At half time we changed tactics as we set about running everything to try and build some points and recover some pride.

Blair Cowan came on to make a massive impact after the interval, going over for a brace, which was followed by a good team try from 80 metres out.

I was pleased to cross the whitewash too, but it was all too little too late as with a couple of defensive errors costing us we had allowed Exeter to add two more tries earlier to lead 44-3.

This was a very convincing performance by a revved up Chiefs who really exposed us at times. With a number of the boys struggling with a virus, and with a scoreline to forget, this is certainly a week we want to put behind us.

Seven days earlier against Northampton it was a totally different story. A strong defensive performance at the Mad Stad saw us go close to beating arguably the in-form team in the Aviva Premiership. Our strategy was to take away their momentum by stopping their power runners then create a solid, attacking platform from our own set piece. Unfortunately, while we negated their attacking threat, we didn’t create as many chances as we’d have liked. Northampton ended up winning 12-19 and we were left with a losing bonus point.

It was good to have another duel with George North despite coming off worse in our aerial battle. I won the ball, got knocked off balance, landed on my back and ended up winded. It’s proving a rather contentious area of the game at the moment with several yellow cards already handed out for what many would view as a perfectly fair challenge.

It’s a tough issue to manage. Anyone in the air is vulnerable and the challenger is often watching the flight of the ball, running blind. To take aerial battles away from the sport would be to take away a skill that differentiates a good back-three player from an excellent one.

Elsewhere, it has been a tough week for Wasps fans. It is certainly one of the hardest decisions a rugby club can make and it’s sad to see a London club up roots and move location. But for their long term survival, Wasps deemed a move to Coventry was the best option.

For any fans wondering where they’ll get their fix of top flight rugby, I suggest you pay a visit down the M4 where you’ll struggle to find a better family atmosphere than at the Madejski Stadium and an ambitious team determined to get itself to the top end of the table!

Follow me on Twitter @AndrewFenby