Exeter vs Saracens

[Puja]

CHIEFS SIDE TO FACE SARACENS

15 Phil Dollman
14 Lachie Turner
13 Henry Slade
12 Sam Hill
11 Olly Woodburn
10 Joe Simmonds
9 Nic White
1 Ben Moon
2 Luke Cowan-Dickie
3 Tomas Francis
4 Sam Skinner
5 Jonny Hill
6 Dave Ewers
7 Don Armand
8 Thomas Waldrom

16 Jack Yeandle
17 Alec Hepburn
18 Greg Holmes
19 Mitch Lees
20 Sam Simmonds
21 Stuart Townsend
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Ian Whitten


15 Alex Goode (253)
14 Nathan Earle (34)
13 Marcelo Bosch (114)
12 Brad Barritt (214)
11 Chris Wyles (246)
10 Alex Lozowski (52)
9 Ben Spencer (123)
1 Richard Barrington (127)
2 Schalk Brits (213)
3 Juan Figallo (81)
4 Dominic Day (9)
5 George Kruis (152)
6 Nick Isiekwe (26)
7 Ben Earl (13)
8 Jackson Wray (192)

Reps

16 Scott Spurling (30)
17 Hayden Thompson-Stringer (24)
18 Titi Lamositele (49)
19 Mark Flanagan (17)
20 Blair Cowan (0)
21 Tom Whiteley (12)
22 Max Malins (13)
23 Rotimi Segun (6)

[Banquo]

Fantastic that Joe is starting and Sam on bench.

Sarries bench looks very light, and some concerns in the starting XV! Spencer needs a good game, and Lozowski to start running the show.

[Scrumhead]

This is probably the best possible time for Exeter to play Sarries.

Not only are they hit by test call-ups, they're also struggling with injuries and poor form.

I'll be curious to see how Ben Earl gets on at 7. I really like what I've seen of him at age grade level, so it would be good to see him get a proper breakthrough at senior level.

[Banquo]

This is probably the best possible time for Exeter to play Sarries.

Not only are they hit by test call-ups, they're also struggling with injuries and poor form.

I'll be curious to see how Ben Earl gets on at 7. I really like what I've seen of him at age grade level, so it would be good to see him get a proper breakthrough at senior level.

They are both struggling a bit for differing reasons

[fivepointer]

Slade back too. Thought Sam Simmonds was out for longer so thats good news he's back. Joe starting gets a big thumbs up from me (and i'm sure from p/d)
If Malins can score a try as good as his 2 last weekend it will be a treat.
Game moved to Sunday and is live on BT Sport.

[Scrumhead]

This is probably the best possible time for Exeter to play Sarries.

Not only are they hit by test call-ups, they're also struggling with injuries and poor form.

I'll be curious to see how Ben Earl gets on at 7. I really like what I've seen of him at age grade level, so it would be good to see him get a proper breakthrough at senior level.

They are both struggling a bit for differing reasons

True, but comparing the two sides, Exeter are almost full strength. Sarries definitely aren’t.

[Banquo]

This is probably the best possible time for Exeter to play Sarries.

Not only are they hit by test call-ups, they're also struggling with injuries and poor form.

I'll be curious to see how Ben Earl gets on at 7. I really like what I've seen of him at age grade level, so it would be good to see him get a proper breakthrough at senior level.

They are both struggling a bit for differing reasons

True, but comparing the two sides, Exeter are almost full strength. Sarries definitely aren’t.

aye, that's what I'm saying! Exeter have been struggling at near full strength . Sarries look very thin.

[CONVEX HULL]

Absentees (just the 21 this week including 11 of First XV):

15
14 Williams
13 Taylor
12 Tompkins, Griffiths
11 Maitland
10 Farrell
9. Wigglesworth, Taylor

1. Vunipola
2. George, Tolofua
3. Koch
4. Itoje
5. Skelton
6. Rhodes
7. Clark, Burger, Conlon, Hankin
8. Vunipola, Vailanu

[Banquo]

aye, is Conlon crocked, he looked handy a year ago. Skelton can't be injured, there's nothing can penetrate that whale skin surely??

[bruce]

Living not too far away, I'll be astonished if this goes ahead.

[p/d]

Slade back too. Thought Sam Simmonds was out for longer so thats good news he's back. Joe starting gets a big thumbs up from me (and i'm sure from p/d)
If Malins can score a try as good as his 2 last weekend it will be a treat.
Game moved to Sunday and is live on BT Sport.

