Exeter boss Rob Baxter says he nonetheless sees Saracens as his aspect’s greatest rivals because the Chiefs journey to the StoneX Stadium on Sunday.
Exeter misplaced to the London aspect in three Premiership finals between 2016 and 2019 – shortly earlier than Saracens had been discovered to have breached the Premiership’s salary cap rules.
Regardless of being relegated for a season for his or her offences and lots of the gamers from either side shifting on, Baxter says the sport (15:00 BST) is an enormous one for his aspect.
“Should you’d say ‘is there nonetheless a rivalry?’ I’d say 100% there can be,” Baxter advised BBC Sport.
“Should you requested Saracens ‘would you like to beat Exeter on the weekend?’ I feel the reply would in all probability be ‘properly it isn’t totally different to some other Premiership recreation’.
“However the actuality is, it’s. I feel it’s and I feel our gamers suppose it’s.”
Exeter made six successive Premiership finals between 2016 and 2021 however by no means obtained the higher of Mark McCall’s aspect as they lifted titles in 2017 and 2020 with victories over Wasps.
Many query what may need been for the Sandy Park aspect had Saracens complied with the wage cap on the time and been unable to compile such a powerful aspect.
“Is there a group that we would favor to beat than Saracens? In all probability not,” added Baxter
“Saracens could not really feel like that, that is solely as much as them. For us it could be a implausible consequence to go to Saracens and win, and never simply due to issues like previous historical past, however as a result of they’re prime of the Premiership, they’re clearly taking part in very properly.”
