Boss Baxter hails fast-starting Chiefs after win at Saints

Exeter emerged with the bit between their teeth, opening the scoring inside three minutes, with hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie crossing the whitewash.

It was the first time Saints had conceded a try in the opening 20 minutes of a game in the Aviva Premiership this season.

And Exeter proceeded to shock their hosts further, with two more scores - both from No.8 Thomas Waldrom - before the break.

It laid the foundations for a 24-18 victory, the Chiefs’ first at Franklin’s Gardens in the league, and Baxter was delighted with the application of his players.

He said: “We showed a lot of good qualities out there. The energy we went out there with at the start was very important.

“Northampton are by far the best starting team in the Premiership - you’ve only got to look at the points they score in the first 20 minutes - they’re way better than anyone else in the league.

“To get to 20 minutes and be one point in the lead was quite a telling factor for us.

“We’re the best second quarter team and we had a good second quarter. It’s funny that it can work like that. That put the advantage our way.

“As much as Northampton did come after us after half-time, as they have done in other games we’ve played against them, we just had enough to see the game home.”