Chiefs side to face Royal Navy
By Mark Stevens
27/2/23
Ollie Devoto is set to play his first competitive match in over a year when he lines up for Exeter Chiefs in Wednesday night’s friendly against the Royal Navy at Sandy Park (7:30pm).
The England international last pulled on a Chiefs jersey in the New Year’s Day fixture with Bristol Bears in 2022. Since then, he has been forced to watch from the sidelines, having undergone operations on both of his hips.
Now, the 29-year-old is set to embark on his first steps back into rugby, running out in a strong Chiefs squad against the Servicemen. Joining him in the ranks will be two more of Exeter’s long-term absentees, Iestyn Harris and Marcus Street, both of whom will pack down in the front-row alongside Kiwi powerhouse Josh Iosefa-Scott.
Elsewhere in the pack, youngsters Joe Bailey, Corey Teague and Rus Tuima all start alongside guests Robin Edbrooke (Topsham) and Barnaby Elderkin (Truro).
In behind, Devoto lines-up in the midfield alongside Zack Wimbush with the back three made up of real excitement and pace in the form of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Frankie Nowell and Facundo Cordero. At half-backs, Welsh youngster Orson James starts the game at scrum-half and he will be partnered by Cardiff Met’s Joe Randall at fly-half.
Exeter Chiefs skills coach, Ricky Pellow, said: “It’s great to see the likes of Ollie Devoto, Iestyn Harris and Marcus Street come back from serious injuries to play their first game in a very long time. They’ve all worked incredibly hard to get themselves fit again, so this is a big moment for all of them.
“Equally, as coaches we’re also looking to those other senior players who are involved to put in a performance that we’re looking for ahead of next month’s Premiership Rugby Cup Final. We’ve seen in games already this season what they are capable of – and a number of them have used that competition to then work their way into the Premiership squads.”
As well as a core group of first-team squad members, Pellow is looking forward to seeing how a number of this season’s Under-18s side, as well as couple of guest players from local clubs, go against the Navy.
“Some of those guys from local clubs did really well against the Navy Under-23s earlier this season, so we’re rewarding them for their performances,” added Pellow. “Equally, there are also a handful of Under-18s that are stepping up into senior rugby, so it will be nice for our supporters to see them on their initial Chiefs journey.”
Tickets for Wednesday’s game are priced at £10 adults and £5 Under-16s. Season Ticket holders can attend the game for FREE as part of their seasonal package.
Parking at Sandy Park is available on a first come, first served basis. Car parking charges will apply on the night.
