Picture this: a rugby match where your team stares down a 26-0 hole in the first half, only to claw back and nearly steal victory in the dying moments. That's the heart-pounding drama Exeter Chiefs delivered in their thrilling loss to Bath, and head coach Rob Baxter is absolutely thrilled about what it signals for the season ahead. But here's where it gets controversial – was that last-minute try from Arthur Green a stroke of genius or a cruel twist of fate? Stick around, because Baxter's insights reveal a story of growth that might just redefine how we view setbacks in elite sports.
Exeter's Rob Baxter insists that this nail-biting Premiership defeat at Bath highlights just how much his squad has evolved this campaign. After trailing by 26 points early on, the Chiefs mounted an incredible comeback, tying the scores in the final five minutes before Bath's late effort sealed a 33-26 triumph (as detailed in this BBC Sport report). Last season, Exeter scraped together just four wins, ending up in a dismal second-from-bottom spot in the Premiership table – a real low point for the club. Fast-forward to now, and they're sitting comfortably in third place after nine matches, boasting six victories and only two losses. They're just four points behind leaders Northampton Saints and two adrift of Bath, proving they've turned things around dramatically.
'As we kicked off the season, if anyone had predicted we'd be frustrated with just two points from a tough away game in a top-four showdown, I'd have snapped that up without hesitation,' Baxter shared in an interview with BBC Radio Devon. 'We're a squad on the rise, not one that's stagnating or getting older – our players are in their prime, gaining valuable experience as they go. Take Bachuki Tchumbadze, for instance; this is only his fifth professional rugby match, and he's already showing immense promise. There's so much potential left in these guys, and I'm genuinely excited to nurture it.'
The pivotal moment that swung the game? A 20-minute red card for young winger Campbell Ridl, who was penalized for a high tackle on Bath's Henry Arundell just two minutes into the match. This allowed the hosts to rack up four tries during that period, ballooning their lead to 26-0. But once Ridl returned, Exeter unleashed a ferocious fightback, illustrating their resilience and ability to adapt under pressure. Baxter sees this not as a disaster, but as a blueprint for future success, especially with a two-week domestic break before diving back into European rugby.
'We can extract real value from this experience in several ways,' Baxter explained. 'It gives us a chance to fine-tune our strategies for handling yellow cards or player shortages, like organizing better when we're down a man. Think about it: if we'd chipped away just one of those tries from that 20-minute stretch, or capitalized on some field position to slot a penalty and kill a bit of time, the whole game could have flipped. We might have shaved 10 points off Bath's total, putting them under pressure to hold on, not us. Those are the tangible lessons we're taking away.'
And this is the part most people miss – the bigger picture of Ridl's journey. The 20-year-old England youth international has had a rollercoaster start to his Exeter career. He suffered a broken hand during pre-season, delaying his first-team debut until a Premiership Rugby Cup victory over Bristol in November. From there, he shone in a European Challenge Cup draw against Racing 92 a month later, and he's now a starter in the last three league games, even notching his first Premiership try in the win over Leicester at Sandy Park right after Christmas. Baxter is quick to defend Ridl, emphasizing there was no ill intent in the tackle.
'The truth is, he had his eyes on the ball in the air and misjudged the timing completely – he jumped without properly checking Arundell's position,' Baxter said. 'You don't need to be a rugby expert to see it was an accident, but that doesn't make it right; the rule is clear, and he got it wrong. Still, it opened the door to an epic rugby showpiece as we fought back, coming within a whisker of three points but settling for two. On the grand scale, grabbing two points in such a high-stakes top-four clash? You'd accept that nine out of ten times.'
But let's stir the pot a bit – some fans might argue that red cards like Ridl's are too harsh, potentially ruining games and unfairly punishing young talent. Is the letter of the law worth the spirit of the sport, especially when it's an unintentional error? Or does Baxter's optimistic spin gloss over the frustration of a near-upset? What do you think – does turning a loss into a learning opportunity make Exeter's season a success, or is this just a coach sugarcoating defeat? Share your views in the comments; I'd love to hear if you agree with Baxter's growth mindset or if you see it as overly rosy!
