Team news: Chiefs side to host top-of-the-table Saints

Ethan Roots makes his return as Exeter Chiefs face top-of-the-table Northampton Saints at Sandy Park on Saturday afternoon in round 13 of the Gallagher PREM.

The match-up has serious implications for the top four standings as Saints currently lead the race on 52 points while Chiefs sit fourth on 45 points.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “This is a game we’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. They’re a very good team, playing very good rugby and leading the way in the Prem. It’ll be a great test of where we are.

“We feel pretty comfortable with where we are, we’re having a good season, so it’s the right stage of the season for us to face this test.

“The key for me is that we look competitive in every fixture. If we do that, we’re going to be around where we want to be which is top four, but we have to keep collecting points.”

Having all played an hour of last weekend’s EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final in Italy, the front-row remains unchanged. Scott Sio starts at loosehead with Jimmy Roots on the tighthead and Jack Yeandle sandwiched between the two at hooker.

Italian international Andrea Zambonin marked his return to home soil with a try last Sunday and he starts in the second row with match captain Dafydd Jenkins this Saturday.

The lethal combination of Tom Hooper, Ross Vintcent and Greg Fisilau is selected to start in the back-row, with Ethan Roots lying in wait on the bench for his return to contact.

The half-back and centre pairings remain intact from the Benetton test. Stephen Varney starts at scrum-half, Harvey Skinner at fly-half with Will Rigg and Henry Slade slotting into the midfield berths.

Following a late call-up to the starting line-up last weekend, Campbell Ridl again starts on the wing with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Olly Woodburn rounding out the back three.

Baxter added: “We need to do pretty much everything well. Our defensive record this season is very good and that will definitely be important in this game.

“More than anything, I think the key will be starting the game well. Northampton can race away with games very quickly if you have a poor 10-minute spell. Starting the game by getting our shape organised and making sure we’re on physically in the contact area – that won’t be everything, but it’ll be very important in the game.”

Prop Bachuki Tchumbadze, who was the unlikely man to boot the ball into touch last weekend, is named with Ethan Burger and Joseph Dweba on the bench.

Rusi Tuima joins Ethan Roots in the remaining forward spaces on the bench as Chiefs select a 5-3 split.

Paul Brown-Bampoe recovers from his injury which ruled him out late on in Benetton to be selected alongside Tom Cairns and Will Haydon-Wood.

The game kicks off at 15:05 in Devon, broadcast live on TNT Sports. Match tickets are still available here or you can follow the game in our live match centre here.