Chiefs Women raring to go ahead of Quins fixture
Exeter Chiefs Women are raring to go against Harlequins tomorrow following an enforced break last weekend.
Chiefs’ third round Allianz PWR game against Sale Sharks Women was called off two hours before kick-off last Saturday due to a frozen pitch.
The postponed game means Chiefs have been waiting 13 days to play again since their last home match against Bristol Bears, but the break has not fazed the players or coaching staff. In fact, some of the players chose to warm-down with a bit of dancing in the Heywood Road clubhouse before they got back on the bus.
Assistant coach Steve Salvin said: “It’s not a big deal for us. We are in a block of six games of consecutive weekends, so it’s broken that up a little bit.”
As no game means no extra injuries, the coaching team has been able to select a largely unchanged squad from the one that was due to play Sale.
This means it should be third time lucky for Japanese centre Kanako Kobayashi, who is still waiting to make her return for the club since recovering from a serious knee injury. England transition contract player Katie Buchanan is back on the wing for the visit to Twickenham Stoop having benefited from the rest afforded by the postponed game.
Chiefs travel up to greater London to face a team on the back of two defeats: Sale away and Saracens at home. However, they are not dismissing the challenge ahead especially with three former Chiefs in their midst.
Salvin continued: “Everyone would probably admit that Quins have not started the season as many, including us, would have expected. They have got an incredibly talented group of players; three players from here last season in Silvia Turani, Abbie Fleming and Flo Robinson. We know how talented those three are, and they have signed other players with the likes of Connie Powell and Ellie KiIdunne in and around the team.
"It’s an exceptionally talented group of players. We are expecting that at some point it will click. We are preparing in the assumption that’s going to happen this week. I cannot foresee them to play at the level that played against Sale or Saracens this weekend. We are expecting a far, far tougher test.
“As much as Quins’ DNA is to play high-speed rugby, they have always had a physical forward pack. They drive a lot. We know it will be a significant factor there. They’ve also got x-factor with people who can do magic things in moments in the game.”
Chiefs will be hoping to maintain or better their second-place position in the table despite missing a game. Saracens are currently in the top spot with a maximum 15 points following three wins out of three.
Chiefs Women kick-off against Harlequins Women at 15:00 tomorrow at Twickenham Stoop.
Exeter Chiefs Women
15 Merryn Doidge (vc)
14 Claudia MacDonald
13 Kanako Kobayashi
12 Gabby Cantorna
11 Katie Buchanan
10 Alex Tessier
9 Brooke Bradley
1 Abby Middlebrooke
2 Emily Tuttosi
3 DaLeaka Menin
4 Linde van der Velden
5 Harriet Millar-Mills
6 Ebony Jefferies
7 Poppy Leitch (c)
8 Rachel Johnson
Replacements:
16 Clara Nielson
17 Panashe Muzambe
18 Lizzie Hanlon
19 Nichola Fryday
20 Maisy Allen
21 Maddie Feaunati
22 Mairi McDonald
23 Lori Cramer