Exeter boss Rob Baxter says he nonetheless sees Saracens as his facet’s greatest rivals because the Chiefs journey to the StoneX Stadium on Sunday.
Exeter misplaced to the London facet in three Premiership finals between 2016 and 2019 – shortly earlier than Saracens have been discovered to have breached the Premiership’s wage cap guidelines.
Regardless of being relegated for a season for his or her offences and lots of the gamers from each side shifting on, Baxter says the sport (15:00 BST) is an enormous one for his facet.
“For those who’d say ‘is there nonetheless a rivalry?’ I’d say 100% there can be,” Baxter advised BBC Sport.
“For those who requested Saracens ‘would you like to beat Exeter on the weekend?’ I believe the reply would in all probability be ‘properly it isn’t totally different to some other Premiership sport’.
“However the actuality is, it’s. I believe it’s and I believe 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 facet as they lifted titles in 2017 and 2020 with victories over Wasps.
Many query what might need been for the Sandy Park facet had Saracens complied with the wage cap on the time and been unable to compile such a robust facet.
“Is there a crew that we would favor to beat than Saracens? In all probability not,” added Baxter
“Saracens might not really feel like that, that is solely as much as them. For us it could be a improbable 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.”
