Chiefs look to spring 7s upset

Exeter Chiefs starlet Sam Skinner is adamant his side can cause an upset at the Singha Premiership Rugby 7s final tonight, despite facing a clinical Wasps outfit in the quarter-finals.

Last season was a momentous one for the 20-year-old, who made his first-team debut in the LV=Cup against Gloucester Rugby before facing Northampton Saints in the Aviva Premiership.

He also turned out in Europe for Chiefs and made his international debut for England in the under-20 Six Nations, but is now relishing his first taste of 7s rugby after last week’s southern leg at Kingsholm.

And with a finals appearance at Twickenham Stoop now on the cards, Skinner is confident that the young Exeter side with nothing to lose can prove their mettle.

"I am massively looking forward to running out at the Stoop, as is the rest of the team,” said Skinner. “We have Wasps first up and the atmosphere will be buzzing for that.

“Hopefully there will be a big crowd and a lot of excitement, as 7s is such an exciting sport and we will relish it.

“A lot of our young guys are excited to play against Wasps' big names. We haven't got those names but we have a lot of talent among ourselves and if we play the way we know we can, 7s is one of those games where you always get opportunities.

"It can be taken away from you in the first few seconds but also it can go your way so if we play to the standard we know we can then we have all the chance in the world.

"You can expect to see a lot of tries, a lot of one on ones, a lot of running and a lot of excitement. A lot happens in a short space of time.

"We have had success in our competitions like the LV= Cup and so if we can have success in the Singha 7s it will be another stepping stone forward for us never having done it before.”

Exeter progressed from Group B thanks to comfortable wins over Bath Rugby and London Irish at Kingsholm, despite going down to hosts and defending champions Gloucester in their first match.

Skinner says that the side packed with exciting west-country talent can more than hold their own, and will not be intimidated by the raucous Twickenham Stoop crowd.

“We've got captain Sam Simmonds who is a really talented player in defence and attack; anytime he gets the ball he is looking to have a go," he said.

“There's Pete Laverick who scored three tries in the last tournament and anytime he has the ball and it's on he'll have a go. Then you've got gas men like Adam Worth and Joe Simmonds who put in composed performances.

“You can learn not to be daunted by the atmosphere. It is a big, intense atmosphere at times and you need to learn that there is no point in being worried, you should be confident and have a go at it and give everything you've got. It's a quick game and you don't want to leave anything out there on the pitch.”

The Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Series Final is today 28 August. Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for children on the gate at the Twickenham Stoop.