Exeter Chiefs head coach Susie Appleby says she was frustrated by the club’s defeat to Loughborough Lightning at the weekend.

Chiefs lost 14-7 and Appleby has said they shouldn’t just be going ‘toe-to-toe’ with top teams, they should be beating them.

She said: “We had opportunities again. It’s the same old story every week, we’re creating opportunities but not quite there quick enough in support and then not quite patient enough to put the phases together.

“We don’t want to go toe-to-toe, we want to be beating top teams. We’re not accepting just getting close and going ‘nearly’.

"It’s going to take little things to make the difference and take us to the next level but, as a squad, we can take those steps.”

Chiefs have won two games, against Worcester Warriors and DMP Durham Sharks, and sit in sixth in their first ever Premier 15s season.

Before the season began, Appleby told NewsChain she was targeting a top half of the table spot and her club are in touching distance of fulfilling her wishes.

She said at the time: "The club is going to invest and expect results. We are looking for overseas players but also looking to grow our own local talent for younger players so it’s going to be a mix. 

“It’s an incredibly competitive league, but all that said I'm confident we can hit the top half of the league in the first season.”

Appleby’s club will be looking to improve on their table position in their match against Sale Sharks this weekend.

Not only will the match be the first time the two newcomers have faced each other in the league, but it will be the first time ever Chiefs have had fans at Sandy Park for a Premier 15s match.