The positive for Exeter Chiefs on the weekend was 24 points scored away from home but the reality remained of a 41-24 defeat at Bath, a result that moved the home side up to second in the Gallagher Premiership.

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon: "I think at one stage the penalty count against us was 13-3, some of them were very soft and those repeat penalties led to a fairly soft yellow card given against something we didn't really need to do.

"We should have had an appreciation that we couldn't afford to give up a card there on a yellow card warning. You've got to understand those things and they ran in two or three tries in that period and that took the game away from us.

"Twenty-four points away from home is pretty good, but there's just too many things that we are letting happen and I'm not saying we're doing it deliberately.

"We told the players we need to dig deep into the performances to see if there's something more we need to be doing, or something more we can guide you with, so that those penalties don't happen."

Away from the pitch, the Chiefs held their AGM at Sandy Park last week, as Chairman & CEO Tony Rowe addressed the financial challenges of Covid and an energy crisis.

Rowe told the club website: “We aren’t trying to hide from the economic challenges of the past few years, but it feels very much as though we have turned a corner and are heading towards a profitable 2024.

“Whilst we are unable to control the external factors that have impacted the business, I am personally buoyed by the projections that we are seeing, particularly with the rise in ticket sales and the optimistic trading reports of the hotel, which is still very much in its infancy.

“I’d like to thank our Commercial Partners, Club Members and of course our fans, who have been with us throughout this challenging period and I look forward to heading into the New Year with bright prospects for our Rugby Club.”