Exeter boss Baxter tight-lipped on Walder links

Dave Walder has most recently been working as attack coach with England's Under-20 side

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter has refused to confirm whether former Newcastle and Bristol coach Dave Walder has joined the club.

A photo appearing to show Walder as part of a huddle with the Exeter team was posted on the club's Instagram account on Saturday.

Walder has been strongly linked with taking over from Ali Hepher as the club's backs and attacks coach

Long-serving Hepher - Baxter's first coaching appointment in 2009 - was demoted from head coach to backs coach in March and is due to take up a role helping transition academy players into the senior squad.

But he was suspended last month in the wake of the club's record 79-17 loss at Gloucester, which saw newly appointed head coach Rob Hunter leave Sandy Park.

Baxter has taken control of day-to-day coaching alongside defence coach Haydn Thomas and skills coach Ricky Pellow.

"He wasn't at the game at the weekend," Baxter told BBC Sport when asked about Walder.

"Right here and now we're just getting on with things with the coaching group we've got.

"Things will progress once all those decisions have been made, which are outside of my remit.

"I'm not involved in what's happening now around what's happening around staffing."

As well as a new backs coach, Exeter are also expected to appoint a new forwards specialist following Hunter's departure.

The quartet of Baxter, Hunter, Hepher and Pellow has been at the helm for all of Exeter's achievements - including six consecutive Premiership finals, of which they won two, and a victory in the 2020 European Champions Cup.

But the Chiefs have struggled to match the form of the final half of the 2010s in the past few seasons, finishing seventh in the last three seasons.

This campaign has been the worst in the club's top-flight history - they will finish ninth in the 10-team Premiership and have won just four league games.

"We're really trying to focus on what will make us a stronger team day by day, week by week, going forward," Baxter added.

"Our biggest challenge is becoming as strong a team as we can first and everything else will come secondary to that. That's what I'm focusing on now.

"I'm focusing on the qualities that will make us a stronger team and I'm keeping it that simple.

"Because the foundation for us to be successful is how good any 15 players are at any one time on the field together - and that's the bit I'm really focusing on, keeping it that simple."