Devoto: Leinster Defeat Has Made Us Even Hungrier

Ollie Devoto has warned Exeter’s Premiership rivals that the Chiefs are all the more determined to win back-to-back Premiership titles after being knocked out of the Heineken Champions Cup by Leinster last month.

- Paul Rees

Exeter’s director of rugby Rob Baxter last week asked the question whether his players, as they approach the final weeks of the season, are more concerned about losing the Premiership trophy they won last season than winning this year’s tournament.

“We want to lift it again,” said the 27-year-old centre Devoto, who has missed just one of Exeter’s 18 Premiership matches this season. “We were all devastated at the performance against Leinster. We did not give a true account of ourselves and it took a couple of weeks to put it to bed.

“The pressure is off now and we can express ourselves. Europe may have gone, but we want to win the Premiership again and our form since Leinster has been good. This is the time of the season when you want to be hitting your straps and the first task is to secure a place in the play-offs.”