Henry Slade admits the return to fitness and form of England midfield rival Manu Tuilagi has sharpened his own game.
The Exeter ace started all three Tests for England in South Africa and is part of a Chiefs side tipped by Brian O’Driscoll as potential Champions Cup winners.
That campaign starts at Sandy Park today against the might of Munster and Slade says that within the Exeter squad this season expectation has replaced hope.
“We’ve said as a group it’s not enough to hope to do well, we expect it of ourselves,” he said. “A measure of how far we’ve come is we’re disappointed if we come away from a game without winning it with a bonus point.”
Chiefs top the Premiership with 29 points from a maximum 30 and Slade’s imperious form is one of the main reasons.
He said: “Manu and I are very different players but seeing him back and firing for Leicester has definitely spurred me on.
“I want to keep my England place this autumn and then play a full Six Nations, which I’ve never done.
“But all I can control is how well I play for Exeter – and we feel we have a squad capable of doing really good things in this tournament.”
Chiefs were last night given a clear indication of what heights they must reach if they are to become champions when holders Leinster thrashed Wasps 52-3.
The Dublin outfit, beginning their quest for what would be a record fifth title, demolished the two-time former champions by eight tries to nil at the RDS.
Exeter: Dollman; Nowell, Slade, Whitten, Cordero; Steenson (capt), Townsend; Moon, Cowan-Dickie, Williams; Dennis, Skinner; Ewers, Armand, Kvesic.
Munster: Haley; Conway, Goggin, R Scannell, Earls; Carbery, Williams; Kilcoyne, N Scannell, Archer; Kleyn, Beirne; O’Mahony (capt), Cloete, Stander.
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