Exeter capable of making final - Moloney-MacDonald

Exeter's England winger Claudia Moloney-MacDonald says she is confident they can reach the final of Premiership Women's Rugby.

The Chiefs, who finished third in the table, travel to second-placed Saracens on Sunday, who ended the season 15 points ahead of them.

Exeter were humbled 39-5 when they last travelled to Sarries in October before a 24-14 loss at home to them in December.

But the Chiefs go into the game off the back of four consecutive wins that have seen them score 197 points in the process.

"We know we're capable of doing it, we have to have that confidence, we talk about having three weeks left in the season," she told BBC Radio Devon.

"I think it's about voicing what you want to happen and not shying away from what you're aiming to achieve, which is we want to go and win the Prem.

"Obviously we've got Saracens first that we have to go and beat, we probably are seen as the underdogs - Sarries sit second in the league and they have had a brilliant season, they've put some absolutely incredible results past people.

"But I think it's about the here and now isn't it? It's about what you can perform on Sunday for 80 minutes so as long as we put our best foot forward then we can go and win it."

Exeter missed out on the play-offs last season - the first time they had not made the top four since their inaugural season in 2020-21.

It led to the departure of long-serving head coach Susie Appleby with assistant Steve Salvin replacing her.

They have returned to the play-offs despite winning fewer games this season - they have won nine, drawn four and lost three times this term compared to 10 wins and six defeats in the previous campaign.

"We were far off our best last season and I think that we're almost the opposite this season," added Moloney-MacDonald, who was part of the England side that won last year's World Cup and retained the Six Nations earlier this year.

"Last season was sort of all over the place, whereas this year we've had a few new faces in, a new coach, new training facilities, but I think things have really worked for us.

"We've had our own battles that we've had to work through during the season, but if anything it's just brought the squad closer together and we're probably as close as we've ever been which is really nice.

"So hopefully we can get a bit of redemption for last year."

And she hopes that she and her team-mates can take inspiration from the men's side, who beat Saracens in their final Prem game of the season to set up a play-off semi-final at Bath a day before the women go to Saracens.

"We are the only Prem team with a team in the men's and the women's semi-finals, and for them to be at the same weekend is pretty surreal.

"There's a real real buzz, a real excitement around the club, so hopefully we'll go and see what we can achieve this weekend."

She added: "I think there is a real connection there - for both teams to be doing really well is really exciting.

"To be watching each other do that at this point in the season is really nice, so for them to have their semi-final on the Saturday, but also for them to have beaten Saracens last weekend, that feels like the club can kind of do it.

"It's nice to feel supported and joint in that motivation of what we're going to go and do."