‘I’m hugely proud’ – Exeter director of rugby Baxter sees positives in Toulouse loss

Toulouse delivered a rugby lesson in their Investec Champions Cup quarter-final thrashing of Exeter Chiefs on Sunday afternoon in the blazing sunshine, but it was a lesson that the Chiefs seem more than willing to learn.

Speaking after the humbling defeat, Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter spoke positively about his players and the learning curve that he believes they are ascending.

He said: “I have to say I’m hugely proud of the players for the commitment they put into the game. I couldn’t have asked anything more of them for what they’ve laid on the line, both physically and emotionally.”

To their credit, Exeter trailed by only a single point at the break, pushing one of Europe’s premier sides, but lost their way in the second period.

Baxter addressed that too.

He said: “When we came in at half-time, I think we had done a lot of what we wanted to do. The game was hugely competitive, we were right in the mix, and we put an awful lot physically into the game. In the second half, we probably couldn’t maintain our quality in a couple of key areas.”

Speaking to the club’s social media, Baxter was yet more effusive in his praise. He said: “I said to the players ‘do you think you’ll be a better player, an improved player, you’ll have learned in a positive way from this