Exeter chastened

ROB BAXTER is already looking forward to the clash with Gloucester on Friday night, when Exeter will be determined to make amends for a conclusive 33-21 defeat by London Irish.

The Exiles snared their first Gallagher Premiership victory in the round-six collision, departing Devon as worthy winners, having never trailed. But Exeter helped them with an erratic performance that was missing an edge and they coughed up some soft tries.

‘We were lacking something,’ Exeter director of rugby Baxter said. ‘It doesn’t feel like a blood and guts loss, it feels like a pretty poor loss. Individually our intensity was off and because of that our team intensity was off. The hardest thing in sport is to find the motivation to fight all the time’