Chiefs' 'challenge' is to make play-off history

Sarah McKenna (right) was one of three Saracens players to score two tries at Sandy Park

Exeter coach Steve Salvin says his side must relish the challenge of trying to become the first team to win a women's top-flight play-off game away from home.

Third-placed Chiefs were thrashed 57-7 by second-placed Saracens at Sandy Park on Sunday, meaning Exeter's hopes of a top-two finish, and a home semi-final, are over.

No away side has ever made the final of what was the Premier 15s and is now Premiership Women's Rugby, since it was started in 2017.

Exeter have finished second in each of the past two seasons and gone on to lose the final on both occasions.

"The challenge for us now is whether we can break that streak of winning an away semi, because ultimately that is what we're going to be faced with," Salvin told BBC Radio Devon after Sunday's loss.

"We've got three weeks before that point, including a game against Leicester, so we've got a significant amount of time to do some really good prep and we've done some good stuff prior to today.

"Today's disappointing, but it doesn't mean that we've become a poor side, we've had a bad day and we'll keep it in context."

Exeter conceded nine tries against Saracens, who won at Sandy Park for the first time and need just two more points from their final two games to guarantee second place.

"We got what we deserved it, there's no point feeling sorry for ourselves," Salvin added.

"We have to take our medicine and we have to dust ourselves down and make sure we put a few things right before the play-offs."