NOTTINGHAM captain Craig  Hammond believes his side can  spring a surprise against Exeter Chiefs and make a flying  start to the Championship  play-offs.

Rob Baxter’s men travel to  Meadow Lane on Sunday for  their opening Pool B game as  many people’s favourites to  reach the promotion play-off final.

Exeter have already put Nottingham to the sword twice this  season in the league and have  only lost to the Green and  Whites twice since 2004.

But Hammond, who had a brief loan period with Premiership club Leicester Tigers, believes his side have the ability to  upset the form book and thinks  having home advantage for the  opening pool game could prove  to be a decisive factor.

The New Zealander said: “We  took a 42-11 drubbing at home to  Exeter in the league (in November) but we had to play that  game at Welford Road because  Meadow Lane was not available.

“I didn’t play that day because  I’d turned out for Leicester Tigers the previous evening  against South Africa.  And, believe me, it was really difficult  to sit in the stands and see us  taken apart.

“But I’m sure it will be very  different on Sunday when we  genuinely have home advantage. Hopefully we will have a  big crowd urging us on and that  will make a massive difference.

“Although we haven’t managed  to beat Exeter for two years, I  honestly think we can cause an  upset on Sunday. It’s our  turn.”

After putting 42 points on Nottingham in Leicester, Chiefs repeated that feat in the home  game when they won 42-12 at  Sandy Park. However on both  occasions Green and Whites  coach Glenn Delaney was forced  to field a weakened side.

This time Delaney looks set to  field a full-strength side and  Hammond has promised he and  his teammates will be doing all  they can to show Exe the real  Nottingham.

He said: “We were in the  middle of a very busy schedule  at the time (when they played  Exeter at Sandy Park) and had  to ask a number of our younger  guys to step up for that game.

“Exeter haven’t really seen  what we’ve got as yet, and if  everything goes to plan we will  have a few surprises for them.

“They’re obviously a strong  side so it would be the perfect  start to our campaign to take  one from Exeter. It would really  set us up for the remaining  games.”