Exeter Chiefs Face Tough Champions Cup Test Against Toulouse
Exeter Chiefs’ director of rugby, Rob Baxter, wants his team to draw on the experience of their recent victory in France as they prepare to take on five-time Champions Cup champions Toulouse this Sunday.
The Chiefs fought back to beat Bath 21-15 last week, securing their spot in the quarter-finals. However, they now face the daunting task of visiting the Stade Ernest-Wallon to take on the mighty Toulouse.
Despite being underdogs, Exeter are no strangers to winning in France, having kicked off their Champions Cup campaign with a thrilling 19-18 victory over Toulon in December. Baxter believes this previous result has instilled a sense of belief in his players that they can repeat the feat against another French powerhouse.
“The Toulon game was something that created an element of belief of ‘we are doing the right things and heading in the right direction’ amongst the players and you need that,” Baxter said. “I think it gives the players an element of belief that we can do it, go over there and play the big sides, but I also think it gives them a level of looking forward to it because, without doubt when you go and experience the atmosphere, the noise level at the end of the game was incredible for anyone who was there.”
Exeter will need to call upon this belief and experience as they face the challenge of containing France’s talismanic scrum-half, Antoine Dupont, who will be leading Toulouse’s charge. Baxter is aware of Dupont’s threat but believes that the key to limiting his impact lies in Exeter’s ability to control the other aspects of the game.
“If you know the opposition nine is a particular threat in the team, the focus isn’t necessarily on the nine it’s the things that allow him to be a threat,” Baxter explained. “Dealing with Dupont will be very difficult if we don’t deal with the other platforms, but that goes for any decent player.”
The Chiefs bounced back from a heavy defeat to Sale with their win over Bath last week, and Baxter now wants his side to back up that performance with another strong showing against Toulouse.
“As a team the lads have got to do the hardest thing to do in sport and get to a really competitive level for two weeks running,” Baxter said. “At the same time, that’s how you win trophies, winning trophies or big games is when you put back-to-back big performances in semi-final to final or last-16 to quarter-final, that’s how things have to happen if you want to win.”
The BBC’s rugby union coverage continues to provide fans with the latest news and analysis from the sport, including this intriguing Champions Cup clash between Exeter Chiefs and Toulouse.
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