Exeter, whose seven-try win took them back to the top of the table, were simply too quick, strong and well-drilled all round as Cov struggled for set-piece possession and spent most of the game on the back foot.

Indecisive first-up tackling merely compounded matters, and although Cov's cover defence was admirable against the wind in the first half, inevitably more and more gaps appeared as the game progressed.

It was a situation which called for big performances, but nobody in the Cov side was able to inject what was needed.

"It was disappointing - we seem to have a group of players who don't respond to the big game," said Maynard. "Some of our lads just don't turn up for these games and that's the Rubicon we've got to cross.

"If you miss 29 tackles in a game you are going to be in trouble at any level. First-up tackles are crucial, but we were going in too high and letting them gain momentum, and that just leads to more problems.

"The most disappointing thing was the last 15 minutes. We hadn't had a good game all round, but we just capitulated. To take any team forward that's the time when you have got to be playing.

"A couple of decisions didn't help us, but Exeter played really well with very strong running from 1 to 15. It made it difficult for us in the tackle area and their technique in the rucks was much better than ours. When we come up against top-five sides we see where we really are as a team in terms of development, and we see the areas where we need to improve."

Cov had an early reprieve when Gareth Steenson missed a routine second-minute penalty from 24 metres, and their defence stood up to the test until 16 minutes when they lost possession at a scrum and were stretched on the left where winger Nic Sestaret squeezed in for an unconverted try.

The position was still retrievable when full-back Ben Breeze crossed on the opposite flank for a second Exeter try after 31 minutes, Steenson converting, and three minutes later Ronnie McLean kicked a penalty after Donovan Sanders had half blocked a Steenson clearance and put Exeter in their first spot of trouble.

Breeze's second conver ted try, however, on 36 minutes to leave Cov trailing 19-3 at the break, was both a decisive and cruel blow, a clear forward pass at the start of the move going unpunished.

Cov started the second half by losing two line-outs on their own throw, and although they made Exeter wait until the 58th minute to secure their bonus point try - centre Paul McKenzie slicing through behind a scrum with flanker Jamie Miller in the sin bin for preventing a quick penalty - the writing was long on the wall.

Centre Mark Fatialofa, a constant threat, claimed Exeter's fifth try with Cov still down to 14 men, and although Laurie McGlone finished off a line-out drive midway through the final quarter, the try was of mere consolation value as a now disappearing defence let in Matt Jess and McKenzie again for injury-time scores, both converted by Danny Gray.

Exeter: Tries Breeze 2 (32, 34), McKenzie 2 (58, 80), Sesteret (16), Fatialofa (63), Jess (80); conversions Steenson 3 (32, 34, 58), Gray 2 (80, 80). Coventry: Try McGlone (71); penalty McLean (34).

Exeter: Breeze; Sestaret (Bedford 65), McKenzie, Fatialofa, Jess; Steenson (Gray 60), Stuart-Smith (Lewsey 60); Sturgess (Budgen 54), Blythe (Clark 60), Andress, Stevenson, Tuohy, Johnson (Skelding 65), Pugh, Baxter (Hayes 65). Coventry: Russell; McLean (Hayes 60), Dixon, Sanders, Winter; Dorrian, Jones (Walls 66); Ovens (Brits 60), Whitehead (Pearl 54), Dugard, Herrington, Lyons (Burgess 51), Venter (Clayton 66), Miller, Thomas (McGlone 51).

Referee: K Lewis (RFU).

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