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Rob Baxter's frank admission as Exeter miss play-offs for first time in 7 years

By PA
Charles Piutau of Bristol Bears challenges Stuart Hogg of Exeter Chiefs during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Bristol Bears and Exeter Chiefs at Ashton Gate on May 20, 2022 in Bristol, England. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

Boss Rob Baxter admitted defeat declaring Exeter were “done on the play-offs” following Friday night’s 40-33 Gallagher Premiership defeat against Bristol at Ashton Gate.

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The Chiefs, six times Premiership finalists, are unlikely to make the top four for the first time since 2015.

Two losing bonus points means that Exeter 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 on Saturday.

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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.

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“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 Bristol home.

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Fricker and Morahan apart, full-back Charles Piutau crossed twice for Bristol, with fly-half Callum Sheedy and centre Alapati Leiua also touching down, while Sheedy kicked four conversions and Ioan Lloyd one.

Exeter went blow for blow through touchdowns for Santiago Grondona, Josh Hodge, James Kenny, Olly Woodburn and Dave Ewers – while Joe Simmonds booted four conversions – but Bristol prevailed with a powerful finish.

For 10th-placed Bristol, it was only their eighth win of a poor Premiership campaign.

Bristol rugby director Pat Lam said: “Tonight, we talked about enjoying this game and working hard and playing with no fear.

“If people look closely at what we have done, we have grown the framework of our game a lot. What we are lacking is just the technical detail across the board.

“We have got to get better and get our fundamentals right. That is an area we are going to be driving very hard in pre-season.”

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J
JW 30 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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