ROB Baxter was left searching for answers after Exeter Chiefs’ Challenge Cup campaign ended in frustration, insisting a “perplexing” first-half decision cost his side dearly as they missed out on a place in the Bilbao final.

The Chiefs’ director of rugby pointed to the moment Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was forced out of the semi-final defeat at Ulster as a turning point.

With the visitors building pressure, Feyi-Waboso was caught high by Ulster wing Jacob Stockdale. Referee Pierre Brousset, after lengthy consultation with the TMO, judged the contact to be minimal and issued only a yellow card. However, the aftermath sparked confusion.

Feyi-Waboso, who had scored four tries in four games since returning from injury, passed his head injury assessment. Despite that, he was ruled out of the remainder of the match by the independent doctor. Stockdale, meanwhile, did not return for the second half after suffering a facial injury.

“I need to be careful because I haven’t reviewed everything properly, but there’s something around that incident that doesn’t quite add up,” said Baxter. “The referee judged it as minimal head contact and issued a yellow card. Manny goes off, passes his HIA, but then the independent match-day doctor rules him out based on what he saw. At the same time, their player doesn’t return due to a facial injury.

“There’s an inconsistency there. If it’s minimal head contact, then Manny should be able to return after passing his HIA. If it’s significant enough to cause that level of injury, then the refereeing decision should reflect that. For me, something in that situation doesn’t quite align, and unfortunately, it seemed to go against us.”

The loss of Feyi-Waboso robbed the Chiefs of their sharpest attacking threat, and in a game decided by fine margins, Baxter admitted his side could not recover.

Ulster, chasing a first European final in 14 years, proved far more clinical. After surviving early Exeter pressure, they struck first through Juarno Augustus, who powered over from close range.

The Chiefs countered with a converted try of their own through Ross Vintcent, but Nathan Doak extended Ulster’s lead before the break.

Jack Murphy crossed to restore the hosts’ lead, before Dave McCann finished off a slick move to widen the gap. Hooker Tom Stewart then added a fourth, capitalising on sustained pressure as Exeter’s defence began to creak.

Discipline issues further dented the Chiefs’ chances with Ben Hammersley sent to the sin-bin at a crucial stage, leaving them chasing the game with 14 men.

A late try from Campbell Ridl offered scant consolation as Ulster closed out a deserved victory to book their place in the final.

For Exeter, who had targeted the competition by rotating heavily the previous week, it was a bitter end to a campaign that promised so much.

“It was a tale of two teams,” Baxter admitted. “They were clinical, we weren’t. We had chances, but too many individual errors across the team cost us.

“When you’ve got 15 players and everyone’s making one or two mistakes, it adds up quickly.”

Despite the disappointment, Baxter – whose side face Bath this Sunday at Sandy Park – believes the experience could serve his side well as they push for a strong finish in the Premiership.

“You’ve got to learn to thrive under this kind of pressure,” he said. “That’s what the best teams do.”