Baxter defends much-changed Exeter side in cup loss

Exeter Chiefs made 12 changes to their side for the trip to Ulster in the Champions Cup

Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter said he feels fielding a much-changed side in their final European Champions Cup pool game was the right decision.

Baxter made 12 changes to his side ahead of their Premiership clash with Saracens on Saturday as the Chiefs lost 52-24 at Ulster.

Exeter conceded eight tries, although Zack Wimbush's late score ensured they got a losing bonus point - their first in the competition this season.

"I still think it was the right thing to do to, to focus on next week in a lot of ways," Baxter told BBC Radio Devon after his side's 13th loss in 14 Premiership and European matches.

"It does mean that we have got game time into a wider group of players now will be more ready to go, make more contributions in training.

"We certainly got really useful game time into a few guys who've come back into the reckoning recently and going well.

"Guys like guys like Paul Brown is a perfect example, had another good game, had lots more opportunity on the ball, he can only improve from that."

Exeter's form has been their worst since they were promoted to the top flight in 2010.

They have one league win all season and conceded 224 points over their four Champions Cup pool matches - 61 more than the next worse defensive record in the competition.

They are only off the bottom of the Premiership by virtue of the six bonus points they have collected this season - bottom-of-the-table Newcastle Falcons have won a game more than Baxter's side.

But the Exeter boss said his players have to keep learning from the losses if they are to get better.

"I know I'm going to sound a bit like a broken record, but we do have to just keep working and improving from these experiences," he added.

"Don't get used to being behind the posts and feeling like a broken person.

"Get behind the posts and grow and feel yourself becoming stronger and decide to stand up and fight.

"That's what we've got to make sure we keep driving, because it can be very easy once this has happened two or three times in a row to think it's going to keep happening.

"The reality is it doesn't have to keep happening, but you have to do something to stop it."