Team news: Squad rotation ongoing for trip to North London

Exeter Chiefs Women’s coaching team has rotated the matchday 23 once again in preparation for the final pool game against Saracens in the JAECOO Next Gen Cup.

Danielle Preece will start at full-back for the first time for the club as vice-captain Merryn Elworthy moves to fly-half and Liv McGoverne fills the inside centre berth alongside Naomi Brennan. With Preece moving to full-back, Sammie Harris has swapped to the right wing and Deborah Wills will start on the left wing against her former club. Lucy Nye will wear the number nine jersey for potentially her last game in Chiefs colours.

In the pack, Welsh international Carys Phillips is back at hooker with last weekend’s try scorers Hannah Sams and Alessia Skeates completing the front row. Kate Smith continues her run in the second row with Lola Whitley rejoining her after playing at flanker last weekend. Cup captain Emily Robinson returns to the blindside flanker role alongside Zoë Dare and Gabriella Nigrelli back at No 8.

The U23s programme continues to provide players for the cup campaign with Amelia Lambourn, Izzy Newnes-Smith, Lilly Plowman, Frankie Welsher and Ellie Wood all named on the bench alongside Eleanor Hing, Kayleigh Priest and Tilly Ryall.

Exeter Chiefs Women’s head coach Oli Bishop said: “Saracens have had a really good run in the cup this year with quite a few established players in their squad, so they are always going to be a strong side.

“We have been building throughout the cup. We learned some lessons away at Sale, which we then looked to improve against Loughborough. There was a huge step-up in our defence, as well as our physicality. We have another game-plan for this weekend, which we will be looking to deliver against Saracens, while understanding they will be a physical side and there’s going to be a lot of grit in this game.”

For Chiefs to progress to the semi-finals, they need to get a bonus-point win this weekend and a point difference of 14-plus to claim the second spot in the pool from Sale Sharks Women.

Bishop added: “The StoneX is always a tough place to go but more because Saracens have a strong side. Yes, it will be a challenge but it’s another opportunity to look at how we have grown and test some of our younger players against some more senior players who have been playing in the PWR for quite a few years.

“The team this weekend is quite similar to the team that finished against Loughborough. We thought the girls who played that end part showed some really good physicality and that is what we are needing to bring to this Saracens game.”

Exeter Chiefs Women kick-off against Saracens Women at 14:00 at the StoneX Stadium on Saturday. Live updates will be available from our match centre here.

Exeter Chiefs Women

15 Danielle Preece
14 Sammie Harris
13 Naomi Brennan
12 Liv McGoverne
11 Deborah Wills
10 Merryn Elworthy (vc)
9 Lucy Nye
1 Hannah Sams
2 Carys Phillips
3 Alessia Skeates
4 Kate Smith
5 Lola Whitley
6 Emily Robinson (c)
7 Zoë Dare
8 Gabriella Nigrelli

16 Kayleigh Priest
17 Lilly Plowman
18 Amelia Lambourn
19 Izzy Newnes- Smith
20 Ellie Wood
21 Tilly Ryall
22 Eleanor Hing
23 Frankie Welsher