Team news: Cantorna starts at fly-half for trip to Leicester

USA Eagle Gabby Cantorna will start tomorrow’s game at fly-half in the place of injured Liv McGoverne for Exeter Chiefs Women’s round 15 PWR match against Leicester Tigers.

More recently found at inside centre, Cantorna will be handed control of the game while McGoverne recovers from a shoulder injury. Alex Tessier is also out after suffering a fracture in her hand.

Cantorna said: “I always think of fly-half as like riding a bike. I did it for long enough when I was younger that I think that the skill set sticks with you and it's like slipping into a different persona.

“I had 20 minutes on the weekend, so a nice little practice run coming in. But personally, I think it's just really important for me to remember that I've done all the things that I need to do before, and I have all the skills that I need to perform in that position and not to let anything external really weigh on me.

“I know the people around me want to do their jobs. They want to be on the ball, and as a 10, that's the most you can ask for. It'll be just about giving them their opportunities and taking any spaces that I see in my own area.”

Exeter Chiefs will also be without prop Amy Rule and centre Nancy McGillivray due to concussion.

This means an altered centre partnership with Naomi Brennan and Danielle Preece stepping up, flanked by Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and Katie Buchanan on the wings and Merryn Elworthy at full-back. Flo Robinson will partner Cantorna as the half-back pairing.

The front row sees Demi Swann and DaLeaka Menin starting the game alongside last week’s hat-trick scorer hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald. The all-English back row is unchanged for the visit to Mattioli Woods Welford Road while Abby Duguid will start in the second row alongside Dorothy Wall.

This changed Chiefs Women’s side will come against a winless Leicester Tigers team that will be keen to give Scotland international Jenny Maxwell a decent send off after she announced her retirement yesterday.

Exeter Chiefs Women’s assistant coach Oli Bishop coach said: “Tigers are a hugely resilient side and bring a lot of passion to what they do on the pitch and going to Welford Road is always a special place to go.

“Their kicking game is very different than a lot of sides. They're very good at the kick battle, as well as looking at kick to compete whether it's with a box kick, whether it's with a short kick-off, whether it's with grubbers through…that's something that's always a threat from them. As a side, they're not afraid to go for it.

“It's no secret they do concede quite a lot, but they're a side that go out and look to score. They throw caution to the wind in some cases and play some risky rugby, but because of that, it is dangerous rugby.”

On the bench, Chiefs have called upon the services of younger players Zoë Dare, Gabriella Nigrelli, Ellen Scantlebury and Alessia Skeates, alongside the experience of Hope Rogers, Emily Tuttosi, Lucy Nye and Eilidh Sinclair.

Saturday’s game kicks off at 12:30 at Mattioli Woods Welford Road and will be streamed live on the PWR’s YouTube channel.

Exeter Chiefs Women

15 Merryn Elworthy
14 Katie Buchanan
13 Danielle Preece
12 Naomi Brennan
11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald
10 Gabby Cantorna
9 Flo Robinson (vc)
1 Demi Swann
2 Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald
3 DaLeaka Menin
4 Abby Duguid
5 Dorothy Wall
6 Emily Robinson (c)
7 Maisy Allen (vc)
8 Maddie Feaunati

16 Emily Tuttosi
17 Hope Rogers
18 Alessia Skeates
19 Gabriella Nigrelli
20 Zoë Dare
21 Lucy Nye
22 Eilidh Sinclair
23 Ellen Scantlebury