Aviva Premiership
Baxter remains calm after poor run
ESPN Staff
January 10, 2015
Rob Baxter is not concerned despite a poor run of results © Getty Images
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Director of Rugby Rob Baxter insists that there is no sense of panic in the Exeter Chiefs changing room after a run of three defeats.

Over the Christmas period Exeter lost to Sale Sharks, Bath and Gloucester and head to Reading to face London Irish on Sunday.

"Last week we got some decision-making wrong and some of our accuracy was off in the things we did, but large parts of our game were very good," Baxter said, about the 26-25 loss to Gloucester. "Therefore we are not going to change masses, throw the game-plan in the bin or look to redevelop things, because that is not the way to be successful.

"Each year we have been in the Premiership we've improved year on year, so it's more a case of reinforcing our qualities and reinforcing the attitude and the accuracy to win games, then ramming it home in training. It's not like we are standing here now and thinking things are falling down around our ears, because they are not. "Huge parts of our game are still very much in place and the attitude of the players is great.

"What recent results have done, however, is put some pressure on ourselves to collect some points. Like anything, when you put pressure on, that can create an edgy performance and I would imagine there will be elements of Sunday that will see us being a bit edgy. However, that is no bad thing as those are the things you have to deal with if you want to be a top of the table side.

"We are not standing here in a panic. If you lose a game by a point like we did last week and we produce the opportunities like we did, I don't think there is anything drastically wrong. What we have to do is just sharpen up our accuracy and improve our decision-making at the right times."

Exeter's changes to the side to face Irish are all up front. Props Carl Rimmer and Tomas Francis both gain call-ups, while Damian Welch returns to the second-row and Don Armand starts at openside flanker. England international Tom Johnson is set to begin his comeback from injury on the bench.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

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