No more Gen Z ‘gobbledygook’ – the secret to the revival of Exeter’s old school Baxter

There were times last year when Rob Baxter feared his relationship with Exeter Chiefs, which spanned more than half a lifetime as a player and coach, might be over. Exeter won just four league games in a campaign that Henry Slade described as “disgraceful”. It was certainly a far cry from the glory days of the league and the European double.

But Baxter, 55, found himself energized by the challenge of building something new in Sandy Park. Training changes were made. Attractive signees were brought to the club. Ms Baxter is old-school in her ways, calling it “gobbledygook” the idea that modern players need to be caught and treated differently.

Exeter currently sit fourth in the Gallagher Prem, well placed to make the play-offs, with a promising academy set to strengthen the senior squad. Baxter’s reward is a new contract, which will extend his tenure as rugby league’s longest-serving manager. Baxter spent 17 years in charge, 14 of which were as a player at Exeter.

Second only to Baxter in coaching longevity, Mark McCall is also trying to build a new club but the Saracens captain of rugby has run out of energy for the job and will leave the club at the end of the season.

But Baxter found the challenge refreshing because it made him reevaluate his coaching style — and the idea of ​​how best to connect with Gen Z athletes.

“When people talk about coaching or management, sometimes they underestimate stress,” Baxter said. But in some ways last season I recharged my batteries.

“Are we going to keep going down this level or are we going to stop?” What are the things we should really buy from.” Another thing that convinced me well is that many things we had done in the past will still work now.

“Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher [the assistant coaches let go by Exeter] they were very good coaches. Great coaches. They trained us to win finals and be in many finals. We all over adapted. Over the course of ten years, we’ve probably all adapted from some of the basic fundamentals that we put on the team every pre-season, every training session.

“You’re trying to adapt. You’re trying to move. You’re trying to learn how to work with new players. The whole thing we find as coaches is that there’s a new way you talk to young players. In fact, a lot of what I did last year confirmed that some of it was gobbledygook.

“A professional rugby player is still a professional rugby player. You still have to be fit. You still have to be strong. You still have to be tough. You still have to be skilled.

“How do you get them? You don’t get them by not talking about them and not using them, or walking away from them and dressing them up in youth talk or whatever. You get on with it.

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“That’s what sparked my enthusiasm: You can change, adapt, and sometimes the game changes.

“Let’s talk honestly and openly about where we are and what we accept and what we don’t accept.” Let’s get that straight from the start.

Baxter was often associated with England. Steve Borthwick, the head coach, is under pressure to improve during the summer tour after England’s worst ever Six Nations campaign. More Test activities will be available after the World Cup.

Was agreeing to this new deal a sign of Baxter’s commitment to the club’s game, or are Exeter confident they will find a way? Both, although Baxter is more confident about England’s position than most.

“I think England is more stable than most people think. When you know how many things can go wrong that will bring you together and hurt you and lead to a bad time, you realize that England probably had a lot going on behind the scenes,” he said. “I don’t think there was one big issue that England had because you saw some of their performances, when things went well, when a few things went well, the performances were still good.

“I think England’s position is more stable than people would believe. I know that very well. And I think our position here at the club is very similar, more stable than people give it credit for.

“If something changes and suddenly England throw everything at me and say, ‘You’re England’s job boy’, I’ve always been in a position to talk to Tony Rowe about that.

“I have never looked at it as closing England’s door or opening England’s door. So, my position has not changed. I am the coach of the team now. I enjoy what I am doing. I will do it as much as I can regardless of how long the team wants me to do.”