EXETER booked their sixth Premiership home play-off on the trot but the reigning champions had to dig deep against a Sale side who threw down the gauntlet early on and were nearly rewarded for their audacity.
Alex Sanderson’s team will return to Sandy Park on Saturday for what should be a thunderous semi-final but both sides will be counting the cost of this spicey hors d’ouvre.
Chiefs lock Sam Skinner will definitely be missing after a second-half red card, and Dave Ewers might yet be held to account for a similar shoulder to the head in the first half when he escaped with a yellow.
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