Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter insists that his side will be viewed as the underdogs for their clash against the Stormers this weekend in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

The 2020 European champions just edged their way into the last eight by virtue of a try count-back against Montpellier after the scores were locked up at 33-33 after extra time.

🥵 Exeter Chiefs book their place in the quarter-finals!

😲 They progress on try count-back after extra time.#HeinekenChampionsCup #EXEvMHR pic.twitter.com/KZtH5O82Sx

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) April 2, 2023

It may not have been the Premiership side’s best performance, but it sets up a meeting with the United Rugby Championship holders, who beat Harlequins 32-28 in Cape Town.

The scoreline suggests a closer battle than it was for the Capetonians, as the side managed the game well until the final 10 minutes, where they let Quins catch up from a 32-7 lead.

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Emotional recharge required

Baxter suggested the Stormers will be favourites and is happy with that, whilst the squad’s focus was to recover emotionally after a dramatic outing against Montpellier.

“I know not many people will give us a chance against them [the Stormers],” said Baxter

“They dealt with Harlequins pretty easily, and Harlequins dealt with us pretty easily two weeks ago, so that’s it – game over.

“But that is quite a nice place to start from for us.

“We are not going to physically change much this week.

“We have just got to get our emotional batteries recharged.”

Praise for Sam Simmonds

Exeter number eight Sam Simmonds was a colossus against the French side, and Baxter was full of praise for his star.

“He [Simmonds] looked almost impossible to handle sometimes,” Baxter said.

“He very nearly scored a solo try that would have written the game off, and he was one of the guys who got his levels right for what he wanted to achieve.

“We’ve had a few rollercoasters over the years. I am really pleased for the players. We’ve challenged them a bit this season around some of the highs and lows of performances.”

The quarter-final clash will take place at Sandy Park on Saturday this weekend and is set to be a blockbuster outing, with the winner heading into the last four.