Match Reaction - Rob Baxter

By Mark Stevens
20/5/22

Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter admitted defeat declaring his side were effectively “done on the play-offs” following Friday night’s 40-33 Gallagher Premiership defeat against local rivals Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate.

Finalists for the past six seasons, the Devonians are unlikely to make the top four for the first time since 2015.

Two losing bonus points means that the Chiefs still have the tiniest mathematical chance of progressing, but they are four points behind fourth-placed Northampton with just one game left, and Saints or Gloucester can end Exeter’s chances in their games tomorrow.

Baxter said: “We are done on the play-offs, aren’t we? Two points tonight – I think we are done. Mathematically, maybe not, I am not sure.

“It is disappointing. I think today has kind of highlighted that we have got to move on. I’ve said to the lads ‘get your heads up, but at the same time open your eyes and believe at some stage that we have to move on’, which means we have to move forward as players.

“I think we have become a little bit stubborn as a group of players as to where we are moving on and what we want to do and how we want to go and achieve things, and actually they need to stop and open their eyes and move forward.

“We’ve got to be better. We can’t just stand here and go ‘we can just be the same people and next season we will just win’. It won’t work like that. We have got to improve as individuals and as a team.

“There is a lot of work to be done and it kind of starts now.

“What I really want to see is a team that is enjoying itself again and the truth is, you only enjoy yourself when you are playing well and performing to near your maximum capabilities and we haven’t done that at all this season.

“It has been a tough season for all kind of reasons, but I don’t want to keep making excuses. When you concede 40 points, you’re not going to win many games of Premiership rugby doing that. I can’t say much else.”

Exeter fought their way back from 14 points adrift in an 11-try thriller, but wing Toby Fricker’s interception try and a later Luke Morahan score saw the Bears home.

Try-scorers on the night for the Chiefs were Santiago Grondona, Josh Hodge, James Kenny, Olly Woodburn and Dave Ewers with Joe Simmonds slotting four conversions.