I’ve been trying to second-guess Coach Baxter’s strategy for the season. Peek in the ‘Winner Takes ALL!’ end of season ‘Play Off’ poses Rob and his back room staff with quite a dilemma.

Build momentum developing a sustained winning edge over 22 games should be the acid test
BUT is probably NOT the way to win promotion.

I was so very excited at the start of this season! Chiefs hit the road running edging the mighty Sale Sharks over two games with an awesome defense (yes we conceded a points;
BUT against such quality opponents our defence was did better than last years Premiership average.) I saw enough in attack against Sale to really encourage me, remember Sale beat Leicester the week after us!

Our early season performances were impressive.

Roaring to 50 points against a credible Moseley XV showed some quite spectacular offensive plays before we were reduced to 14 men.

In my book, Chief’s were immense in the first hour or so of the Moseley game !

The speed, pace and scope of attack really excited me. Players unloaded cleverly, sensibly and skilfully in the tackle to keep the ball alive. Support players on the ball carrier were ever present and support players, supporting support players was real quality.
It was GOOD, in my book, very, very good. Players running from deep, running angles and reverse angles they cut Moseley to ribbons.
Wave on wave of support runners gave the ball carrier attacking options to keep the plays flowing from side to side, end to end relentlessly probing, challenging and penetrating a defense that was swamped by the variety and volume of questions asked by a confident, flowing multi-faceted ebullient Chiefs offence.

Yes.. I really liked it. What a start.

I missed the following few games but the scoring at Bristol suggests we did similar things at the Memorial Ground, especially early doors before the home teams fight back.

What a contrast this early season style to the hesitant, faltering Chiefs of recent weeks.
OK so we keep winning, we give little away, we scoring points and we are unbeaten. Everyone seems happy. We are top of the league and should be happy, but in truth we are ‘Winning Ugly’ and I think we are capable of so much more!

I too was at Donny and agree with the consensus, it was an entertaining encounter,
a good competition and a good battling afternoons entertainment,
BUT GOOD RUGBY it was NOT!

Similarly I bring to mind games with London Welsh, Birmingham, Bedford, Pirates and Nottingham.

Chiefs won all…. but for me we won ‘Ugly’ without hitting top gear in any of these games and without approaching the heights we gave a glimpse of in the early season. I think we are capable of so much more!

In the normal way of League Rugby I should be delighted by our unbeaten run, but something circulates deep in my soul as an uncomfortable feeling of ‘disappointment’ permeates my inner thoughts.

Increasingly I’m thinking that Chiefs are doing JUST enough to win with so much more in reserve and still in the tank they arfe not showing us!

My early season fire of enthusiasm has largely been extinguished in recent weeks with an apparent lack of ambition to overwhalm our opponents.

Yet I can’t fault the coach or the team!

The logical development of a league season is to consistently build pace, empathy & understanding between players as momentum builds momentum. Battle hardened ferocity, intensity, pace, power and ‘CLASS’ over the season emerging as the Championship team leaves all in its wake over a a sustained 7 month home and away test.

My heart yearns for the Chiefs to blow the league apart with a sustained unbeaten run where we get better and better and better right up to the last game when the championship and promotion are ours.

But the ‘Banana Slide’ and ‘Bear Traps’ of the end of season Play Off appears BIG on the horizon and thought s of Moseley - Leeds come to mind.

If we let the 'cat out of the bag' and show our full hand, giving of our best to win the league in GREAT STYLE it will be of little comfort IF, having proved to be the best over 22 games, we falter in the ALL important Play Offs.

I’ve a recurrent nagging thought that someone 'Canny old campaigners finishing 7th or 8th in the normal season will SAVE their best till last find their form to hit the Play offs with growing confidence, energy and style to find a few weeks form to punch above their weight and take the title!

Then again I’m haunted by the thought that Nottingham might pull a pride of duel registered Tigers to bolster their play off squad again punching above their rightful weight.

Then again I think the likes of Bristol running into the playoffs with fresh-faced big name signings from south of the equator to load their Play off hand.

I think it nonsense that such a BIG prize as promotion to the Premiership be reduced to effectively a seeded lottery of a compressed end of season Cup competition seals the deal.

The rules are the rules and are the same for all clubs. I would so like to see Rob insisting on the very best from our boys week in week out
BUT …… I’m increasingly minded to think he is better advised to keep the ‘Rabbit in the Bag' play a Cat and Mouse game not fully showing his hand.

Keeping the powder dry until it REALLY matters in the Play off is the frustrating reality of this seasons challenge.

Shame on you RFU your framework having taking away the integrity of the league season proper has reduced the Championship to merely the practice laps with teams vying for pole position for the race proper that does not start until the spring of 2010.

I believe Rob has taken his foot of the gas in a strategy to be save his best and not show his hand until he is ready to peaking when it really matters!

I’ve seen enough to know that over a season Exeter Chiefs ARE the Best in the Championship and worthy of promotion.

The trick is being able to apply the gas and light the afterburners on demand when asked.
To have the pace, understanding and intensity on tap in the pressure cooker of the Play Offs is a worthy quality, NOT the quality that should determines League Champions: a team worthy of promotion on 22 games played over 7 month’s should be that yard sick, BUT winning the play of demands a quality and it is a quality we MUST work to have in our tank.

Keep the Rabbit in the Bag Rob, but please, please have our strategy clearly sorted so all are ready and prepared to hit the gas, raise the pace and intensity and realise the potential we showed glimpses of in the early season.

I’ve a growing respect for you as a coach and strategist Rob. Clearly you have made huge progress in the past year. You are already a good coach, I think and believe you are ahead of the game and I’m beginning to think you could well be the Great Coach in the making that this Club is looking for.

Can Coach Baxter do for Sandy Park what Shankly did at Anfield?

IF Rob believes deep within himself that he can…….

If he communicates and inspires the same belief in his players…..

I’m beginning to think he; and his very impressive Chiefs will.... !

Exciting times ahead at Sandy Park……..
I think!
CJB