Exeter's Rob Baxter backs Henry Slade to move past missed kicks in Bath defeat

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter has thrown his support behind Henry Slade, urging the fly-half not to dwell on a series of missed kicks that featured in the team's defeat away at Bath, according to BBC Sport.

Slade's goal-kicking has been a reliable part of Exeter's game in recent seasons, making the missed kicks in the Bath loss a notable talking point around the result. Baxter's public backing suggests the club is treating the display as an isolated dip in form rather than a deeper concern about Slade's role as the team's primary kicker.

Missed kicks can have an outsized effect on tight rugby matches, where a handful of points from the tee often separate winning and losing margins. Baxter's comments reflect a common approach from coaches in such situations: reinforcing confidence in an established player rather than publicly criticizing an individual performance, in order to protect morale heading into the next fixture.

BBC Sport's report did not detail the final score of the Bath match or how many kicks Slade missed, nor did it specify Exeter's next fixture following the defeat.

Slade, an experienced England international, has long been one of Exeter's key playmakers, and Baxter's remarks indicate the club expects him to continue in that role without disruption.