Baxter focused on turning around winless Exeter

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter feels he is the right man to turn around the club's winless start to the season.

The Chiefs have lost six successive games for the first time in a single campaign and are second-from-bottom of the Premiership table.

Baxter is the longest-serving director of rugby in the Premiership, having led Exeter to the Championship title in 2010 in his first season in charge,.

He has gone on to guide the club to six successive Premiership finals between 2016 and 2021, winning two and also being crowned European champions in 2020.

"Do I fear the sack? I wouldn't say fear is the right word," Baxter said ahead of his side's Premiership Rugby Cup trip to Cornish Pirates on Friday.

"I kind of think if it's there, if me being moved on is merited, then what will be will be. I think that's how you have to look at it.

"Right here and now the only thing I'm kind of disappointed with, and I said this to the players, is not us losing games, it's looking at the effect it's having on some of the lads and how disappointed they look at times and how the reactions are making some of them feel with their frustrations and their disappointments."

Baxter says he and his coaching staff will be working with the side over the cup period to try and iron out the mistakes they have made over the opening six matches.

Defensively the Chiefs have been opened up with ease in a number of games.

Harlequins missed a number of chances to add to their tally of 36 points on Sunday, while Bristol overturned a 20-point deficit with 15 minutes to go to secure a win at Sandy Park.

Baxter feels he is the right person to plot his side's return to form as they aim for a first competitive win since May in Penzance on Friday.

"I feel very fortunate to have the job here at Exeter, it's my club, I've done it for a long time, we've had a lot of success we've had some great experiences," the 53-year-old said.

"There are only 10 of us [Premiership bosses] in this country. That's quite a privilege and you want to make sure that's what you understand.

"Whatever it feels like, you're in a privileged position and you've to make the most of it and you've got to appreciate it for what it is because I know one thing right here and now, you can walk away from the pressure, but I wouldn't want to walk away and watch anybody else doing my job.

"Do I like it when we're going badly? Of course I don't. I feel it probably more than pretty much anybody else.

"But at the same time I also think that it's a privilege to be the person that has to try and turn that around and that's how I'm going to view it."

Baxter says he is grateful to Exeter chief executive Tony Rowe for his support.

Rowe appointed Baxter in 2009 having led the club to their move to Sandy Park and subsequent rise to the top end of the professional game.

"There's a lot of people who could have been very reactive in this scenario, but obviously Tony's very aware of some of the circumstances in the background haven't been of help to this scenario," Baxter said.

"I think that helps. We obviously have talked about things in detail a few times now since we've been going through this.

"It's my job to do things to do things better and get us on the front foot and get us feeling good about how we feel and get numbers through the gate."