Chiefs side to face Sale Sharks

Rob Baxter is never one to get carried away with victories, nor does he tend to go into his shell following any kind of setback.

Instead, the Exeter Chiefs head coach is happy for him and his team to 'carry on regardless' and right now that means 'more of the same' from the Devon club as they look to preserve their spot in the top four of the Aviva Premiership.

Four wins in six starts this term have put the Chiefs in a healthy position in English rugby's top flight and tomorrow night they will be looking to add the name of Sale Sharks to their list of seasonal scalps claimed.

The Sharks, however, are a different proposition to that of 12 months ago and although they claimed a first-ever top flight win over the Chiefs in the corresponding fixture last season, Baxter is aware his side's latest trip to Manchester will be a formidable challenge.

"We are aware it is a very tough fixture for us, Sale are a very different animal this year," warned Baxter. "They look a lot more solid and I say that as a great compliment. People talk about us being a solid side and I take it as a compliment, but they look happy and confident with what they are doing and we are expecting a very competitive game.

“I think whenever you go away to Sale on a Friday night you know you have to show up and put in a good performance and that is what we have to aim to do."

Having trounced the Sharks in the opening game of last season's Premiership season, the Northerners gained their revenge in the return leg in February when they overturned a 13-5 half-time deficit to win 21-16.

It was a result that even now - several months down the line - that does not sit too well with Baxter or his squad.

“It is on our minds a little bit because there are a lot of things that we got wrong up there,” said Baxter. "In the first half against them last year, we came out of the blocks really well and probably should have put the game put to bed by half time. That said, fair play to Sale, they stayed in there and kept fighting and turned the momentum in the second half.

"Looking back we learned a lot from that fixture because we moved forward and then went on a really good run of fixtures at the end because I think we felt a little bit disappointed by the result. However, at the end of the game, I had no complaints about the result. We got what we deserved that night."

And whilst Baxter believes the Sharks are a different proposition to last term, so too the Sharks must be thinking the same about the Chiefs, who will arrive in the North West buoyed by their first bonus point league win of the season against Worcester Warriors.

The Chiefs were again in outstanding form last weekend as they brushed aside the division's basement club with a six-try blast in their 40-6 win at Sandy Park.

"We're in a good place right now, but we have to keep pushing forward," added Baxter. I think what we do here very well is not get carried away with things going well or not so well. We understand what we are and where we want to go and we don’t rest on our laurels.

"People talk about cultures and work ethics, but the first thing that goes when you relax is your work ethic. I think the key for us is to never take anything for granted and that’s what we do. On a week-by-week basis, we don’t take things for granted and talk about the graft needed in training and in a game. As long as that’s there, we will be very competitive.

"I think what we’re starting to add now is a bit of precision and accuracy to what we do on more regular basis."

With Tongan winger Fetu'u Vainikolo away on international duty, Baxter is forced to make one change to his winning formula. He welcomes Welshman Tom James back into the starting XV with Luke Arscott coming onto the bench for his first involvement with the Chiefs this season.

The talented back has been sidelined since pre-season after sustaining a nasty finger injury in the friendly with Glasgow Warriors. Otherwise, the Chiefs stick with the same personnel that dismantled the Warriors so well.

15 Phil Dollman
14 Matt Jess
13 Jason Shoemark
12 Sam Hill
11 Tom James
10 Gareth Steenson
9 Dave Lewis
1 Brett Sturgess
2 Jack Yeandle
3 Hoani Tui
4 Dean Mumm (capt)
5 Damian Welch
6 Tom Johnson
7 Ben White
8 Dave Ewers

16 Chris Whitehead
17 Ben Moon
18 Alex Brown
19 Don Armand
20 Kai Horstmann
21 Haydn Thomas
22 Henry Slade
23 Luke Arscott

Picture: Exeter Rugby Club/Pinnacle Photo Agency