Braves side to face Saracens
By Mark Stevens
3/9/18
Summer signing Alex Cuthbert will pull on an Exeter jersey for the first time tonight when he lines-up for the Braves in their opening fixture of the newly-named Premiership Shield.
Last season’s beaten finalists will kick-off their 2018/19 campaign on the road with a trip to Allianz Park, where rivals Saracens Storm lie in wait (7:45pm).
The Wales and British Lions winger - who joined from Cardiff Blues on a three-year deal - is part of a powerful Braves squad, which also includes fellow international names Moray Low, Elvis Taione and Michele Campagnaro.
Cuthbert has not seen competitive action since April after picking up a pectoral injury in Cardiff’s European Challenge Cup semi-final against Pau.Not only did that rule the 28-year-old out for the remainder of the season, but he meant he missed out as the Blues secured the European title with victory over Gloucester in Bilbao.
Just days later, however, Cuthbert was reporting in early at Sandy Park, determined to get ahead with his rehabilitation and fighting fit for the new campaign with the Chiefs.
Tonight, he and others with the Braves squad, including fellow long-term absentee Max Bodilly, will get their chance to not only get some much-needed game time under their belts, but at the same time push their claims for first team selection in front of the watching Chiefs coaching staff.
As has been the case for a number of years, Skills Coach Ricky Pellow will again oversee the Braves during the course of the upcoming season - and the Cornishman is relishing the task ahead.
“Monday night is a great opportunity for all the guys to put all the hard work they’ve carried out during pre-season into what will be a very competitive game,” said Pellow.
“Over the years we’ve looked to attack this competition from the outset and this year will be no different.Not only is it a chance for us to go after some genuine silverware, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity for us to utilise the squad, not only in terms of getting game time into guys, but also helping to develop some of our younger players.
“Saracens, we know, will be a very tough test first up.However, we see Monday’s game as a great chance to kick-off the new season with a big performance.”
Saracens, meanwhile, will include South African international Schalk Burger in their ranks as he also makes his first return since picking up an injury in April.
Burger lines-up in a Storm outfit, which includes fellow internationals Titi Lamositele, Dominic Day and Duncan Taylor.
Tonight’s game will be shown live by FreeSports on satellite and digital TV as part of their new agreement to show one game per round from this season’s Premiership Shield competition.
Coverage for the game will start at 7:30pm and can be viewed on Freeview HD channel 95, Sky channel 422, Virgin TV 553, FreeSat 252, TalkTalk 95, BT Vision channel 95 and via TV Player.
EXETER BRAVES SIDE TO FACE SARACENS STORM
15 Max Bodilly
14 Alex Cuthbert
13 Michele Campagnaro
12 Tom Hendrickson
11 James Short
10 Sam Morley
9 Sam Maunder
1 Moray Low
2 Elvis Taione
3 Marcus Street
4 Richard Capstick
5 Wilhelm Van Der Sluys
6 James Freeman (capt)
7 James McRae
8 Tom Lawday
16 Jack Innard
17 Billy Keast
18 Jack Owlett
19 Cory Teague
20 Flynn Elworthy
21 Joe Snow
22 Tom O’Flaherty
23 Toby Williams
Saracens Storm: (from): T Whiteley, M Vunipola, D Morris, R Bird-Tulloch, D Taylor; E Obatoyinbo, M Gallagher; T Lamositele, S Spurling, H Thompson-Stringer, J Nay, D Day; S Burger, S Reffell, A Christie. Replacements: T McElroy, R Adams-Hale, JP Phelan, J Kpoku, A Scopes, H Taylor, V Hakalo, A Crossdale.