Rob Baxter urges Exeter to maximise opportunities in ‘golden years’ after double

Rob Baxter wants his Exeter players to maximise opportunities for “a couple of golden years” following Chiefs’ 2020 European and domestic double.

Baxter’s team resume Heineken Champions Cup business against tournament heavyweights Munster on Saturday in the round of 16.

Munster have reached the competition’s knockout phase for a 20th time, and represent a major hurdle for Exeter to overcome across home and away legs, starting in Devon this weekend.

Exeter’s European title defence ended at the quarter-final stage against Leinster last season, while they are currently involved in a multi-club battle to reach the Gallagher Premiership play-offs.

“I would like to think we are going out there to be ourselves and just show the best of ourselves and not leave any regrets behind,” Baxter said ahead of the Sandy Park encounter.

“My biggest concern over the end of last season and probably a little bit of this season is that I don’t want the players walking away and maybe in 10 years’ time they look back and think ‘We could have had a couple of golden years following that double, and we didn’t really maximise the opportunities we had as a group’.

“That’s the one thing I am continually trying to fight against.

“I don’t want them to miss these opportunities to be the kind of team they can be, because I do know there is a lot more in us.”

The two-leg format is a first in European Cup history, and Baxter added: “You don’t want to be ahead or behind and concede late scores that could hurt you in the second leg, so there is a slightly different challenge there.

“Every point and every minute is going to be very important. Any team that feels like they are getting the job done becomes in danger.

“No matter what happens in this first leg,