Exeter Chiefs coach warned of ‘tough conversations’ after Bath defeat

Exeter Chiefs assistant backs coach James Wilson warned of “tough conversations” after their 35-19 defeat by Bath, admitting his side remained “miles away” at the breakdown.

Speaking after Saturday’s PREM Rugby Cup match at Sandy Park, Wilson criticised Exeter’s discipline and their failure to establish control against the visitors.

Chiefs now head to Sale Sharks on Friday, 13 November, looking for a response after a defeat that left them fifth in Pool A.

Exeter Chiefs coach identifies breakdown problems

Wilson’s frustration centred on an area Exeter had specifically targeted in their preparation.

“Too many penalties. Breakdown was a struggle, and we just didn’t get into our game the way we wanted to,” he said in comments reported by Devon Live.

Despite that pre-match focus, he said Chiefs were “still miles away”.

“So there’ll be some tough conversations on Monday with this group,” Wilson said after the match.

“And I’m sure when the senior boys do come in, when they come back, hopefully we’ll be in a good space.”

He also acknowledged Bath’s performance.

“It was a tough day, very frustrating. We just couldn’t really get into the flow of the game from minute one. And to be honest, credit to Bath. They’re good.”

Donoghue leads Bath to bonus-point win

Ciaran Donoghue contributed 20 points as Bath left Sandy Park with four tries and a bonus-point victory.

Exeter recovered from an early deficit through debutants Archie McArthur and Carwyn Tuipulotu to trail 17-12 at half-time. But Donoghue’s converted try immediately after the restart put Bath back in control.

Sam Harris’s second-half score briefly brought Chiefs within eight points. Max Pearce then secured Bath’s fourth try before Donoghue added a late penalty.

The official Exeter match report records an attendance of 10,716.

Tuipulotu offers encouragement on debut

Tuipulotu’s carrying provided one positive for Wilson on an otherwise frustrating afternoon.

“Carwyn hasn’t had minutes in a long time, so it’s good to just get him the ball,” he said.

“That’s his strength, just to carry and get over top of defences, and he did that today.”

The number eight joined McArthur on the scoresheet, giving both forwards a try on their first Exeter appearance.

Those contributions were welcome, but Wilson’s assessment made clear that individual moments had not overcome the collective problems.

Sale Sharks await Exeter on Friday

Chiefs travel to the CorpAcq Stadium for their next PREM Rugby Cup fixture on Friday evening.

They sit fifth in Pool A, with a game in hand on fourth-placed Bristol Bears. The Sale trip offers an immediate opportunity to improve the discipline and breakdown work Wilson highlighted.

For Exeter, the measure of any response will be whether they can establish the control that eluded them against Bath.

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