Baxter hails Exeter Chiefs’ grit after historic StoneX win

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter praised his players’ resilience and mentality after they ended a long wait for victory at StoneX Stadium with a 30–24 Gallagher PREM win over Saracens.

Speaking after the match, Baxter said the result was built on spirit and persistence rather than perfection. Exeter twice found themselves trailing, first at 12–3 and later at 24–13, but refused to go away. Two tries from Greg Fisilau and a late score from Henry Slade completed the turnaround and sealed Exeter’s first win at the venue since 2017.

Baxter said the squad’s defining quality is its refusal to give up, even when mistakes creep in. He acknowledged that Exeter are not yet a side built on flawless discipline or error-free rugby, but stressed that their willingness to keep getting back to their feet and re-engage has become a strength.

“The truth is we’ve got a group of guys with fantastic spirit,” director of rugby Baxter said.

“I can’t sit here and say we look like a team with massive rugby IQ who don’t make errors with rock-solid discipline. What I can say is we’re a team that don’t go away.

“We’ve got great spirit, great fight, great fitness. My job is to not dampen that and keep adding that little bit of detail around not beating ourselves.

“You can foster that spirit but if you foster it, then the lads have got to run with it. When we’ve built teams before, it’s a continual process.

“Sometimes it’s just as simple as getting off the floor and getting back in the fight, all 15 of you. They’ve had enough success with it now to believe in it.

“If you keep chasing kicks, keep getting off the floor, keep running hard then sooner or later things will go your way.”

The win meant Exeter are positioned second in the Gallagher PREM table after winning five out of their seven games.