Exeter Chiefs side to face Bayonne
Rob Baxter believes the incentive of a home quarter-final can act as the ideal motivation for his Exeter Chiefs side ahead of their final Pool Two fixture against Bayonne in this season's European Challenge Cup (5.30pm) today.
Having already bagged themselves a last eight spot courtesy of last weekend's 33-24 win at Connacht, the Chiefs will be looking to put the gloss on what has been an impressive European campaign to date.
Standing in their way, however, are their Top 14 rivals, who despite not being able to advance to the latter stages, will themselves be looking to finish on a high note, as well as claiming a Challenge Cup double over their Devon hosts.
Back in October a last-gasp try from Tongan lock Lisiate Fa'aoso enabled the French club to sink the Chiefs at the Stade Jean Dauger.
Since then, Baxter's men have responded impressively clocking up home and away wins against both Connacht and La Rochelle to top the group heading into the final weekend.
Only once before - that being in 2012 - have the Chiefs advanced to a European quarter-final, where on that occasion they were undone in the French capital by a star-studded Stade Français line-up.
In the ensuing years the Chiefs have progressed at a high rate of knots, including rubbing shoulders for two consecutive years with Europe's elite in the former Heineken Cup. Baxter has made no secret that being back in the top level of competition is where he ultimately wants to see his side, but it's experiences like that of this weekend and the future quarter-final that can help bolster his side's long-term goals.
“I don’t think we’ll need to say too much to the lads this week,” said Baxter. “They like challenges, they like opportunities to be involved in big games and the European stuff often brings the best out of us.
“The guys will be very aware that playing well this week gives you the opportunity to have a home quarter-final.
“If we play well at home, potentially we could play at home all the way to the final, that’s a huge thing to have the possibility of doing. That will be a lot of motivation for us.
“The way the lads performed in the latter stages of the LV= Cup last season when they knew there were big opportunities ahead of them, I would expect the same now.
“We will make it clear about what we need and how the draw can go, but then we’ve got to expect our leaders and senior players to lead the way about what we expect on Saturday.”
Although Bayonne have seemingly little to play for - aside from pride and potential momentum to take into their league clash with RC Toulon - Baxter knows his side can ill afford to rest on their laurels in any way.
Baxter continued: "It may appear they have not got a lot to play for in Europe, but at the same time I've seen how we have played in Europe when it's supposedly been a dead rubber for us. We have played several teams in that situation yet have won games, simply because if you are a good team you have proud players who want to achieve things, do well and the values that exist across the team of how they play for each other are very important.
"I don't know how strong those values are in Bayonne - but I'd imagine they are pretty strong because they are a Top 14 side and when you have those values, every game is worth playing. We would expect every game we play to be like that, even if it was a so-called dead rubber, and for it to be very important to the lads we put on the pitch. As I said, I expect it to be the same for Bayonne."
Buoyed by their victory in Galway last week, Baxter wants his Chiefs to pick up from where they left-off ahead of tomorrow's tussle.
He continued: "We have to make sure we don't give them any opportunity to get their tails up or that there is something here for them. That will take a lot of emotional effort from our guys, especially at the start of the game, but we have to get the crowd involved early on and make it a good evening for ourselves, not Bayonne.
"We have targeted these two European games to get the pedal down and secure ourselves a home quarter-final. That's why we have pick a strong side again. We have the odd bump and bruise from Connacht, but we're in a good place and hopefully we really drive that home again this weekend."
The sole change to the Chiefs starting line-up from that of last weekend sees Kai Horstmann promoted from the bench to take over in the back-row from the injured Don Armand. Sireli Naqelevuki comes onto the bench to offer options in either the forwards or the backs and Will Chudley is also included with Haydn Thomas making way.
15 Phil Dollman
14 Ian Whitten
13 Jack Nowell
12 Sam Hill
11 Matt Jess
10 Henry Slade
9 Dave Lewis
1 Ben Moon
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Alex Brown
4 Dean Mumm (capt)
5 Damian Welch
6 Dave Ewers
7 Kai Horstmann
8 Thomas Waldrom
16 Greg Bateman
17 Brett Sturgess
18 Carl Rimmer
19 Sireli Naqelevuki
20 James Scaysbrook
21 Will Chudley
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Byron McGuigan
