Rob Baxter addresses 'sack' talk following winless Exeter start

Rob Baxter has admitted he is feeling the pain of Exeter setting an unwanted club record for their longest-ever losing run in a Gallagher Premiership season. The Chiefs, who have lost all six of their top flight games this season, are only being kept off the bottom of the table by having one point more than Newcastle Falcons.

Baxter, who joined his hometown club as a young colt in 1987, acknowledged he can’t leave his problems at work but said he wouldn’t want to watch anybody else try and turn around the club’s fortunes. “I feel very fortunate to have a job at Exeter. It’s my club. We have had a lot of success and some great experiences. I am in a privileged position and make the most of it.

“I wouldn’t want to watch anybody else do my job. That is how I feel. When we are going badly, I probably feel it more than anybody else. There are people who could have been very reactive in this scenario. Tony (Rowe, the chief executive) is very aware of some of the circumstances in the background that haven’t helped. We have discussed them in detail a few times.

England coach Steve Borthwick on the importance of winning close matches

Steve Borthwick on what he learned from the narrow defeats to New Zealand in the summer.

England coach Steve Borthwick on the importance of winning close matches

Steve Borthwick on what he learned from the narrow defeats to New Zealand in the summer.

Baxter added that it isn’t the first time his job has been called into question, and he would accept the axe if he felt it was merited. “Do I fear the sack? I don’t feel fear is the right word. I feel if being moved on is merited. What will be will be. That is how you have to look at it.

“When we have lost semi-finals and finals, people have questioned the coaching, and they say I can’t take us on to the next step. When we were in the Championship, and I wasn’t sacked as head coach, I sat in a members’ meeting with people questioning why I had the job.

Gallagher Premiership

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

Bath

6

5

1

0

25

2

Leicester

6

5

1

0

24

3

Bristol

6

4

2

0

24

4

Saracens

6

4

2

0

23

5

Harlequins

6

3

3

0

18

6

Gloucester

6

2

4

0

16

7

Northampton

6

3

3

0

14

8

Sale

6

3

3

0

14

9

Exeter Chiefs

6

0

6

0

5

10

Newcastle

6

1

5

0

4

“At the end of the season, we were promoted to the Premiership. It’s always been part of it. It’s not something I have ever run away from or even worried about. People can question me as much as they like, but those people who question it, if their opinion doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.

“The people whose opinions matter are the ones making a decision on my job. Anybody can question anybody’s job. I could sit here and ask a load of questions about government policy, but it doesn’t make any difference.”

Despite murmurings that all is not well in the Chiefs dressing room, Baxter explained he has been around the club for long enough to know when that is the case. “You lose six out of six, and people aren’t happy. I have been director of rugby at this club for long enough to know when the players aren’t happy. They let you know pretty quickly, and that doesn’t mean they tell you they aren’t happy.

“You walk onto the training field and you can see that they are unhappy – and I don’t see that. We have got a few strong characters, some of them in the team and some of them have been out of the team. They are pretty blunt talkers. Even today [Tuesday], I have talked to the players about the responsibilities we have as coaches and about what we have got wrong and things we need to work on and change.

“I would challenge anybody who says any different. We are being challenged in a way we haven’t been challenged before. We will see if this brings out the best in people or the worst out in people.”