Rob Baxter: Exeter boss ready for critical moment in play-off push

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter says his side’s trip to Leicester is vital for their hopes of making the Prem play-offs.

Fourth-placed Chiefs are seven points behind third-placed Leicester and three ahead of Saracens in fifth – who Exeter host in their final league game next weekend.

The clash at Leicester is the final Prem game of the weekend, meaning Exeter will know where Saracens – and sixth-placed Bristol, who are two points further back – are in the table before kick-off.

“I’m trying not to get too caught up in all the permutations that can happen by the time we even play on Sunday, because loads of things can happen,” Baxter told BBC Sport.

“Whatever way things go, the Leicester game is going to be important, the Saracens’ game is going to be even more important isn’t it, just because of how the permutations of where Saracens are and where everyone is.

“So there’s no way of saying they’re not big games because you can’t see any way out of it other than we’ve got to win at least one of them and collect points in the other to even give ourselves a chance really of being in the top four.

“So whichever way we have to do it, we’re going to have to do it one way or the other which is collect a number of points over two games.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a scenario where we can wait until the last game of the season and hope that it’s a one-off game, I just can’t see the permutations working quite like that.”