What 'hugely proud' Rob Baxter told Exeter players after Champions Cup exit

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter said he was “hugely proud” of his players despite seeing them exit the Investec Champions Cup following a heavy quarter-final defeat to Toulouse.

Toulouse, looking to become European champions for a record-extending sixth time, were in scintillating form in the French sunshine, producing a powerful and vibrant second-half showing that eventually saw them seal a 64-26 at the Stade Ernest Wallon.

Scotland international full-back Blair Kinghorn led the way for the hosts, scoring two tries in a personal haul of 23 points, while further tries came from Romain Ntamack, Jack Willis, Antoine Dupont and braces from Jean Cruz Mallia and Pita Ahki.

The Chiefs fought valiantly throughout, especially in the first half where they trailed 17-16 at the break. However, scores from Ethan Roots and Zack Wimbush, plus the boot of Henry Slade, were not enough to see them advance into the last four.

“I have to say I’m hugely proud of the players for the commitment they put into the game,” said Baxter. “I think I couldn’t have asked anything more of them for what they’ve laid on the line, both physically and emotionally.

“When we came in at half-time, I think we had done a lot of what we wanted to do. The game was hugely competitive, we were right in the mix, and we put an awful lot physically into the game. In the second half, we probably couldn’t maintain our quality in a couple of key areas.”

With a wealth of stars in their ranks, Toulouse used all of their big-game experience to pull clear after the break and set themselves up for a home semi-final against Harlequins, who had defeated Bordeaux-Begles on their own patch just 24 hours earlier.

“As I’ve just said to the lads, I could not have asked them to commit any fuller than they did,” added Baxter. “When you commit fully to things and put everything into the game, like they did today, that’s how you gain the most experience.

“I remember coming to Clermont all those years ago, coming away with a heavy defeat, yet feeling we didn’t really fire a shot. You can’t say that about today’s performance, I thought our guys did everything they could and in the end you have to congratulate Toulouse on their performance.”

Like Baxter, Toulouse skills coach Jerome Kaino was proud of his side’s efforts as they advanced further into Europe’s top club competition.

“First half, I thought Exeter put us under a lot of pressure,” said the former All Blacks star. “We weren’t able to keep the ball as well as we wanted to, but credit to Exeter for that. They are a class outfit, but I am extremely proud at the way the boys came out in that second half.

“We’re now very excited about the semi-final. This a very special competition for us and to be able to earn another week in the competition is awesome. We’re a happy camp, but we know we’ve not achieved anything yet.”