Team news: First Chiefs starts for Bekir Fuente, Hing and Wood

Exeter Chiefs Women Sofia Bekir Fuente, Eleanor Hing and Ellie Wood will run out for their first starts when they take on Loughborough Lightning tomorrow (KO 15:00).

They will get the opportunity to run out through the revamped tunnel at Sandy Park in front of a 1,000-plus home crowd.

Hooker Bekir Fuente will be joined in the front row by props Lilly Plowman and Alessia Skeates. University of Exeter student Wood will start with Kate Smith by her side in the second row.

Lola Whitley has moved to the back row alongside fellow flanker Zoë Dare with cup captain Emily Robinson at No 8.

Hing will start at scrum-half, while most of her Chiefs appearances from the bench have been on the wing, with Liv McGoverne in the fly-half berth.

Centre Gabby Cantorna continues her recovery from the broken ankle she sustained against Leicester Tigers at the end of last season, with Naomi Brennan accompanying her.

Devon-born Sammie Harris is back for this JAECOO Next Gen Cup round four fixture and Danielle Preece has moved from centre to the wing with Merryn Elworthy at full-back.

Head coach Oli Bishop said: “Again, we're just mixing up the back-line slightly. We’re trying out some new combinations. The cup is an opportunity for us to grow, build and try some new things before we get into the league time.”

He added: “We’ve talked about being brave, being true to ourselves. The rugby that we show is representing us as a group and representing us as individuals. We want to be brave, we want to take opportunities. The girls really pride themselves on the skill level that we have, but also the work ethic we put into it. It should be a fast-flowing game with some high skill levels.”

The bench has a potential debut in store with Lizzie Lander hoping to make an appearance while her former Bath Ladies team-mates play Ivybridge down the road.

Honey Kerslake has been ruled out of the rest of the cup with a knee injury while Amy Rule and Shya Pinnock continue their returns from neck issues as Taz Bricknell continues to patiently rehabilitate the dislocated knee she suffered against Trailfinders at the start of the last PWR season.

The squad will be looking to get back to winning ways after losing to Sale Sharks last weekend, but Lougborough will no doubt want to get their first win on the board for the cup.

Bishop said: “Loughborough are a side that likes to shut down space and they're physical. So for us it's an opportunity to play against an aggressive D (defence). The big one's going to be physicality that we want to build on. and we feel that part of our DNA at Chiefs is always physicality. It has been from inception and always will be.”

Exeter Chiefs Women kick-off against Loughborough Lightning at 15:00 on Saturday. Tickets for this game at Sandy Park are just £12 for adults and £5.50 for U18s. Supporters can also get access to every women’s game this season (excluding progression games) with a seasonal membership for just £75.60 for adults and £34.65 for U18s.

The game will also be streamed live on YouTube.

Exeter Chiefs Women

15 Merryn Elworthy (vc)
14 Danielle Preece
13 Gabby Cantorna
12 Naomi Brennan
11 Sammie Harris
10 Liv McGoverne
9 Lucy Nye
1 Lilly Plowman
2 Sofia Bekir Fuente
3 Alessia Skeates
4 Ellie Wood

5 Kate Smith
6 Lola Whitley
7 Zoë Dare
8 Emily Robinson (c)

16 Kayleigh Priest
17 Hannah Sams
18 Amelia Lambourn
19 Izzy Newnes- Smith
20 Lizzie Lander
21 Lucy Nye
22 Frankie Welsher
23 Deborah Wills