'As of now, quarter to 10, I haven't had any information'

Rob Baxter has explained that Exeter are very much in the dark as to the status of this Sunday’s scheduled away Gallagher Premiership game at Worcester. The Warriors need their takeover to go through if the match is to happen as the new investors have vouched to cover all the expenses involved in staging the fixture that is due to be shown live on BT Sport.

However, a Wednesday evening deadline on getting the takeover deal complete came and went, leaving Worcester still unsold and Exeter unclear if they have a round two trip to make this weekend.

“As of now, quarter to 10, I haven’t had any information whether the game is on, off, what the timescales would be,” explained Exeter director of rugby Baxter at his Thursday morning media briefing in advance of the match at Worcester.

“That is why as far I am concerned we are just getting on with it. You can’t get too concerned with it. I was told a couple of weeks ago there was a deadline of a certain time for Worcester to be in the Premiership and that came ad passed and another one started.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I literally think it will be until Worcester turn around and go we are not in a position to stage the game safely. Until that happens, I actually don’t think we will hear too much.

“There is a fair bit going around press-wise, various websites and bits and pieces that the game is in doubt. There doesn’t seem to have been a concrete agreement as yet on people getting paid who are going to be required to get the game on. That said, that is out of our hands and we have got to get on with things.

“Let’s not forget, a week ago most people were saying Worcester weren’t going to be able to play their first game (at London Irish) and they did so all we can do is just prepare as best we can. Today [Thursday] is our last major training day. We team run and travel on Saturday but we can only prepare what we can prepare.

“We actually wouldn’t change our training week whatever happens and what we will do is we will just keep the lads in for a bit longer on Saturday and train a bit harder (if the game is off). Here right now we are preparing that the game is on.

“We look very well focused do what we need to do. We look energetic, we didn’t pick up any fresh injuries from the weekend, we look sharp, we look strong, we look ready to go and I hope the game is on and we can get on with the season.”