Rob Baxter: Exeter boss wants to write-off worst-ever top-flight season

Baxter has taken a more hands-on role coaching the side since long-serving assistants Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher were dismissed after the defeat at Gloucester.

That loss was the nadir of a season which saw Exeter lose all four of their European games and win just four league matches – two of them against Saracens and Northampton who were without many of their international stars.

But in recent weeks Exeter have improved and had chances to win the game, against a Sale side who knew victory would secure a fourth play-off campaign in the past five seasons.

“A lot of teams need a dedicated start point – that Gloucester game was a dedicated start point for us,” Baxter added.

“No player can come into my office when I’m talking to them and go ‘everything was fine, I don’t know why we’re reacting’.

“You need that sometimes, you don’t need anybody having any second doubts that what’s on the field isn’t good enough.

“We had that and now things are changing, and you can feel a change. But I think we probably needed that and we needed someone to go ‘this is not good enough, things have to change’ and that’s what’s happened.”