Rob Baxter admitted his team had suffered “a bit of a stuffing” following Exeter’s record 69-17 Investec Champions Cup defeat against Bordeaux-Begles.
Chiefs need a landslide bonus-point win in their final pool fixture against Ulster to have any chance of reaching the last-16, but an early exit still beckons because of their poor points difference.
Bordeaux-Begles suffered a record 59 - 3 defeat at the hands of Toulouse in Marseille in what was a tough pill to swallow for a side that has been magnificent this season.
France lost a tight series Down Under but there were enough longer-term positives to please coach Fabien Galthié
With a 14-9 lead, Toulouse were looking for the knockout blow late in the game when Kolbe exploded through the defence putting on a stepping show reminiscent of his World Cup final exploits.
Having had their Grand Slam dream shredded by England, France have named their Six Nations team to pick up the pieces versus Wales.
Hopes have considerably grown that the France vs Scotland match in the Six Nations will now go ahead as planned in Paris next Sunday.
It has been traumatic for France since their Six Nations win in Dublin but the latest testing results offer hope for the Scotland fixture.