Chiefs U18s side to face Gloucester

By Alfie Martin
8/2/19

Exeter Chiefs Under-18s will clash with rivals Gloucester this weekend in their penultimate round of the Premiership Under-18s League, having missed out on their Round 5 match-up with Harlequins last week as a result of the adverse weather conditions.

The Chiefs will be eyeing up the opportunity to bounce back from their crushing 49-7 defeat to Saracens three weeks ago, a contest which saw Frankie Dart cut through the defence for the Chiefs’ only score of the afternoon.

Dart is set to make yet another appearance at full-back for the Academy young guns in a line-up that sees Joe Greaves and Scott Butterworth promoted back into the starting ranks, while Tom Cairns assumes the scrum-half position.Barnaby Waddell is drafted onto the bench alongside Dan Lilley.

Academy coach Marek Churcher says the squad are looking forward to building on their past defeat, but is conscious of the effort needed to keep their dangerous opponents at bay.

“We’re aware of the threat that Gloucester are as they travel to us this coming Saturday,” said Churcher. “We haven’t had the results we would like this year, but the coaches and group of players are learning a lot, and that’s a major part of this development programme.

“We were disappointed not to be able to play Quins last weekend, but our focus is on the challenge that Gloucester will bring to us.

“I know that Saturday will be an exciting game- we need to iron out those mistakes that have cost us games in the past” explained Churcher. “If we lose our focus Gloucester will be looking to make us pay.”

Saturday’s game takes places at Callywith College in Bodmin with a 2pm kick-off.

CHIEFS UNDER-18s SIDE TO FACE GLOUCESTER

15 Frankie Dart
14 Ben Fenton
13 Troy Sixton
12 Archie Hill
11 Charlie Cadogan
10 Haydn Lidstone
9 Tom Cairns
1 Chris King
2 Will Goffey
3 Harvey Dunn
4 Joe Elsworth
5 Joe Greaves
6 Scott Butterworth
7 Jake Bond (capt)
8 Josh Thorne

16 Nathan Karea
17 Cian Goldsmith
18 Devlin Welch
19 Barnaby Waddell
20 Joe Stansfield
21 Ali Stacey
22 Alex Gozzard
23 Dan Lilley