Exeter Chiefs wing Matt Jess has called on his team-mates to “be smart” ahead of tomorrow’s mouth-watering Aviva Premiership clash with Leicester Tigers.

The Chiefs pulled off a stunning 30-28 win at Welford Road on the opening day of the season but, after licking their wounds following that surprise defeat, Richard Cockerill’s side have moved ominously up to fourth place in the Premiership table.

A bonus-point win for the Chiefs this weekend could haul them level on points with the Tigers, but Jess knows that mistakes will have to be at a premium and the Devonians will have to be at their best to secure a league double against the nine-times Premiership champions.

“It’s a massive game and we are looking to get a win over them,” Jess said. “We did it in the first game of the season up there and I think it’s only fair that we look to attack this game as a whole and make sure we try and come away with four or five points.

“I think they will be looking for revenge, which is only fair, so we will have to make sure we are smart in our areas, smart in defence, smart in attack and look at putting our emphasis on the game and try and negate them as much as possible.”

The win at Welford Road, coupled with two close battles against Leicester last season, has certainly given the Chiefs players the belief that they can compete – and even beat – the very best in English rugby. However, they will face a much tougher Leicester side this weekend as the Tigers were blighted by players being at the World Cup back in August when the two sides last met.

“The win up there gives us massive confidence, but they have some key players coming back for them,” Jess added. “Toby Flood is meant to be coming back for them, they have some great players in the back, and they will really try and put their game onto us.

“They are a great side, there is no doubt about it. Everyone talks about Leicester as a club and the great players they have had and the players they have got.

“They have youngsters coming through, they have great quality and I think the best thing about playing them is that you know Leicester are a big team and you want to throw everything including the kitchen sink at them. A lot of the boys are looking forward to pulling on the shirt and going out there and exposing our game on them.”

Jess is expected to return to the Chiefs’ side, having not started since the famous 31-14 win over Perpignan in the Amlin Cup. He was a first half replacement in last week’s LV= Cup defeat at home to Bath, but he knows that, to beat the Tigers, the Chiefs will need to be at their best – as they were against Perpignan.

“We were 14-0 down in that game after the first ten minutes and it took a lot of character from ourselves and the coaching team to get out of that and we did, and I think that puts us in a really good position,” Jess said.

“I think we have taken some massive lessons from that and, come 6pm on Saturday against the Tigers, we will be ready and firing.

“I think a lot of boys are chasing the shirts. It keeps you on your toes and there have been some good performances and, even though we lost against Bath, there were certain things that were positive individually and as a whole.

“We have four Premiership games and everyone is thinking about them and everyone is excited. The crowd are excited that first up are Leicester Tigers, and we will look at the other games after that.”