Exeter 42-17 Stormers: Exeter's Rob Baxter says Champions Cup travel issues an 'anomaly' to 'iron out'
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Exeter Chiefs will play either La Rochelle or Saracens in the Champions Cup semi-finals after beating Stormers on Saturday
Rob Baxter was delighted with Exeter's Champions Cup quarter-final win over Stormers, but conceded their opponents' preparation was "far from perfect".
Stormers' journey from Cape Town was disrupted and some of their players only arrived in the UK on Wednesday.
Exeter director of rugby Baxter told BBC Radio 5 Live that the travel issues are an "anomaly" to "try to iron out".
Baxter added the Chiefs' display was "emotionally right" as they booked a semi-final spot with a 42-17 victory.
South African sides have participated in the Champions Cup for the first time this season, with all three teams making it through the pool stage and two of them - Stormers and Sharks - reaching the last eight.
However, there will be no South African representation in the semi-finals after Sharks lost to Toulouse in France and Stormers were beaten by Exeter.
Home advantage in the knockout rounds has been given to the team that finished higher in their pool, meaning Stormers were unaware of the location of their quarter-final until 2 April, when Exeter squeezed through their last-16 tie against Montpellier.
Had Montpellier won, Stormers would have faced the French side at home.
Baxter said: "Without doubt their [Stormers'] preparation was far from perfect, we're aware of that, but it's been the same when you travel over there.
"It's probably one of the quandaries around these end stages and the knockouts. When the games come thick and fast and everything's up in the air, it's difficult to make arrangements.
"We're going to be slightly challenged if we end up going to France [for a potential semi-final against La Rochelle] because it's only a couple of weeks away and all of the sudden you've got to get hotels, flights and the whole thing.
"Obviously it's a little easier going to France, but I think it's probably one of the anomalies that we've got to try to iron out in these end stages to make it fair across the board, a little bit like you've got to iron out an anomaly like a team having three or four home fixtures in a row like Leinster are going to have."
Asked about possible solutions to the problem, Baxter said: "I'm not sure because obviously the knockouts happen as they are around the seedings. You've probably got to try to maybe separate the rounds a little bit."
'You saw a team emotionally aligned together'
Sam Simmonds, a try scorer against Stormers, will leave Exeter for Montpellier at the end of the 2022-23 season
Speaking to the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast earlier in the week, England and Exeter centre Henry Slade said there was "massive motivation" to give a positive send-off to the numerous Chiefs players who will be leaving Sandy Park at the end of the season.
Baxter said: "It's very easy for individuals to find their own motivation and that's fine, but the truth is they've got to fight together as a group.
"If that's part of the motivation for all of them, great, but it has to be motivation for all of them. Just being a motivation for three or four of them is not what wins you games like that.
"What happened today was you saw a team emotionally aligned together. For some of those guys, it's about winning for themselves. They're young men and they want to succeed and win trophies for themselves.
"Yes, they want to send their mates off, but those senior players should also want to win games for those young guys who are just starting out on their journeys.
"All the guys who are leaving, they all had senior players who looked after them and gave them great moments and their step up into the Premiership, and I'd like to think they'll feel a responsibility to do that for the younger guys as well."
Exeter will discover their Champions Cup semi-final opponents on Sunday when holders La Rochelle meet Saracens.
Should Saracens progress, the last-four tie will be played at Ashton Gate in Bristol, while a La Rochelle win would see Exeter travel to France for their semi-final at the end of April.