Exeter boss Rob Baxter says the emergence of Tom Wyatt and Ollie Becconsall over recent weeks shows a rebuild is possible at Sandy Park.

It comes as Exeter see a host of established stars leave this summer.

"If you're looking at the Exeter story it's not really a surprise," he said.

"That's kind of how things have happened in the past and if we're going to be successful it's how things will have to happen in the future."

With the likes of Stuart Hogg, Jack Nowell, Sam Simmonds and Luke Cowan-Dickie among the experienced internationals leaving Sandy Park as the new lower salary cap kicks in, Exeter are relying on a new crop of young players to move the side forward.

Wyatt, 23, has spent much of the season playing on loan at Championship side Cornish Pirates, while 20-year-old Becconsall has been playing for the University of Exeter alongside his Chiefs commitments after recovering from an injury early in the season.

"I'm delighted for them because they've worked hard to get those opportunities, and I'm obviously pleased that some of the stuff that we've started to put in place looks like it's going to bear some fruit," Baxter told BBC Sport.

"It's still going to be a little bit of a journey because at the end of the day it's been a while since we've gone away and won in the Premiership, hasn't it.

"So our next big challenge happens this week and that'll be an interesting challenge for that younger group of guys as well, to go to Welford Road when their crowd are in full cry because they're trying to seal a spot in the top four of the Premiership."

Exeter know that if they are to reach the Premiership play-offs this season they probably have to win all three of their remaining matches.

The Chiefs' league form away from home has been their downfall this season - they have won just twice away all season, at Worcester in September before they were expelled for financial issues and at Bristol in early October.

The nadir of that form came last month when Baxter was highly critical of his side after a 36-19 loss at bottom side Bath - a performance which convinced him to give youth a chance and that has resulted in wins over Montpellier and Stormers in Europe.

"The dynamic of the team needed changing," he said.

"It was just getting a little bit samey samey in my eyes and I think that just needed to be changed a little bit, and there needed to be a bit of a freshness and excitement about the side.

"That's not just come from the young players, that's had to come from the senior players as well, and sometimes that happens just with that challenge of different voices, different challenges on the field.

"But those guys have played exceptionally well, they've brought the vibrancy, energy and fearlessness of youth, and sometimes that's the best qualities you can bring into a team."