Chiefs U-18s squad to face Bath

By Mark Stevens
27/1/17

Exeter Chiefs Under-18s will be looking to build on their winning start to the Academy Under-18s League when they travel to Millfield School on Saturday to face Bath (2:30pm).

Having collected away wins over Bristol and London Irish, Rob Gibson's side made the most of home advantage last time out to see off Gloucester 34-26 at Sandy Park.

However, the young Chiefs will face a stern examination against their local rivals in this latest encounter and academy coach Sam Morton has told his players to "prepare for battle".

"It's been a great start to the season for us - and we seem to have improved with every game that we have played," he said. "However, we know Bath will be a good test for us and that the guys have to be prepared for a real battle up there.

"What we need to do is build on the positives of the first three games and look to stamp our game on them as much as we can. We had a great start against Gloucester last weekend and that was the springboard for what was probably our best performance of the season so far.

"Again we will be looking to start strongly, take the game to Bath and real look to implement all the things we have worked on in training on them."

The Chiefs welcome back prop Marcus Street after injury to the starting XV, but they will be without scrum-half Joe Snow, who has been called up by the Exeter first team to be on the bench for their Anglo-Welsh Cup encounter with Wasps.

CHIEFS UNDER-18s SIDE TO FACE BATH

15 Finn Marks
14 Jake Penprase
13 Ollie Gibbon
12 Joe Elderkin
11 AJ Cant
10 Gwyn Parks
9 Sam Maunder (capt)
1 James Kenny
2 Ben Phillips
3 Marcus Street
4 Joseph Parker Cooke
5 Torin Clarke
6 Will Gibson
7 Richard Capstick
8 Rusi Tuima

16 Will Ridout
17 Danny Southworth
18 Alfie Petch
19 Hugo Culverhouse
20 Tom Brooker
21 Toby Williams
22 Connor Gilbert
23 Tani Naduva