I’ve learnt from my mistakes -Skinner

■By MARK STEVENS

Trio: Harvey Skinner and inset, Henry Slade, top, and Will Haydon-Wood

EXETER fly-half Harvey Skinner aims to put a frustrating few months behind him and steer the Chiefs back on an upward trajectory.

The 27-year-old produced an impressive display off the bench in their Premiership victory over Saracens at Sandy Park and started their cup win at Hartpury last weekend.

It was Skinner’s first taste of league action since the end of October, the fly-half sat out in the cold as Henry Slade and Will Haydon-Wood were entrusted with the playmaker role in a season of struggle for the Chiefs.

But things are starting to turn for the Chiefs, who were more like Exeter of old in their success against Saracens.

Having started the season as Rob Baxter‘s starting 10, his demotion to the sidelines has only served to fuel Skinner’s determination and resilience.

“In recent years, I’ve always been in and around the 23, so it’s been tough not to be part of that match-day squad,” said Skinner, who will need to bide his time again after copping a ban for foul play against Hartpury and misses the next three Premiership Cup games.

“I didn’t like it, but the way I looked at it was I tried to build stronger relationships with others within the squad. Working with the non-23, some of those younger guys, it’s given me a different take on a few things.

“At the same time, I’ve tried to focus on my own game more and take on board the feedback from the coaches about what they want from me. I’ve learnt a lot from not playing. In way, it’s given me more motivation to get back in the team and also learn from my mistakes.”

That learning process is something director of rugby Baxter has spoken about a lot this season, especially learning from defeats, some of which could easily have been victories in the past.

“The losses to Leicester and to Bristol at the start of the season, they’re probably the ones that hurt the most, just because they were games we should have won,” added Skinner.

“Had we won them, the season looks a lot different. Your position, your mind-set, it’s totally different and it gives you the confidence you need.

“Instead, we’ve lost those games and then the more it goes on, losing almost becomes a bit of a habit. It definitely affects you, as a player and as a group, but I think results like Saracens are a step in the right direction for us.

“I know how hard we’ve been working as a squad. Whether it’s in training, whether it’s in games, you can’t say we’re not giving 100 per cent. What this season has done has made us all sit up a bit, take stock of things and make us more resilient.

“We’re in this Premiership Cup block now where we can build on the Saracens win. We want to be moving forward and this is a golden opportunity for us.”