Baxter tells Slade to forget misses after Bath edge Exeter thriller

Rob Baxter has told Henry Slade to put his missed kicks behind him after Exeter lost 40-34 at Bath.

The Exeter director of rugby backed his fly-half when he spoke to BBC Radio Devon after the defeat at the Rec, according to BBC.

Slade missed two conversions in the first half. A conversion is the kick at goal after a try, worth two extra points. He then hit the post with a penalty late in the second half, a shot at goal given after an offence by the opposition.

The kicks mattered. Bath won by six points. In a game that tight, every shot at goal carries weight.

Exeter kept pushing. Harvey Skinner kicked a penalty in the 79th minute to secure a losing bonus point, the extra league point awarded to a team that loses by seven points or fewer.

Baxter's message was simple. Do not dwell on it. Kickers live with misses, and Slade will be needed again quickly.

Exeter are still without a win this season. They lost at home to Gloucester the week before travelling to Bath.

That is a tough start for last season's beaten finalists. Exeter reached the Premiership final last term before losing to Northampton at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

That run went through Bath. Exeter fought back to beat their West Country rivals to reach the final in June, taking their first lead of the game when they moved one point ahead, according to BBC.

What makes this stand out is the contrast. Four months ago Exeter found a way past Bath when it counted most. This time they left the Rec with plenty of points but none of the comfort of a win.