Play-off dream ends in defeat for Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs will be absent from the Premiership play-offs after a 40-22 defeat at Leicester Tigers ended their hopes for the 2023-24 season.

The youthful Chiefs have produced some scintillating rugby at times this season but, as is often the way with a young side, inconsistent performances have blighted their campaign.

A trip to the Tigers is always tough but the Chiefs started brightly, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso dotting down for an early score, but Leicester responded with two tries in the space of just five minutes from Ollie Hassell-Collins and Jack van Poortvliet.

The Tigers turned on the style when Feyi-Waboso was sin-binned, Tommy Reffell and Mike Brown extended the home side’s lead. Dan Frost restored some Exeter hope before a shocking tackle by Leicester’s South Africa international Jasper Wiese saw him deservedly red-carded.

A third try from Ross Vintcent gave the Chiefs another lift but the Tigers were too strong, and Exeter Director of Rugby conceded that lack of experience cost his side.

Baxter told BBC Radio Devon: "They had bags of emotion, bags of energy, the game meant an awful lot to them, you could tell that through the week that the whole thing was growing emotionally for them.

"But the reality is amongst that energy and emotion you have to have some accuracy and you have to really drill down deep how you're going to play and how you're going to come together.

"Even though we were at one stage towards the end of the game right back in contention, and another try would have made things really exciting, it was a bit of a ragged performance from us in a lot of ways.

"That kind of highlighted where we need games like this and we need to experience them and why they become valuable to us."