How Exeter recovered from record loss, 12 months on

Exeter's record loss at Gloucester was the nadir of their worst-ever top flight season [Getty Images] It was a result no Exeter supporter, or Prem rugby watcher, can forget - Gloucester 79-17 Exeter. The Chiefs - two-time former Prem winners, 2020 European champions - shipped 13 tries in 69 minutes as a season that had been bad became catastrophic. It was the catalyst for big changes at Sandy Park as footage of chairman Tony Rowe giving his players a piece of his mind in the changing room went viral and long-serving coaches Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher lost their jobs.

On Sunday, Exeter return to Kingsholm 364 days on from that humbling, hoping they have put their worst-ever season in the top flight firmly behind them. "To be honest with you, it's still fresh in my mind, and I think it will stay in my mind for a long time, what happened up there," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon. "I'm not going to run away from that because we've got to make sure that doesn't happen again.

" 'You need to hit bottom before you can start climbing back up again' Gloucester ripped through Exeter at Kingsholm a year ago, with 10 different players scoring tries [PA Media] The Chiefs were four tries down inside 20 minutes and trailed 43-7 at half-time after letting in seven first-half tries during that one-sided encounter. Gloucester, who were the first side Chiefs beat outside Prem Rugby Cup matches last season on 29 December, were in no mood to take their foot off Exeter's throats, running in another six tries as they registered their biggest-ever league win while inflicting the Devon side's worst loss. Exeter's defeat came having also had an awful season in Europe, culminating in a 69-17 defeat by Bordeaux that surpassed their record loss in European competition.

"I think sometimes you just need something very abrupt," said Baxter. "The old saying sometimes is you need to hit the bottom before you can start climbing back up again and I think the whole day created that. " Gloucester thrash Exeter in record-breaking win Exeter suspend coaches Hunter and Hepher after record loss 'Disconnect' between players and coaches - Rowe Baxter had seen his side go from perennial title challengers - they made six consecutive Prem finals from 2016 to 2021 - into a side that only won two games against 'full strength' opponents last season.