Dafydd Jenkins returned from injury to captain Exeter in their opening home game of the new season against Gloucester, giving Rob Baxter an important boost as the club looked to reset after last June’s Gallagher PREM final defeat to Northampton.
There was enough continuity in the side to suggest Exeter are not starting from scratch, but there were also clear signs of change. Henry Slade remained one of the few players still involved from the title-winning side six years ago, while Exeter’s squad for the 3.05pm (BST) kick-off included several fresh options and three potential PREM debutants among the replacements.
Baxter: now is the time to get ready for the Prem
Baxter said he was happy with pre-season and with the character shown in last weekend’s friendly in Cardiff, but stressed that the hard work now has to begin in earnest.
“Overall, I’m pleased with pre-season and the character we showed in games like last weekend’s friendly in Cardiff. We’ve got to decide to roll our sleeves up now though and get ready for the Prem,” he said.
That is the key message for Exeter at the start of a new campaign. The shape of the squad is one thing, but the intensity of the league is another, and Baxter was clear that the margin for error is now very small.
Why the opener matters
Exeter’s return to league action comes with the memory of last June still fresh, and the opening game at home against Gloucester offered an early chance to judge where the team stand. Baxter made the point that the competition has become tighter, with games arriving quickly and opportunities to recover from a poor result limited.
“The league is so competitive now, the games come so quickly and there’s so few of them, that you really can’t afford to get caught. It’ll be a really interesting game for both of us,” he said.
That is a fair assessment of the challenge. Exeter have experience, leadership and familiar faces in the group, but they also have to prove that the disappointment of the previous season will sharpen them rather than slow them down. Jenkins’ return as captain is a strong starting point, but the bigger test is whether Exeter can turn that into momentum when the matches start to stack up.
For Gloucester, it was a chance to test themselves against an Exeter side with a returning captain and a clear sense of purpose. For Exeter, it was about setting the tone immediately, with Baxter demanding commitment from the first whistle of the new season.
