Wednesday 6 April 2016 17:31, UK
Rob Baxter admits Exeter will have to nullify a Wasps attacking game which he described as 'mesmerising' in Saturday's European Champions Cup quarter-final.
Only current Premiership leaders Saracens have scored more points than Wasps in the tournament's pool stage this season, with Wasps racking up big victories over Leinster (51-10 and 33-6), reigning European champions Toulon (32-6) and Bath (36-10).
But Baxter wants the Chiefs to meet that challenge head-on and not retreat when they make their Champions Cup last-eight debut.
"It's a bit like when you try and look at a magician too much - you actually get mesmerised in seeing all the threats that are there, and you end up defending none of them and you end up not focusing on what you need to do yourselves as a team," head coach Baxter said.
It's a bit like when you try and look at a magician too much - you actually get mesmerised in seeing all the threats that are there.
"The best way to nullify Wasps' attack isn't to defend it. The best way is to attack it yourself, to have the ball.
"I think we have got to make sure we remember that. If we are attacking, they haven't got the ball, and that is a pretty good form of defence.
"That's the approach I want us to have. I don't want us to have an approach where we are scared of them, so all we are going to do is lump the ball back down to them and see if we can defend them from their half of the pitch, because that plays into their hands.
"We are going to have to be prepared to be a bit brave, and make sure we play. We've got dangerous players as well - you get the ball into Henry Slade's hands and Jack Nowell's hands - we've got boys who can be very dangerous."
Exeter have already won at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry - the venue for Saturday's encounter - this season, claiming a 41-27 victory last December when they outscored Wasps 6-3 on tries, including a hat-trick by number eight Thomas Waldrom as the Chiefs' forwards dominated.
Baxter added: "I think we found a little bit of a chink in their armour that day with our driving game, but at the same time, people will look at the score now and it looks like a comfortable victory, but in the second-half the scores were tied up and we had to pull away again.
"We are expecting it to be a tough game."
