Rob Baxter: Exeter boss focusing on small improvements for new Premiership season

Exeter won a European Champions Cup and Premiership double in 2020 and reached the Premiership final 12 months later, but the Chiefs have seen their domestic success tail off.

Having reached six successive Premiership finals between 2016 and 2021 the club has finished seventh for the past three years, although Exeter did make the semi-finals of the Champions Cup two years ago, and the last eight last season.

Last summer saw the likes of Stuart Hogg, Jack Nowell, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Dave Ewers all leave after successful spells, as younger players got their chance.

“If we pick up more international caps across the squad, if we move forward and we’re a bit more competitive away from home it won’t necessarily replicate itself straightaway in points and league position, but actually just little bits of improvement are what eventually get you to where you want to go,” Baxter said.

“That’s all we did before. We improved the team, we matured the team, we added to it as we needed to go along and you end up winning something at the end of day.

“That’s what we’ve got to focus on – just keeping getting better and keeping moving forward.”