Exeter lock Will Witty is "reaping the rewards" for his dedication with his extended run in the team, according to Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter.

Witty, 26, has had his best run in the side since joining in 2019 after injury to Jonny Gray and Jonny Hill's rest after the British & Irish Lions tour.

He scored a try at Sale as Exeter won for the first time this season.

"What you're seeing is a guy who's prepared to work very hard at his game," Baxter told BBC Sport.

"He's prepared to take on a lot of the comments that he gets on what he needs to work on and he's worked extremely hard at those things and he's reaping the rewards."

Witty's try, which saw him twice kick the ball down field like a footballer before diving over the line, capped a man-of-the-match performance for a player who has found it hard to break into Exeter's matchday squad.

"If anything the try, we can sit there and smile about it, and it was great, but Will's game wasn't about the try," Baxter added.

"His game was about good set piece, very solid defence, some other good carries when the game was tight and the game was tough, getting up and working very hard.

"Those are the things that made his game good. If the only thing he'd done was score the try he probably wouldn't be playing this week. It wasn't about that - that was the icing on the cake for him on top of a very good all-round performance."

Witty's chances have been hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic which saw leagues below the Premiership curtailed, ruling out the chance of a loan move.

Meanwhile, this season's Premiership Rugby Cup - a competition in which clubs often give squad players game time - only begins next month and the reserve A League is yet to restart after the global health crisis.

"What you're seeing is that improvement you get with regular game time, and it's been the hardest thing to do over the last 18 months," added Baxter.

"The A League has gone now pretty much because of what happened with Covid and clubs don't seem to be enthusiastic about getting it back.

"All last season there was no opportunity for anyone to go out on loan - he wasn't playing.

"So guys who were in and out of the team are probably the guys who suffered the most with that scenario of that lack of game time to allow you to have work-ons and work on things, and build that match awareness and match fitness."