Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter has hailed his side's remarkable turnaround after they secured a spot in the Premiership final following a dramatic 27-26 win over Bath at the Recreation Ground. The victory marked a first final appearance for the Chiefs in five years and caps off a transformative season for the team, who finished ninth in the Premiership last year and suffered the heaviest defeat in their history in a 79-17 loss at Gloucester just over a year ago.
Baxter praised his players for showing a 'different men' mentality, saying: 'It's the same players, but it's different men, and that makes me incredibly proud.' He added that his side's recent results, including two wins over Bath, beating Leicester away and crushing Saracens last week, demonstrate their ability to lift a third title.
The Chiefs' semifinal victory marked the first time a team has finished in third place and reached a play-off final, and they also became the first team to win an away semifinal since Harlequins' historic comeback victory at Bristol in 2021. They will now face table-toppers Northampton at Twickenham in the final, who have not lost to the Chiefs this season.
Baxter's side will look to draw on the confidence and belief they have gained from their recent results to take on Northampton, who have been unbeaten in the Premiership this season. 'Knowing some of these lads, they've got the confidence and belief to think they can do anything and that's how I want them to feel,' Baxter said. 'My job is to just get them ready enough and I say more than anything else, emotionally ready enough to put another 80 minutes together.'