Premiership basement battle set to be 'humdinger'

"For me, it's going to be a humdinger of a game, without doubt," says Rob Baxter when asked about his side's trip to Newcastle on Friday night.

His Exeter Chiefs are in a position they have not been in for most, if not all, of their time in the top flight - facing a clash to see who ends up bottom of the Premiership.

But after a club-record worst start to the season, Exeter travel to the Falcons at Kingston Park on Friday evening (19:45 BST) in a battle of the winless at the wrong end of the table.

For Newcastle it is more of the same - they have not won a game since a 17-12 victory over Gloucester on 23 March 2023, a run of 25 straight league losses.

Were it not for the past two winners of the Championship - Jersey Reds and Ealing Trailfinders - not having suitable home grounds, Newcastle would not be in this position and already be down a tier.

"The media have asked what is the point in us being in the league," Falcons director of rugby Steve Diamond tells BBC Sport.

"Well, we've been a Premiership team for 30-odd years. When we have dropped into the Championship on a couple of occasions, we have bounced straight back. We've won the competition and the cup competition, so there is a point to us being in the league.

"We're all aware there is a promotion and relegation situation and if we're in that, we'll go through that with as much gusto as we've got."

But while the lower reaches of the Premiership may be familiar ground to Newcastle, it is very much uncharted territory for Exeter.

Rob Baxter's side made six successive Premiership finals from 2016 to 2021, winning two and also becoming European champions in 2020.

But the dismantling of that side has seen them finish seventh for the past three seasons - although they could have made the top four had results gone their way on the final day of the last campaign.

"They're going to be hunting for their first win - I can't believe they don't look at the table and go 'this is our best opportunity'," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter tells BBC Sport.

"That creates a little bit of pressure on them as well, and we're in exactly the same boat.

"We haven't been in this position before, we're needing to win a game of rugby, we don't want to be sat at the bottom of the table after the weekend.

"It's going to be who deals with those situations the best - that's going to be the most important part."

Newcastle have not been helped by injuries and bad luck.

They could again go into the game without a recognised fly-half with Brett Connon and Kieran Wilkinson both out.

It means centre Ethan Grayson will deputise - as he has all season - at 10.

"That is a drama not having a 10," admits Diamond. "Do we want to be a kick, run, pass team? Do we want to be a pass, kick, run team?

"You need your nine and 10 to put you round the field and that's what we've not got.

"That is where the frustration comes from within the team, we can't get ourselves out of the middle third of the field by any penetration.

"We're not clinical enough and we're not ruthless enough at not knocking people about."

While Newcastle may not be ruthless, Exeter are likewise nursing the effects of not killing games off.

Had they not given away a try in the final seconds of their season-opener to Leicester or thrown away a 20-point lead with 15 minutes to go against Bristol Bears last week they would not be in this position.

But Baxter says Newcastle's injury woes will not be his big focus.

"Talking about a team's threats and a team's dangers and strengths and weaknesses for this game, I'm not going to say it's irrelevant," he said.

"But the most relevant thing - and Steve Diamond will be very aware of this as well - is it's going to be the team who get out the blocks and create an intensity in the game, but then who just stick at it the longest and hold a level of composure when it's tight and when there's pressure in the game.

"That's the reality because we're both going to be feeling it."