Team news: Chiefs name side for home PREM Cup semi-final

Jack Yeandle will captain Exeter Chiefs in their PREM Rugby Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints at Sandy Park on Sunday afternoon.

The hooker wears the captain’s armband in a side which includes the equally experienced duo of Henry Slade and Olly Woodburn.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “Northampton are one of the teams that you have to be able to beat if you want to win the PREM at some stage. Without doubt, if you look at their recent cup games, if they get momentum in the game then they can run pretty much any team off their feet.”

A fortnight on from putting in an 80-minute performance against Bath Rugby, prop Will Goodrick-Clarke starts at loosehead with Yeandle and Jimmy Roots at tighthead.

An all-Chiefs academy produced second row of Lewis Pearson and Rusi Tuima is backed up at set-piece time by a back row of Martin Moloney, Finn Worley Brady and Greg Fisilau.

Scrum-half Tom Cairns and fly-half Harvey Skinner take up the half-back berths while Slade starts alongside on-form Zack Wimbush in the centres.

Woodburn joins Paul Brown-Bampoe on the wings with Josh Hodge rounding out the starting XV at full-back.

Baxter added: “Northampton can score tries from almost anywhere if they get momentum and you’re not reactive to the things they’re doing. For me, that’s going to be a really interesting challenge for us.”

On the bench, Ethan Burger returns to match fitness to be named with Julian Heaven and Khwezi Mona in the replacement front row. Joe Bailey and Oscar Beckerleg cover the second and back-row.

For the backs, scrum-half Charlie Chapman, fly-half Will Haydon-Wood and winger Campbell Ridl are all selected.

The game kicks off at 13:30 at Sandy Park on Sunday afternoon, with adults’ tickets starting at £15 and kids from £1. Match tickets are still available here and the game will also be broadcast live on TNT Sports.