Champions Cup: Exeter seek home quarter-final draw after fourth win

Exeter ran in five tries to beat Sale and secure a third bonus-point win in four Champions Cup games this season

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter says his team are focusing on securing a home quarter-final in the Heineken Champions Cup after beating Sale.

The 35-10 win means the Chiefs need one more point to top their pool, having won all four of the games in the competition so far.

"It now looks as though we're there or thereabouts about going through," Baxter told BBC Radio Devon.

"But now we've got to fight for that home quarter-final."

Exeter have never won four pool games in a top-tier European campaign before.

They have only made it out of the group stages at Champions Cup level once before, in 2016, when a freak set of final-day results saw them top their pool with three wins.

Their next game is away to Glasgow Warriors, who have won two and lost two, on 11 January (kick-off 15:15).

"What I'd love to see us do is really lock ourselves down and go in fighting up at Glasgow and aiming to come away with a win up there," said Baxter.

"That really would put us in the driving seat with a home game left to really see if we can drive in that home quarter-final."

But Exeter are not guaranteed to be one of the best four pool winners - Leinster, Ulster and Toulouse have also won their opening four pool games, while Racing 92 top Pool Four and are just two points worse off than the Chiefs.

"That's what's making it so tough, we've gone unbeaten and think we should be in control, but you look around and go 'we're not are we' because other teams are doing it," Baxter added.

"But again, that will keep us motivated and keep us focused.

"With our team, the way we are, our away record is very good, I could see these guys, when they get it right, we can go anywhere in Europe and win, I know we can.

"But I'm almost keener for it to be at home as I want it to be in front of these people, I want these people, who maybe have been in the past a little bit let down by some of the things that have happened in Europe, I'd love to see 10,000 Exeter supporters be able to be there and witness it and celebrate with the players."