Rob Baxter believes Exeter Chiefs must play their way out of trouble this season as the Devon club turn their attention back to the Gallagher Premiership this weekend with a daunting trip to Sale Sharks.

Exeter ’s season is in tatters so far, sitting bottom of the Premiership without a win after seven rounds and coming into Saturday’s game at the Salford Community Stadium having been on the end of a 64-21 battering from Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup on Sunday where Chiefs are also winless after two pool stage games.

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Barring three wins in the Premiership Rugby Cup during the Autumn internationals with a full strength Chiefs side put out against Championship sides, it has been a bleak and largely joyless season for Baxter and his troops who are now struggling with the burden of the weight of their unwanted record.

Baxter said: “The pressure of results is keeping the lads a little bit inhibited. They're worried about the results. They want to do really, really well and that's not really letting us play to our best. What we've got to do is we've just got to keep doing the things in training, giving them lots of opportunities to play and get the ball moving and get the point of contact moving because that's clearly when you can create the most damage. We've got to work very hard to make that happen and we've got to give them some confidence.

“We've got to keep some faith for a few weeks and there's going to be some tough results; there's going to be some things that will go against us, but ultimately I'm pretty certain we'll come through very strongly.”

With key players like captain Dafydd Jenkins returning from injury, Baxter is hopeful his side can turn that corner over the festive period when they play Sale away, Gloucester at home and Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.

Baxter said: “For us, we need to play games of rugby. We don’t need to run away from games of rugby, we need to embrace them and get on and play them. That is how we are going to improve. We are training well and you can see from the lads that they are not lacking in fighting spirit.”

Reflecting on the big defeat to reigning European champions Toulouse, who are widely regarded to be the best club side in the world right now, Baxter said: “We have learned some lessons today, but I don’t mind us playing these games.

“Playing against good teams should make you better and the important thing is that we do get better from today and we don’t go into our shells.

“When you are a team that is building itself back to where you want to be, you have to take your licks, but it is the experience you gain from doing it that prepares you for the next time. That’s where we are at the moment.”

In contrast, Sale come into the game off the back of a standout 29-7 win over Racing 92 in the Champions Cup on Friday night, meaning they come into this weekend’s match with an additional two days of recovery time and on a high. Sharks sit sixth in the Premiership table, five points off the play-offs.