Team News: Chiefs Make Minimal Changes for Harlequins Away Trip

Exeter Chiefs have named a changed starting XV to travel to the Twickenham Stoop to face Harlequins in the penultimate round of the Gallagher Premiership on Sunday.

After a five-point win at home against Northampton Saints last weekend, Chiefs make some changes as injury rules out both Scott Sio and Will Rigg while Tommy Wyatt makes his return.

Kwenzo Blose comes into the starting line-up to take the loosehead shirt left vacant by Sio. Jack Yeandle at hooker and Josh Iosefa-Scott at tighthead complete the front row.

The remainder of the pack then remains unchanged. Rusi Tuima and captain Dafydd Jenkins start in the second row with Jacques Vermeulen and Richard Capstick on the flanks as Ethan Roots holds the number eight position.

Stu Townsend and Harvey Skinner form the half-back pairing once more. In the centre, Tamati Tua is named with Henry Slade in Rigg’s absence. Wyatt returns to the side on the wing with Paul Brown-Bampoe as Josh Hodge retains the full-back shirt.

Director of Rugby Rob Baxter said the focus in the Chiefs training camp this week has all been on small improvements.

“We’re not trying to jump around into different things week-by-week. When we’ve been playing at our best is when we’ve got some comfort in how we play, what we do, and we keep targets relatively simple.

“My frustrations during the game last week were a result of some of the non-pressure errors. We’ve spoken pretty openly and honestly in training about what we need to do about that to make sure our communication is right across the field.

“I’m expecting this weekend to be an emotional occasion for Quins [in the aftermath of Danny Care’s retirement announcement] and they’re obviously still in the hunt for top four, so it’ll be an interesting weekend for us.

“Especially after our last away performance, to see if we can arrive with a more focused state of mind and force more of our game onto the field, that is my intention.”

Billy Keast returns to the matchday side as he is named with Dan Frost and Marcus Street in the replacement front row. On the bench for the back five of the scrum, Welsh international Christ Tshiunza and last weekend’s try-scorer, Martin Moloney.

Tom Cairns and Will Haydon-Wood keep their bench spots while last weekend’s debutant Nick Lilley completes the 23.

Exeter Chiefs:

15 Josh Hodge

14 Tommy Wyatt

13 Henry Slade

12 Tamati Tua

11 Paul Brown-Bampoe

10 Harvey Skinner

9 Stu Townsend

1 Kwenzo Blose

2 Jack Yeandle

3 Josh Iosefa-Scott

4 Rusi Tuima

5 Dafydd Jenkins (c)

6 Jacques Vermeulen

7 Richard Capstick

8 Ethan Roots

Replacements:

16 Dan Frost

17 Billy Keast

18 Marcus Street

19 Christ Tshiunza

20 Martin Moloney

21 Tom Cairns

22 Will Haydon-Wood

23 Nick Lilley