secure, it meant life for the Chiefs was never easy.

Sure, they got to the final week of the season still in contention for a possible play-off place, but their defeat at Leicester on the final day put paid to that scenario and in the end they had to settle for seventh spot.

For Baxter and his players, though, it was a positive campaign in many ways, including the unearthing of players such as Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Ross Vintcent and Ethan Roots, all of whom would grace the international stage.

So too, Dafydd Jenkins continued to flourish as the club’s new on-field leader, while Henry Slade rolled back the years to produce his finest season in Chiefs colours.

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At the same time, other youngsters were put into the heat of battle. They too flourished in the initial stages. However, when push came to shove at the latter part of the season, this is when they found life much tougher at the top.

So, as the Chiefs ready themselves for this latest programme, Baxter has spelt out the need not only to learn from the past, but at the same time improve in areas that showed weakness.

“We've got to find a way to add that extra competitive edge to get those couple more victories and then we'll be right up there and we can have a great season,” said Baxter.

"I want to come out at the end of season and go 'we're better, our young players have matured further, they're more experienced'

"If we pick up more international caps across the squad, if we move forward and we're a bit more competitive away from home it won't necessarily replicate itself straightaway in points and league position, but actually just little bits of improvement are what eventually get you to where you want to go.

"That's all we did before. We improved the team, we matured the team, we added to it as we needed to go along and you end up winning something at the end of day. That's what we've got to focus on - just keeping getting better and keeping moving forward."

But moving forward will be no easy task, particularly with the Premiership looking as competitive as ever heading into the new term.

"It's looking massively competitive," added Baxter. "You can't look at any of the squads of the top four or five teams last year and go 'they're not going to be good squads and good teams again' because they are.

"They'll have gained some experience and they'll be ready to try to push on. It's going to be an incredible season, what we've got to really focus on is getting these pre-season games done right and we'll go from there."

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