Salvi feels at home with Chiefs

Julian Salvi is now at his third Aviva Premiership Rugby club but admits life at Exeter Chiefs feels a lot more like home.

Salvi first graced Aviva Premiership Rugby in 2009 at Bath Rugby before moving to Leicester Tigers.

The Midlands were to be his home for four years and he made 83 Aviva Premiership Rugby appearances during that time, before moving south to Devon in the summer.

The flanker has made six appearances for the Chiefs in the league this season as his new club lay the early foundations of a title challenge.

And it has also proved to be a successful switch for the 30-year-old away from the rugby field as he and his family have quickly settled into a familiar style of living.

"I absolutely love it at Exeter," Salvi said. "It has been a nice move for my family and I as it is an environment which is a lot more conducive to the Australian way of life - we have the beach down the road and there are cream teas and all the rest of it - so from that point of view we are really enjoying it.

"Having the longer pre-season made it easier for me [to settle in] in some respects because you get to know the whole dynamic of the club and you have a 12 to 16-week block to get to grips with your team-mates and everything else."

Exeter's success this season has been built on the solid foundation of Sandy Park, with the four victories so far this season continuing their unbeaten home record which stretches back more than a year.

The atmosphere at Sandy Park is one of the best in the country and Salvi is enjoying having the vocal fans on his side for a change.

He said: "As a player you rely on the atmosphere and the buzz around the stadium and you get that at Sandy Park before the match and as a player you get enjoyment from it.

"Once the Tomahawk Chop starts to unfold and all the rest happens, then it can be a bit daunting as an away player.

"Now I'm on the right side of that, it is enjoyable and you get that buzz."

The last team to win at Sandy Park was Gloucester Rugby on January 3 2015 and they are the visitors on Saturday, as the Chiefs look to bounce back from the 8-3 loss at Northampton Saints.

Salvi added: "We want to nullify their threat this weekend and want to stamp our own game on the contest and keep scoring tries, like we have for most of this season."