Exeter Chiefs enter a block of four fixtures which could make or break their Aviva Premiership season, according to head coach Rob Baxter.

The Devon side welcome Leicester Tigers to Sandy Park tomorrow Saturday knowing that a victory would complete a remarkable double against the nine-times champions.

Tomorrow’s game is followed by a trip to Wasps and then back-to-back home games with Bath and Sale Sharks and Baxter knows that, if the Chiefs fare well, then they will be well on course to hit their goal of bettering their achievements of last year.

“For a while now, we have looked at this block of games as a block of games that could be pivotal to our season,” Baxter said. “Three out of four are at home and, if we perform well, we can drive ourselves up the table.

“If we don’t perform well, we can sort of settle into that mid-table to bottom group.

“We have to finish above eighth if we want to better what we achieved last year and we have to get some better results than we got last year. We got a losing bonus point against Leicester last year, so that has to be the bare minimum that we aim for if we stick to what we talk about. And that is a challenge for us, and one we are looking forward to.

“If you can take points in your home games, then everything becomes easier for you. We have three out of four at home now and, if we are not targeting them, then there is something wrong with our ambitions.

“We are ambitious, we have targeted these games, but the truth is, when we play well, we will take what comes. If that’s a win, then fantastic. If it’s not, then we take it on the chin and move on, it’s not the end of the world. The key thing for us is to hit the pitch in the right frame of mind and play well.”

The Chiefs won 30-28 at Welford Road on the opening day, but the Tigers prevailed in two thrilling battles last season. The first saw the Tigers win 37-27, when the Chiefs put in a performance of epic proportions that led to the Welford Road faithful giving them a standing ovation when they left the field.

Exeter did not even pick up a losing bonus point for all their efforts, but, in the return at Sandy Park, they did so after going down to a narrow 22-15 defeat. It seems that playing Leicester seems to bring the best out in the Chiefs.

“I think what gives them confidence against Leicester is that we enjoy playing against them more than anything else,” Baxter said. “We, more than anybody, appreciate how important it is to be in the Premiership and how hard we have worked to be here.

“Leicester are the best known Premiership side and this is what it is all about, playing in games like this. It doesn’t matter whether we have gone to Welford Road or played here, we have always attacked games and, from our perspective, they have always been very good games of rugby, although Richard Cockerill may disagree.

“Leicester have come out on top in two and we have won one. I’d love to level the score, but the reality is it is not about that – it is about going out and performing well and attacking the game, and then you take whatever happens on the chin and you can’t be too unhappy.

“I will only be happy if we go out and played well and had a real go at it because, when we do that, we are a good side and we give ourselves every chance of taking points.”