Exeter's focus under fire after 31-28 defeat to Harlequins

Exeter lost 31-28 to Harlequins, and their director of rugby, Rob Baxter, blamed a lack of focus among his players.

Baxter said the squad's "individual focus is all over the place", according to BBC Sport. It was Exeter's fourth defeat in five Premiership matches this season. The Premiership is England's top club competition, and each side plays every other team in the league over the season.

Olly Woodburn scored a late try for Exeter, but the comeback fell short by three points. Exeter had beaten the same opponents 38-0 in the corresponding fixture last season, which makes this result a sharp turnaround for both clubs.

The defeat leaves Exeter second from bottom, one point above Newcastle, who sit at the foot of the table. They are six points off the play-off places, the end-of-season knockout places for the top teams. The league now pauses for the November internationals, the weeks when national teams play, so there is a short gap before Exeter return to action.

Injuries added to the problem. Dafydd Jenkins and Tom Hooper were both hurt in their previous match, against Bristol Bears, and were missing against Harlequins.

Exeter have been in this position before. Last season they reached the Premiership final after finishing fourth, a year on from a second-from-bottom finish. Baxter later described that climb from their worst season to the final as one of his greatest achievements. Earlier this season, he said he was not fazed by a difficult start.

What happens next depends on how the squad responds once the break ends. A pause can help a team reset, but it can also leave the focus problem Baxter described sitting in the background for a few weeks. For Exeter, the next few league games will show whether the side can turn its attention back to the basics.