With the exception of Leicester Tigers, who edged a narrow encounter in Devon back in September, the Chiefs have seen off all before them on home soil, including the likes of Harlequins, London Irish, Connacht and, more recently, Gloucester in the LV= Cup.
Aussie forward White recognises having a solid home base will be a key feature for the Chiefs this season and says another victory this Saturday will help put Rob Baxter’s side in a prime position for the defence of their LV= Cup crown.
“If we’re honest, last year wasn’t that bad at home - it just felt worse because there were so many close games - and that was disappointing. This year, we’ve had some really good wins at home and obviously the aim is keep it going.
“We’ve also had some big crowds for the games, so it will good for them to get behind us again this week and hopefully we can put in a big performance and a win for them.”
A key figure in last season’s LV= Cup triumph, White - like many of his team-mates - says he is desperate to experience more success with the Chiefs and believes the Anglo-Welsh competition offers a great chance for further reward.
“Winning the LV last year was a great feeling for all of us, but it would be good to do it again this season,” said White. “We had two tough games with Bath last season in the competition, especially the semi-final, but there were a couple of great individual performances that got us the win.”
That last four victory ended a 12-game wait for the Chiefs to overcome Bath since their promotion into the top flight back in 2010 - and White says having broke their duck they will be looking to repeat the feat on Saturday at a packed Sandy Park.
“That result shows that we can beat them,” added White. “So now we want to crack into them again this weekend. Last week’s win [against Gloucester] has given us a good start in the competition, but we know this weekend will be a lot tougher.
“Our second half performance last week was very good and if we can carry on that form again this week, it will give us the perfect build-up the next round of Premiership games.”
With Exeter’s back-row offering a wealth of riches, White knows that it’s imperative that if you are given your chance to shine on the big stage, that you ultimately take it with a big performance.
“The two Sam’s [Skinner and Simmonds] played very well last week and Scays was incredible if you look at his stats,” he continued. “Our back-row is very hard to get into, but we’ve got some great combinations to choose from and everyone is pushing hard and bringing the best out of one another.”
Tickets for Saturday’s game are selling fast and supporters who have yet to take up their place are advised to do so as soon as possible by either visiting the Trading Post, which is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm or by booking online via the official Exeter Chiefs website.
