Exeter Chiefs recall four internationals for trip to Bath
Exeter Chiefs have recalled four internationals to Gallagher Premiership duty as they bid to heap more misery on Bath this weekend.
Stuart Hogg, Henry Slade, Sam Simmonds and Sam Skinner all return to the starting XV for the trip up the M5.
The club say that they are “acutely aware that although they are positioned fourth in the standings, a failure to make the most of these upcoming weeks could well have an impact on their seasonal aspirations.”
“The boys are aware, they’re not daft, they know we’re kind of clinging onto fourth spot at the moment,” Director of Rugby Rob Baxter said. “We’re desperate to keep accruing those Premiership points that will keep us on track.
“For us, this is a really important time of the year and it feels like we now have to put our foot down if we want to be involved in those big games at the end of the season. We’re okay where we are, but equally we know we need to push on. We’ve had some frustratingly tight losses, plus a poor loss against London Irish.
“Equally, we’ve had some good away wins at places like Sale, Wasps and Gloucester, but it’s finding that consistency. Looking to Friday, this is probably the last fixture I would have liked to have. With Bath not having won a game, they can throw everything at us. By that I mean, it’s not a free hit – because Premiership games aren’t like that – but they are a team who have had a couple of weeks off and now they can come into this game knowing they are 80 minutes away from achieving their biggest celebration of the season.
“What we have to do as a club is not only match that fight, but put our own mark on the game and really looking to impose ourselves on Bath.”
“If people remember, Bath were the last team in the Premiership for us to beat,” said Baxter. “Since then, we’ve gone pretty well against them. That said, if you saw their last performance against Leicester, they will have been disappointed not to have got more from that game.
“Like with any Premiership game, we know it we don’t turn up on Friday night then we’re going to have issues and that’s the message I’ve been telling the guys all this week. We’ve got to be willing to fight for anything and everything throughout.
“As I said, this is a nice challenge for us because if you want big seasons and you want to win things, you should be wanting to knock challenges like this over. The bigger and better those challenges are, the bigger and better team you will be.”
The return of Tom O’Flaherty, Slade, and Hogg, the latter of whom became Scotland’s all-time leading try-scorer in their triumph over Japan at Murrayfield, have boosted the back division.
"On the field, we have been clear that our set-piece, discipline and defence has not been good enough."#GallagherPremhttps://t.co/fiTyGMmP7s
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 25, 2021
Irishman Ian Whitten, who has been rewarded by Baxter for two outstanding performances in recent Premiership Rugby Cup games against Bristol Bears and Gloucester, will also start tomorrow.
“I thought Whitts really stood out this past two weeks,” said Baxter. “He’s a guy who has been out of the first team, but he went out in those games and wanted to fight and challenge for everything that was going on. As a coach, I like that, and it’s those characteristics that you build a side and a club around. As a senior guy, he showed all those youngsters exactly what we expect from an Exeter Chiefs player.”
EXETER CHIEFS:
15 Stuart Hogg
14 Jack Nowell
13 Henry Slade
12 Ian Whitten
11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Harvey Skinner
9 Jack Maunder
1 Alec Hepburn
2 Jack Yeandle (capt)
3 Josh Iosefa-Scott
4 Sam Skinner
5 Sean Lonsdale
6 Dave Ewers
7 Jannes Kirsten
8 Sam Simmonds
REPLACEMENTS:
16 Jack Innard
17 Ben Moon
18 Harry Williams
19 Don Armand
20 Richard Capstick
21 Sam Maunder
22 Joe Simmonds
23 Tom Hendrickson
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments