Team News: Chiefs Name Team for Saracens at Sandy Park
Exeter Chiefs have named their side to face off against old foes Saracens at Sandy Park this Saturday in Round 11 of the Gallagher Premiership.
Both sides come into the clash with a point to prove following disappointing European results last weekend as Chiefs were dealt a blow by Ulster in Belfast while Saracens couldn’t prevent a Castres comeback at the StoneX.
The most notable inclusion for Chiefs is Stu Townsend, as the scrum half will run out of the tunnel ahead of his teammates as he becomes the latest Exeter Chiefs centurion.
Scott Sio returns to bring a wealth of experience to the starting line-up. He packs down with Jack Innard and Josh Iosefa-Scott in the front row.
Dafydd Jenkins returns from Welsh camp to captain the side with Richard Capstick moving back into a second row berth this weekend having started in the back row against Ulster.
A familiar back row reforms as Ethan Roots starts at blindside flanker, Jacques Vermeulen at openside and Greg Fisilau rounding out the pack at eight.
Townsend makes his 100th topflight appearance as a Chief with Will Haydon-Wood his half-back partner. Joe Hawkins and Will Rigg form a hard-running centre partnership for a second week.
Tommy Wyatt comes back into the action at full back while Paul Brown-Bampoe and Ben Hammersley run the wings either side of him.
Director of Rugby Rob Baxter doesn’t want his players to focus on any past battles between the two sides, instead he wants their focus to be on the chance to secure points in a highly competitive league table.
“This weekend is a hugely important game for us as, without doubt, as we need to collect Premiership points. It’s an opportunity for us as Saracens are going to be missing more internationals than we are. We’re at home as well, which is where our best performances and best wins have been.
“The rivalry between our two clubs is very different now. We’re not rivals fighting it out at the top of the table currently – we’re at the bottom of the table fighting it out for wins.
“I think for years it was fantastic for the Premiership that we were prepared to stand there and say ‘yes, there’s a big rivalry and we don’t like it’ but that top end rivalry right now has to be between different clubs until we get ourselves back there.
“Right here and now, it’s just a game that gives us an opportunity to collect some very valuable points, and that’s how we’re approaching it.”
Dan Frost and Marcus Street are recalled to the matchday 23 to form the replacement front row with Kwenzo Blose. Rusi Tuima and Franco Molina form a powerful duo to cover the back five of the scrum.
Returning to a more traditional 5-3 split this week allows Baxter to name three backs replacements in the form of Tom Cairns, Harvey Skinner and Zack Wimbush.
Exeter Chiefs:
15 Tommy Wyatt
14 Ben Hammersley
13 Joe Hawkins
12 Will Rigg
11 Paul Brown-Bampoe
10 Will Haydon-Wood
9 Stu Townsend
1 Scott Sio
2 Jack Innard
3 Josh Iosefa-Scott
4 Dafydd Jenkins (c)
5 Richard Capstick
6 Ethan Roots
7 Jacques Vermeulen
8 Greg Fisilau
Replacements:
16 Dan Frost
17 Kwenzo Blose
18 Marcus Street
19 Rusi Tuima
20 Franco Molina
21 Tom Cairns
22 Harvey Skinner
23 Zack Wimbush