Chiefs can humble the best - Thomas

Exeter Chiefs' rapid rise up the Aviva Premiership hierarchy appears to have stalled when it comes to facing the big guns - but scrum-half Haydn Thomas believes they are not far off.

Chiefs began this season in the same way they approached much of the last, leaving reputations in the dressing room and pulling off big scalps on the pitch.

However, they slipped out of the Aviva Premiership's top four last weekend with a 19-6 defeat at home to league leaders Saracens.

Their only previous losses had come at the hands of last year's Aviva Premiership finalists, Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints.

However, Thomas is under no illusions that the Chiefs can trade blows with this year's title favourites after recalling the manner of last weekend's defeat.

And while the result was not in their favour, a losing bonus point and two golden opportunities to complete an upset are ample consolation for Exeter.

"Wins are important but more than anything performances are better," he said. "If you put in good performances, the wins will follow.

"If you get your performance right and you don't win, there is not a huge amount you can do about it. It was a hard fought match. Saracens are a quality team and they are top of the table for a reason but we feel we could have won it."

The Chiefs had their chances to win at Sandy Park on Saturday, none more so than when Tom Johnson's late try was ruled out by the Television Match Official.

They visit The Rec this weekend, facing a Bath Rugby team on a seven-match winning streak in all competitions. But Thomas and his teammates have been buoyed by the Saracens defeat, invigorated by the knowledge they are not far from cracking the title chasers.

"You look at the game and there were two opportunities where we came up a little bit short, then they had a chance to win the game and they took it," he added. "I think we have just got to be more clinical against the big teams.

"We were probably about two inches off winning. We got 95 per cent of that game right but we couldn't finish it off. Generally we played well and we were in the running - we might play them another time and win."