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Stuart Hogg set for Exeter debut and he'll have another British and Irish Lion alongside
Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has had the luxury of being able to call upon two British and Irish Lions for the match against Bath this Friday from the side that beat Harlequins last weekend.
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Stuart Hogg and Alex Cuthbert both come into the back three, as the Scotland fullback is set to make his debut for his new club.
Two weeks after Scotland’s final match of the Rugby World Cup against Japan, the Scot is relishing starting his career with last season’s Gallagher Premiership runners-up, as are the Chiefs fans on social media.
Given that the RWC is still ongoing, and the Chiefs have Jack Nowell and Henry Slade to return to the backline, this is some team that Baxter has at his disposal.
This is what has been said:
https://twitter.com/25hazydayz/status/1187324796427755520?s=20
https://twitter.com/loumc231/status/1187335004180877312?s=20
https://twitter.com/dcm1968/status/1187324223901065216?s=20
https://twitter.com/ColinDSearle/status/1187327173738336257?s=20
https://twitter.com/dcm1968/status/1187323523347431427?s=20
? Number 15 ? @StuartWHOGG_ is in the team!!!!!! Hard luck Barf!!!! @ExeterChiefs #ChiefsFamily https://t.co/IbvPKgbdli
— Minidon's Dad! (@kernowjanner) October 24, 2019
Hogg has big boots to fill at Sandy Park with Santiago Cordero leaving at the end of last season. The Argentinian was one of the Premiership’s most lethal players, but Hogg is of a similar pedigree, if not better, as he has been one of the leading fullbacks in world rugby for years now.
While Exeter made a number of signings over the summer, including Friday’s openside flanker Jacques Vermeulen, Hogg was the marquee signing for the west country outfit, if not for the entire league. A lot will be expected of him to try and improve Exeter’s fortunes, where they have lost to Saracens in the past two finals.
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Exeter boast England internationals Ben Moon, Harry Williams and Sam Simmonds in their starting pack, with Alec Hepburn and Matt Kvesic on the bench, which looks like a very strong team at this stage of the season. Bath by no means have a weak side, with a British and Irish Lion of their own, Jamie Roberts, but Hogg looks like he may take centre stage at the Rec this Friday.
Comments on RugbyPass
Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
224 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
84 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
2 Go to comments