Rob Baxter: Exeter face 'test of character' after fifth game without a win

Rob Baxter has been in charge at Exeter since 2009

Exeter head coach Rob Baxter says his side's character faces a major test after Sunday's late defeat by Bath.

The Chiefs lost after a stoppage-time try from Semesa Rokoduguni, their fifth game without a win and the third time they have lost to a late score.

It leaves last season's runners-up in seventh place in the Premiership.

"When you look a the table now and the results we've had you can start to set yourselves some new challenges," Baxter told BBC Sport.

"I don't mean we're going to give up on having a good season, but the challenges now are more a test of character."

Exeter have won just two games in the league this season, successive victories over Bristol and Harlequins, after opening the season with losses at high-flying Saracens and Wasps.

"It just feels like we need to start pushing things on and keep challenging ourselves, that's the coaching staff as well, and as a club look at this as a real test of character and see what we're going to do about it," added Baxter.

"You can do 'if only's' all over the place, you can talk about Gareth's (Steenson) last penalty that he missed, but then George Ford missed two.

"I think our level of intensity is getting there and we've got to keep stepping up our intensity levels and we've got to keep stepping up little bits and pieces of rugby around it."