Exeter Chiefs snapped a bleak 2023‑24 season by beating Bath 27‑26, securing a Premiership final after a narrow 26‑10 deficit. The win, a year after a 79‑17 loss to Gloucester, marked the club’s first final appearance in five years. Rob Baxter lauded the squad’s transformation.

Baxter noted that the same players who endured that 79‑17 defeat are now fighting as a cohesive unit. He praised their mental shift, saying, “It’s the same lads, but they’re different men.” The turnaround follows a season that produced only four wins, two against weakened opponents in the league table this season.

The victory snapped Exeter’s six‑year streak of Premiership finals, where they won twice and claimed the 2020 European Champions Cup. Their current form—four wins from 32 matches—has raised alarm, yet the Chiefs now face table‑topper Northampton at Twickenham, a clash that could define their resurgence for the season’s end and their future prospects in the league.

Baxter’s comment underscores a dramatic reversal: from a 79‑17 humiliation to a Premiership final berth. The Chiefs’ turnaround signals a potential shift in the Premiership hierarchy, with Exeter now capable of challenging the league’s elite. Their performance suggests that resilience and strategic overhaul can overturn a season’s bleak record for future reputation and recruiting interest in the rugby world.