Exeter Chiefs will finish 1st in the Aviva Premiership with victory on Saturday

Ali Hepher, Chiefs head coach, believes his Exeter Chiefs side face the ‘perfect test’ when Sale Sharks provide the opposition at a packed-out Sandy Park tomorrow (3pm).

With just two rounds of the scheduled Aviva Premiership season remaining, the defending champions already know they will have home advantage when the play-offs kick into action midway through next month.

Victorious in their last seven games in all competitions, the Chiefs appear to be hitting form at the right time, a point underlined with their 45-5 win at lowly London Irish last time out.

Speaking to the clubs website, Hepher said: “It’s the perfect test for us going into these last few weeks. Sale have been physical, aggressive and abrasive over the last few weeks, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re on the front foot from the outset, play the style of rugby we want to play, and be nice and direct so that we capitalise on any space that we get.”

Keen to get the feel for what will effectively become knock-out rugby come the semi-finals, Hepher says it’s vital the Chiefs get as much preparation and experience of those kinds of situations to help get them ready for the next stages of battle.

“That’s the mentality we have to start playing at,” he added. Obviously, preparation for that semi-final is going to get tight and it’s who pushes through in those tight moments, and it’s important that we are at the mode because Sale are coming here desperate for points and they have everything to fight for.

“It makes it quite simple for ourselves. Although we don’t necessarily need the points on the table, if you look at it like that, the important thing is the guys remain ultra-competitive about keeping the jersey as they go through."

Exeter's full line-up to face Sale on Saturday: 

15 Lachie Turner

14 Jack Nowell

13 Henry Slade

12 Sam Hill

11 Santiago Cordero

10 Joe Simmonds

9 Nic White

1 Alec Hepburn

2 Jack Yeandle (capt)

3 Tomas Francis

4 Mitch Lees

5 Sam Skinner

6 Dave Ewers

7 Don Armand

8 Sam Simmonds

16 Luke Cowan-Dickie

17 Ben Moon

18 Greg Holmes

19 Dave Dennis

20 Thomas Waldrom

21 Stuart Townsend

22 Gareth Steenson

23 Tom O’Flaherty