The long-serving Chiefs supremo took personal responsibility for Exeter’s heaviest home Premiership defeat in four years as Sale racked up eight tries at Sandy Lane.
“We let our supporters down and I would like to apologise to each and every one of them because I thought we were poor,” said Baxter.
“It is not what they pay to expect and it is certainly not how I want the team to be. Ultimately a lot of that has got to come down to me really because how the team goes on to the pitch and the motivation they have is a big part of my job and that is probably what I am most disappointed and frustrated about.
“I can’t sit here and say we looked like a highly motivated Exeter team who were desperate to win a game of Premiership rugby and that disappoints me.
“You can’t legislate for individual brilliance from the opposition but, when one guy brushes through three, four or five tackles, you have to sit there and question whether everybody is hitting that guy 100 per cent flat out.
“That doesn’t happen without there being a lack of physicality and intensity and real steel about you and we lacked the steel that was going to make today a real challenge for Sale.”
Centre Sam Tuitupou scored two of Sale’s tries but it was Danny Cipriani who pulled the strings from stand-off, strengthening his claim for an England tour place in New Zealand this summer.
“I think he deserves his chance,” said Sale coach Bryan Redpath. “He has played consistently well and that was as good as he has been.”
Exeter’s defeat allowed Wasps to move into seventh position – the last qualifying spot for Europe – with a 38-30-win over Gloucester in front of a 40,000 crowd at Twickenham thanks to two tries from James Haskell.
If they can hang on to it they will contest a play-off with the seventh-place team from the Top 14 in France.
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