ROB Baxter has warned his Exeter Chiefs side to brace themselves for a fierce backlash when they travel to face Bath Rugby tomorrow (3.05pm).

Bath, the defending Gallagher Premiership champions, were stunned on their own patch by Northampton Saints last time out, a result Baxter believes could sharpen their edge rather than dent their confidence.

Speaking ahead of the clash at the Rec, the Chiefs director of rugby admitted Northampton’s win was not ideal preparation for Exeter.

“I definitely think the Northampton result last week for Bath wasn’t a good result for us,” Baxter said. “Bath are a good side anyway, but they’re a good side before they get a reminder and a bit of a slap in the face. I imagine they’ve had a pretty focused training week and a few conversations.”

Exeter, meanwhile, head into the contest with momentum of their own. The Chiefs rounded off 2025 in style with an impressive victory over Leicester Tigers, a result that lifted them above Bath in the league table and reinforced belief within the squad after an inconsistent campaign last season.

However, Baxter is keen to stress that recent form counts for little when facing a wounded champion side. While he was quick to credit Saints for their performance, he also felt Bath were well below their usual standards.

“Northampton were really, really good, but I think anyone who watches Bath regularly would say they were a bit off,” he said. “That’s going to be the bigger challenge for us. I think we’ll probably play a better Bath than Northampton did last week.”

The Chiefs face another short turnaround, something Baxter noted has become a familiar theme, but he insists it is no excuse. Instead, the focus has been on managing energy levels and maintaining momentum.

“Sometimes when you’ve got a bit of momentum, you can roll that along,” he explained. “It’s about getting the emotional and physical energy onto the field. As long as we keep doing that, we look a decent side. We’ve got good players in our frontline group who are on form.”

With the Chiefs currently inside the top four, Baxter believes his side – who will be unchanged for tomorrow’s encounter in the Roman City – are in a strong position but warned against complacency.

“When you’re in the top four, it’s for you to lose it,” he said. “You’re not waiting for anyone else to slip up. You’ve got to go out and take the points.”

Despite their encouraging league position, Baxter is acutely aware of the long road ahead.

“We’re not even halfway through the season,” he added. “The hardest part isn’t winning semi-finals and finals – it’s getting into the top four in the first place. There’s still a lot of hard work to come.”

Exeter Chiefs: Olly Woodburn; Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Henry Slade, Will Rigg, Campbell Ridl; Harvey Skinner, Stephen Varney; Scott Sio, Joseph Dweba, Bachuki Tchumbadze; Dafydd Jenkins (c), Andrea Zambonin; Tom Hooper, Ethan Roots, Greg Fisilau. Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Will Goodrick-Clarke, Jimmy Roots, Rus Tuima, Kane James, Charlie Chapman, Will Haydon-Wood, Dan John.