ROB Baxter declared himself “very privileged” to be leading Exeter Chiefs after they pushed Toulouse to the limit in an epic Champions Cup clash, only to suffer heartbreak when Henry Slade’s last-gasp penalty failed to hit the mark.

The Chiefs director of rugby was left frustrated after his side came within a kick of forcing a draw against the European heavyweights, who held on for victory despite playing most of the match with 14 men following Rodrigue Neti’s first half red card.

Baxter, however, took immense pride in his side’s performance, believing the thrilling contest was further evidence of how far his developing side have progressed.

“I just said to the lads that I feel very privileged to be here with them,” he said following his 43-40 loss. “When your team walks on to the pitch and performs like that, there’s not a lot else you can say, is there?

“The endeavour from the lads right to the end was incredible. We even forced a penalty at the end that gave us the chance to potentially get a draw. I just think it’s a really good example of where we’re going as a team.”

The Chiefs had the chance to snatch a share of the spoils when Slade lined up a penalty from around 40 metres with the clock in the red. But the centre’s kick drifted wide, leaving the visitors to settle for a losing bonus point after an eight-try first half and a breathless second period in France.

Baxter was quick to pay tribute to Toulouse, who showed their quality and resilience to survive a relentless Exeter challenge.

“First of all, you’ve got to say well done to Toulouse,” he said. “They had an early red card and played for a long time with 14 men, but they still managed to see it through and get a very important win.

“If you’re going to talk about what the European Cup is about, it’s about days like today. We played a full part in a really, really incredible game of rugby.”

Zack Wimbush was at the heart of Exeter’s performance, scoring a hat-trick on the wing after replacing injured England international Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

His second-minute try stunned the home crowd, but Toulouse hit back through Ange Capuozzo and a penalty try, which also saw Chiefs full-back Sam Harris sent to the sin-bin.

Neti’s dismissal for shoulder-to-head contact in a tackle on Ross Vintcent in the 16th minute gave the Chiefs a numerical advantage, but the hosts still managed to lead 26-24 at half-time after a chaotic opening featuring eight tries and two yellow cards.

The Chiefs regained control after the break when Will Butt scored from a charged-down Antoine Dupont clearance, before Wimbush completed his hat-trick.

However, Toulouse responded through a double from Matias Remue and a try by Romain Ntamack to edge ahead before Slade’s late opportunity.

The Chiefs now turn their attention to a quick Premiership turnaround against Bristol Bears this Saturday at Ashton Gate (5.30pm).

“We’ve got a shorter turnaround before Bristol, who have pretty much rested up. I’ve just said to the lads that I don’t want to talk about Bristol yet. You need 48 hours to get this out of your system, go and have a couple of beers, shake it off and try to take the positives from what happened today rather than the negatives.”