Team news: Cramer selected to start against Loughborough Lightning

Australian international full-back Lori Cramer has been selected to start Sunday’s round six PWR game against Loughborough Lightning at Sandy Park (KO 15:00).

This will be the first game Cramer has started since returning to the club after heading back to Australia to play for the Queensland Reds in the Super W competition in February last season. Since then, she has also played for her country in the WXV2 tournament and came off the bench for Chiefs in the last two PWR games.

The full-back now gets her opportunity in the starting XV in the place of Merryn Doidge who was called up to a GB Sevens training camp and three-way tournament in Gibraltar this week.

Head coach Susie Appleby said: “It’s really nice when people want to come back to you and it’s really nice to bring familiar faces back in. We have slightly adjusted how we play but they know how the Chiefs thing works, and that puts us on the front foot.

“Merryn is away with the sevens so it’s the right time for Lori to have a crack and for Taylor to come in as well, because Taylor is world class too. It’s exciting. We haven’t really scratched the surface with some of the backs we’ve got.”

Other changes to the team see Dorothy Wall swap into the second row for the suspended Linde van der Velden, which means Ebony Jefferies returns to the back row, alongside Maddie Feaunati at open-side flanker.

On the bench, prop Demi Swann will be aiming to make an impact along with Taylor Perry.

Chiefs go into Sunday’s game as the only unbeaten side in the PWR following their victory over Saracens last weekend. Loughborough were on a bye last weekend and are currently seventh in the table.

Appleby added: “Loughborough are a really good side that are waiting to take a scalp. They are very much about expressing themselves, that’s why I love how they play. We want to be a team like that where we attack from any point on the pitch as we showed last week.”

Chiefs’ attack last weekend was largely built on a strong foundation built by the forwards at the set-piece while also remaining steadfast in their defence, preventing Saracens from scoring any more points from the 30th minute onwards.

Appleby continued: “We have been able to dominate games with our set-piece, particularly with the scrum. It gives you a foothold in the game straightaway. Defence is working pretty well, which is giving us opportunities because teams are giving us back the back the ball where they wouldn’t ordinarily. A work-on for us is in attack. We’re not the finished article but no-one’s going to be after five rounds. We are pretty pleased, but we want to be better.”

Chiefs Women will kick-off at 15:00 at Sandy Park on Sunday. This PWR game is included in all season ticket packages or is just £11 for adults and £5.50 for 16s and under.

Exeter Chiefs Women

15 Lori Cramer
14 Eilidh Sinclair
13 Nancy McGillivray
12 Alex Tessier
11 Sabrina Poulin
10 Liv McGoverne
9 Flo Robinson (vc)

1 Hope Rogers
2 Cliodhna Moloney
3 DaLeaka Menin
4 Poppy Leitch (c)
5 Dorothy Wall
6 Ebony Jefferies
7 Maddie Feaunati
8 Rachel Johnson

16 Clara Nielson
17 Demi Swann
18 Charli Jacoby
19 Niamh Orchard
20 Emily Robinson
21 Lucy Nye
22 Gabby Cantorna
23 Taylor Black