Team news: Chiefs look to bring strong PREM form into EPCR opener

Exeter Chiefs have named a largely unchanged team from that which enjoyed domestic success at Sale Sharks last Friday night as they look to launch their EPCR Challenge Cup campaign at home to Toyota Cheetahs.

The pool three round one game kicks off at 17:30 at Sandy Park on Sunday afternoon. Seven internationals are included as four players prepare to make their EPCR debut; Tom Hooper, Len Ikitau, Dan John and Kane James.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “We’ve shown an element of form in the PREM, and now we switch to European competition, which we’ve always worked extremely hard in to do as well as we can. It’s a competition we’ve had some success in before, and we’d like to have success again. We’ll approach it very seriously in terms of what we’d like to achieve.

“Cheetahs are like most South African teams in that they pride themselves on their scrum, their maul and their physicality. You don’t need to know much more on them than that to know they’re a very dangerous side.”

In the front row for Chiefs, Scott Sio packs down alongside club captain Jack Yeandle at hooker with Georgian powerhouse Bachuki Tchumbadze at tighthead, all of whom impressed off the bench against Sale.

Player of the match in Manchester, Dafydd Jenkins captains the side in the second row with Andrea Zambonin. Having all topped the carries, tackles and counter-ruck stats last Friday, the back-row is unchanged as Tom Hooper, Ethan Roots and Greg Fisilau all start.

There is just a single change in the backline with Ben Hammersley starting at full-back in the absence of Josh Hodge, who picked up a small knee issue against Sale Sharks.

The half-back duo of Charlie Chapman and Harvey Skinner starts in front of Henry Slade and Len Ikitau in the centres with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Olly Woodburn on the wings.

Baxter said: “We’ve got to use our resources and squad depth well over these next two weeks to get the best outcome we can out of the opening two games before we go back into the PREM.

“The balance between the league and Europe is a bit of a juggling act but it is one that’s quite enjoyable to work through and it gives the squad something clear to aim to do in the next few weeks.”

On the bench, Jimmy Roots comes into the side for the injured Josh Iosefa-Scott. He partners Joseph Dweba and Will Goodrick-Clarke in the replacement front row. Lewis Pearson joins European debutant Kane James in covering the back five of the scrum.

In the backs replacements, Dan John is named alongside Tom Cairns and Will Haydon-Wood.

The game kicks off at 17:30 live on Premier Sports with match tickets still available here.

Exeter Chiefs:

15 Ben Hammersley

14 Olly Woodburn

13 Henry Slade

12 Len Ikitau

11 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

10 Harvey Skinner

9 Charlie Chapman

1 Scott Sio

2 Jack Yeandle

3 Bachuki Tchumbadze

4 Dafydd Jenkins (c)

5 Andrea Zambonin

6 Tom Hooper

7 Ethan Roots

8 Greg Fisilau

Replacements:

16 Joseph Dweba

17 Will Goodrick-Clarke

18 Jimmy Roots

19 Lewis Pearson

20 Kane James

21 Tom Cairns

22 Will Haydon-Wood

23 Dan John