Exeter suspend coaches Hunter and Hepher after record loss

Exeter have suspended head coach Rob Hunter and attack coach Ali Hepher following their record Premiership loss at Gloucester.

The pair have been stood down pending what the club describe as a “full review of the match and the 2024-25 season to date” after Chiefs’ 79-17 loss at Kingsholm.

Hunter had only been promoted to the role last month after Hepher’s demotion as the struggling side tried to turn results around.

Director of rugby Rob Baxter will oversee the club’s coaching for the remainder of the season.

After succeeding Hepher as head coach, Hunter vowed to “rip up” all areas of Exeter’s game in a bid to improve their results.

There had seemed to be some signs of recovery during Hunter’s brief tenure after a 52-38 loss at Bristol in the first game under the new set-up.

Chiefs overcame fellow strugglers Newcastle 17-15 and impressed as they ran leaders Bath close a couple of weeks ago – losing 24-26 – before Sunday’s 62-point defeat.

Exeter have won just two Premiership matches this season and lost all their Champions Cup games, including a new club-record European defeat when they lost 69-17 to Bordeaux.

The campaign has been Exeter’s worst since promotion to the English top flight in 2010, and they are second-from-bottom of the Premiership.

Former Northampton fly-half Hepher has been part of Exeter’s coaching team since Baxter took over as director of rugby in 2009, while Hunter moved to Sandy Park in 2013 after a successful spell as England Under-20s head coach.

The pair have been part of the backroom team that helped the Chiefs win two Premiership titles and the 2020 European Champions Cup as they reached six consecutive Premiership finals between 2016 and 2021.

But form has dipped in recent seasons and Hepher was removed as head coach on 20 March and tasked with overseeing the backs and attack strategy until the end of the season before switching to an academy role next term, with Hunter taking over as head coach.

The current campaign reached a nadir at Kingsholm with Exeter conceding 13 tries in a shambolic display.

Hunter, rather than director of rugby Rob Baxter, faced the media afterwards, describing the game as his “lowest point” as a coach.

“In no way at all did we have any foothold in that game – nothing really held up and we gave up momentum so easily,” he told BBC Radio Devon.

Brent Pilnick, BBC Sport, Exeter

Just when you think this season could not get any worse for Exeter, the powers that be at Sandy Park opt for a second coaching change in as many months.

But Sunday’s loss at Kingsholm was a shambles, with defensive confusion evident from the first few minutes as Chiefs were cut open by Gloucester time and again.

Having conceded seven first-half tries, whatever was said at the interval had little effect as they let in six more after the break.

Post-match television footage of Tony Rowe angrily addressing the players in the changing room only added to the sense of anxiety surrounding the club’s fortunes.

Where Exeter go now only time will tell – they have some experienced players coming in over the summer, led by marquee Australian signing Len Ikitau.

It seems doubtful they can turn around this malaise in time for the visit of champions Northampton on 11 May, with two more games – away at Harlequins, home to Sale – to complete a torrid campaign.

Maybe turning it around for next season is a tall order as well.