Rob Baxter: Exeter Chiefs boss wants reaction after heavy Gloucester loss
Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter is calling for a significant performance improvement following a heavy 45-24 loss to Gloucester. The team struggled with poor movement patterns and was hampered by a pre-match illness that affected several players.
Why it matters
The loss highlights the competitive volatility of the Premiership Rugby season and the impact of external factors like health on professional team performance.
Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Rob Baxter's side have not won their opening Prem game of the season since October 2023
Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter hopes he will see a reaction from his side after their surprising 45-24 home loss to Gloucester.
Last season's beaten Prem finalists began the new season by conceding seven tries as a bout of illness went through the home camp.
It was a biggest home loss in any competition since Bordeaux hammered a struggling Exeter side 69-17 at Sandy Park in a Champions Cup fixture in January 2025 .
"You've got to be really careful that you don't assume things are going quite well and actually you've got to put your foot down because it's a game of Premiership rugby and you have to work extremely hard to make good things happen," Baxter told BBC Radio Devon.
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