Team News: Chiefs Prepare for Trip to Newcastle

Exeter Chiefs have named their side for Round Five of the Gallagher Premiership as they make the long trip north to take on Steve Diamond’s Newcastle Falcons.

It’s a relatively settled pack with just one change in the back row. And so, the experienced front row of Scott Sio, captain Jack Yeandle and Marcus Street prepares to pack down together for a second straight week.

Having impressed the Sandy Park faithful on his debut, Argentinian international Franco Molina again partners Rusi Tuima in the second row.

Ethan Roots comes in at blindside flanker for Jacques Vermeulen with Richard Capstick and Ross Vintcent remaining in place from a narrow defeat to Bristol Bears last week.

The fly-half and centre pairings are unchanged as Sam Maunder and Harvey Skinner man nine and 10 while Joe Hawkins and Olly Woodburn look to strike from centre of the field.

Having both scored a brace of tries last weekend in Devon, Paul Brown-Bampoe and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso start on the wings again with Josh Hodge at full-back.

Director of Rugby Rob Baxter is relishing the idea of his side getting a result this week and beginning to hit their stride in the league competition.

“I think we’re learning an awful lot through experience, and you have to do that – you have to learn to take the rough with the smooth. However, it doesn’t feel to me like we’re a very long way off being a good, competitive team.

“The hardest part for us to learn may be composure in the heat of battle, but the one thing I won’t criticise our players for in any way is that they are in that battle, fighting and with a desperation to play and do well.

“We just need to keep that fight there, add a little at a time and sooner or later we will get to where we want to go. It’s coming. I have very little doubt that watching some big Exeter performances is just around the corner.

“It’s obviously a pressure game this week, everyone will be nervous – us and Newcastle. We’ve got to stick at it, and they’ll want to do that too. For me, I think it’s going to be a humdinger of a game.”

On the bench, the replacement front row is formed by Jack Innard, summer signing Kwenzo Blose and Josh Iosefa-Scott. Welsh international Christ Tshiunza returns to the line-up as he and Greg Fisilau prep to bring some fire power to the second and back row of the pack.

A return to a more traditional 5-3 split on the bench allows Baxter to name three backs replacements in Tom Cairns, Will Haydon-Wood and Ben Hammersley.

Exeter Chiefs:

15 Josh Hodge

14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

13 Olly Woodburn

12 Joe Hawkins

11 Paul Brown-Bampoe

10 Harvey Skinner

9 Sam Maunder

1 Scott Sio

2 Jack Yeandle (c)

3 Marcus Street

4 Rusi Tuima

5 Franco Molina

6 Ethan Roots

7 Richard Capstick

8 Ross Vintcent

Replacements:

16 Jack Innard

17 Kwenzo Blose

18 Josh Iosefa-Scott

19 Christ Tshiunza

20 Greg Fisilau

21 Tom Cairns

22 Will Haydon-Wood

23 Ben Hammersley