Playing career

Baxter joined the Devon outfit as a teenager in 1987 and rapidly climbed the club ladder to become a first-team player.

Having established himself as a regular in the side, his leadership qualities were recognised in 1993, when he was appointed club captain.

Baxter went on to make over 300 appearances for the Chiefs before retiring in 2003.

Coaching career

Following his retirement, the 49-year-old from Tavistock immediately went into coaching as director of rugby at the University of Exeter and combined this role with coaching at the Chiefs, initially with the club’s United side and then as forwards coach for the first team.

In November 2008 Baxter also took charge of the Barbarians for their match against the Combined Services.

He was appointed Exeter’s acting head coach in March 2009 and impressed in the job so much that his appointment was made permanent two months later.

Baxter duly rewarded his club the following season by leading them to promotion from the RFU Championship into the Premiership for the first time in the club's history after a two-leg play-off win over Bristol.

In the 2011/12 season he won the Premiership Rugby Director of Rugby award for the first time, having been nominated the previous year, and in 2013 he was a member of the England coaching team for their summer tour to Argentina.

In 2014 he guided the Chiefs to their first piece of major silverware, when they beat Northampton Saints at Sandy Park to lift the LV= Cup.

A first-ever Champions Cup quarter-final followed in 2016, before Baxter led Exeter to a first Premiership final later that year, only for them to lose narrowly to Saracens.

However, in 2017 Baxter achieved his greatest triumph to date when, following a 16-game unbeaten run, the Chiefs defeated Wasps 23-20 after extra time in the Premiership final to lift the English title for the first time.

Now, after steering Exeter to their first Heineken Champions Cup final, can he better that Twickenham success against Racing 92 on October 17?

The Exeter Chiefs director of rugby has been with the English club for all his 33-year career – 16 years as a player and 17 as a coach.