Standing in the way of the Chiefs, however, will be a team from Castres, who finished second to Montpellier in the French Top14 last season.
“They’re a good team in all areas,” warned Baxter. “They are a big and physical French team, but we have dealt with that before, when we ourselves have been good in all areas. What we have to have is that real understanding that in the 80 minutes we have to be willing to work for everything. We won’t go with anything too complicated, we’ll just keep it simple, straightforward, and with speed.
And part of that grand plan will be ensuring the Chiefs shoot from the start, especially the first 20 minutes which Baxter says will set the tone for the contest.
“The one thing with Europe is there’s a level of disorder in the games,” he said. “They are not as orderly as Premiership matches. The key, however, is what you put into it, both physically and emotionally, and see where you are after 20 minutes. If we do it well, it will be because we are a bit at war and we are doing what we have to do. If we don’t, that’s where we’ll get into trouble.
The Chiefs enter the game buoyed by the return of a host of international stars following the completion of the Autumn Nations Series. Stuart Hogg, Jack Nowell and Henry Slade all return to the back division, while Sam Simmonds also returns up front.
Australian prop Scott Sio is ready for his first taste of European Cup action starting at loosehead, while on the bench Academy youngster Will Becconsall has been rewarded for some notable performances in the Premiership Rugby Cup with his first call-up European.
