ROB Baxter admitted Exeter Chiefs “looked like a team that “battered and bruised” after Harlequins produced a stunning second-half comeback to win 41-24 at Allianz Stadium in the ‘Big Summer Kick Off’.

The Chiefs appeared in complete control after an outstanding first-half display in London, racing into a 24-14 lead and threatening to spoil the party atmosphere in front of a packed Twickenham crowd.

But Quins stormed back after the interval with 27 unanswered points to reignite their Champions Cup hopes and leave Exeter’s Premiership play-off ambitions hanging in the balance.

“We probably look like the team that has gone back-to-back big games over a number of weeks – quite a few short turnarounds,” said Baxter. “I’m not just trying to take all the pressure off the performance because Quins turned up and they grew through the game.

“But at the same time, I do know we’ve been going after some hard games, and I think we looked a bit like that team that was a bit battered and bruised.”

The Chiefs had arrived in the capital following a punishing run of fixtures that included a Premiership Rugby Cup final appearance, a European Challenge Cup semi-final at Ulster and a victory over Premiership champions Bath at Sandy Park.

For 40 minutes, however, there was little sign of fatigue as the Chiefs tore into Harlequins with ruthless efficiency.

Campbell Ridl opened the scoring when he gathered Harvey Skinner’s pinpoint cross-field kick before Stephen Varney finished under the posts after slick handling from Paul Brown-Bampoe and Henry Slade.

Quins struggled to cope with the power and precision of the Devonians and although Sam Riley thought he had sparked the hosts into life, his effort was ruled out for a forward pass.

Jack Kenningham eventually crossed from close range to keep Harlequins in touch, but the Chiefs immediately responded. Hooker Max Norey powered over from a rolling line-out before Len Ikitau sliced through the defensive line to secure the bonus point.

Luke Northmore’s try on his 100th appearance kept Quins alive at 24-14 down at the break, but the momentum remained firmly with the visitors.

That changed when Marcus Smith took control. The England fly-half inspired Harlequins’ revival with a dazzling second-half display, pinning the visitors back with his kicking game and injecting tempo into the contest.

Cadan Murley finished brilliantly in the corner after a sharp break from Cameron Anderson to reduce the deficit before replacement Will Porter raced onto Jamie Benson’s pass to level the scores at 24-24.

Smith then calmly slotted a penalty to edge Quins ahead for the first time with 13 minutes remaining.

Exeter’s problems deepened when Bachuki Tchumbadze was shown a yellow card, and Harlequins took full advantage as Will Evans crashed over before Rodrigo Isgró added another late score to complete the remarkable turnaround.

“Our emotional and physical batteries just drained a little bit by the end,” said Baxter. “Even when the game was tight, we started doing some odd things trying to chase it back when we didn’t need to.”

Despite the defeat, the Chiefs remain fourth in the Premiership table ahead of a crucial final fortnight of the regular season. After a week off, the Chiefs face a daunting trip to third-placed Leicester before hosting fifth-placed Saracens as they chase a first play-off appearance since 2021.