Exeter have 'lot of manning up to do' - Baxter

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, Rob Baxter has been Exeter boss since 2009
  • Author, Brent Pilnick
  • Role, 91热爆 Sport England

Exeter boss Rob Baxter says his side have a lot of "manning up" to do after a sixth successive loss in the Premiership.

Harlequins scored five tries - and could have had more - as the poor Chiefs struggled in their 36-19 loss at Sandy Park.

The loss sees Exeter record a new longest-ever losing run in a single Premiership season.

They are only off the bottom of the table as they have one more losing bonus point than Newcastle - whose four points came from their win over the Chiefs last week.

"We've got a lot of manning up and standing up to do," Baxter told 91热爆 Sport.

"The pressure that we're feeling and the level of the confidence in the players is coming out in our performances without doubt," added the Exeter boss, who is the longest serving director of rugby in the league.

"We're not sparking on our toes and bouncing around are we? You don't see any of that in our movement in attack or defence particularly.

"I'm not going to stand here and just waffle 'this is what we're going to do'. We've got a lot to do."

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Exeter's last win came in the penultimate round of matches last season

Exeter won't 'hide or run away'

Exeter now have some respite from their league woes with the Premiership Rugby Cup taking over during the autumn international period.

With Chiefs missing just England's Henry Slade and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, along with Wales' Christ Tshiunza, Baxter says he will set to work trying to fix his side's problems.

They face a trip to Championship side Cornish Pirates on Friday before hosting second-tier Hartpury the following week and then meeting Gloucester in their third pool game.

"This is like a mini pre-season for us," Baxter said.

"We've got a lot of hard work to do and there's going to be a lot of good, hard training sessions and there's going to be lot of players getting good game minutes until we settle into a way of playing that we're comfortable with.

"It's very hard. I don't like this. I don't like seeing the players looking the way they're having to look because of the levels of performance and the results.

"What do you do? Do you hide yourself away and run away from it or do you get on with it? Right here and now we're going to get on with it."