RICKY Pellow says he expects to see a ‘big response’ from his Exeter Chiefs side in the wake of their 34-3 loss to Sale Sharks in the Premiership Rugby Cup.

On a wet and wild night in Greater Manchester on Friday, Pellow could only watch on as the home side condemned the Chiefs – beaten finalists in last season’s competition – to a second loss in three starts.

It means the Devonians, who sit bottom of Pool A at the halfway stage, will need to win all three of their home games remaining, starting with this Saturday’s visit of Bristol Bears to Sandy Park to stand any hope of advancing into the knockout stages.

With the elements in their favour during the first half, the Chiefs failed to take advantage and trailed at the turn 8-3.

Fly-half Ben Coen claimed Exeter’s only points on the night, whilst the Sharks bagged a try and a penalty through Sam Dugdale and Rob du Preez.

Sadly, the second half was even more of a struggle for the Chiefs, who fell further behind when Dugdale claimed his second, quickly followed by hooker Ethan Caine, who burrowed his way over from close range.

Du Preez converted both scores, before adding the extras to the home side’s bonus point score, which came courtesy of replacement hooker Tadgh McElroy on the hour mark.

It would get no easier for the Chiefs, who despite handing debuts to Louie Guller, Khwezi Mona, Finn Worley-Brady and Ollie Batson in the second hand, leaked a fifth try when former Exeter flyer, Tom O’Flaherty found his way over the whitewash to complete the scoring.

Post-game, a reflective Pellow – who will sign off his own 16-year coaching career with the Chiefs this Saturday – said: “Obviously we’re super disappointed with how the game unfolded and the end scoreline. We just said in the changing rooms – to win games in those types of conditions, your foundations need to be rock solid and sadly ours weren’t tonight.

“We were off on multiple facets of the game and against a good, experienced Sale side like that, they’re always going to punish you.”

Pellow admitted that mistakes of their own making did little to help their cause, particularly when trying to rip the scoreline back off the opposition.

“Look, those young players will take some big learns from tonight,” added the Cornishman. “Sometimes with games like that, you can learn a lot as a young player. It’s not nice for them, especially those who were making their debuts, but we’ll go away, look at what we did, take the learns and then build in what will be a very big game now against Bristol.

“It’s going to be a big week for the club and for us to stand any chance of getting into the knockout stages, we need a big performance on Saturday. There is a group of players in there now who will be hurting and who want to put it right.”

Meanwhile, Exeter Chiefs Women returned to winning ways in the Premiership Women’s Rugby competition with a 26-19 victory over visiting Harlequins Women at Sandy Park on Sunday.

Tries from Alex Tessier, Maisy Allen, Emily Tuttosi and Flo Robinson, three of which were converted by Liv McGoverne, sealed the victory for Steve Salvin’s side.