Exeter Chiefs announced their arrival in the big time with a shock win over Gloucester at Sandy Park
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The Guardian's rugby columnist Shaun Edwards has been impressed by the way in which newly-promoted Exeter Chiefs have gone about adapting to life in the top flight.
"Exeter, like Blackpool in football's Premier League, are showing that when you get promoted to the big time you do not need to lavish huge sums of money on players to have a chance of survival.
"I was very impressed with Exeter at Leicester. They not only led for long periods of the game - succumbing in the end to the scrummaging power of the Tigers who have a big advantage in that area with props such as Marcos Ayerza, plus Martin Castrogiovanni on the bench - but showed impressive tactical knowledge.
"What you tend to get from promoted sides in their opening matches in the Premiership is a passion and adrenaline bath, their players flying into everything. That is not the case with Exeter, who showed in their opening victory over Bath that they are a well prepared side who are not fuelled by emotion. They may be largely made up of uncapped players but they are collectively strong."
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