Aye, really pleased to see him get a start. Just hope the game doesn't get pulled.

Is Kvesic injured or just out of favour? Shame either way as he has looked in fine nick this term. Definetly wearing the 7 shirt in Diggers and my England XV

[Digby]

Slade back too. Thought Sam Simmonds was out for longer so thats good news he's back. Joe starting gets a big thumbs up from me (and i'm sure from p/d)
If Malins can score a try as good as his 2 last weekend it will be a treat.
Game moved to Sunday and is live on BT Sport.

Aye, really pleased to see him get a start. Just hope the game doesn't get pulled.

Is Kvesic injured or just out of favour? Shame either way as he has looked in fine nick this term. Definetly wearing the 7 shirt in Diggers and my England XV

Only for 5-6 years, and in reality we keep getting much slower opensides who keep getting shown up, and we've never even had a look at a real alternative.

Exeter will be delighted to see Yeandle on the teamsheet, huge news for them

[Banquo]

Slade back too. Thought Sam Simmonds was out for longer so thats good news he's back. Joe starting gets a big thumbs up from me (and i'm sure from p/d)
If Malins can score a try as good as his 2 last weekend it will be a treat.
Game moved to Sunday and is live on BT Sport.

Aye, really pleased to see him get a start. Just hope the game doesn't get pulled.

Is Kvesic injured or just out of favour? Shame either way as he has looked in fine nick this term. Definetly wearing the 7 shirt in Diggers and my England XV

Only for 5-6 years, and in reality we keep getting much slower opensides who keep getting shown up, and we've never even had a look at a real alternative.

Exeter will be delighted to see Yeandle on the teamsheet, huge news for them

I like Yeandle a lot.
I don't get the Kvesic thing- even at Exeter, Salvi gets started in front of him......Kvesic is an excellent player I think.

[Scrumhead]

I like Kvesic too. I was excited when Exeter signed him becasue I thought it might put him back in genuine contention for England. The fact that he’s not really secured a regular place in their match day 23, after over half a season is a curious footnote to his Gloucester and England situations. No-one seems to know why, but it does seem that coaches don’t fully rate/trust him.

What’s the story with Yeandle? Why is it good to see him in the lineup? Isn’t he normally there?

[Puja]

I like Kvesic too. I was excited when Exeter signed him becasue I thought it might put him back in genuine contention for England. The fact that he’s not really secured a regular place in their match day 23, after over half a season is a curious footnote to his Gloucester and England situations. No-one seems to know why, but it does seem that coaches don’t fully rate/trust him.

What’s the story with Yeandle? Why is it good to see him in the lineup? Isn’t he normally there?

He's been out injured for a long time. Added to that was Taione and Malton being injured, which means that Exeter have had about a month of LCD as their only fit senior hooker, which is historically not a stable situation, and a very green academy lad on the bench.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

Fair enough. I hadn’t realised that.

[Scrumhead]

Sarries fans - what’s the general consensus on Whiteley? He always looks good when I see him play, it as it’s mostly in the AW Cup it’s hard to gauge how good a prospect he is? Also, what happened to Henry Taylor? He seems to have disappeared completely!

[Stom]

I like Kvesic too. I was excited when Exeter signed him becasue I thought it might put him back in genuine contention for England. The fact that he’s not really secured a regular place in their match day 23, after over half a season is a curious footnote to his Gloucester and England situations. No-one seems to know why, but it does seem that coaches don’t fully rate/trust him.

What’s the story with Yeandle? Why is it good to see him in the lineup? Isn’t he normally there?

For years, Kvesic drifted in and out of games. As for now, the question is whether he gets cleared out too easily. With the way the AP is reffed, he doesn't fit.

Granted we all pretty much hate how the AP is reffed...

[Mellsblue]

Sarries fans - what’s the general consensus on Whiteley? He always looks good when I see him play, it as it’s mostly in the AW Cup it’s hard to gauge how good a prospect he is? Also, what happened to Henry Taylor? He seems to have disappeared completely!

Whiteley was at Bedfordadt season and I thought he was rubbish - very poor decision maker, mainly culminating in kicking away too much good ball. Henry Taylor is injured and was top quality when at Bedford a couple of seasons ago.

[Scrumhead]

I like Kvesic too. I was excited when Exeter signed him becasue I thought it might put him back in genuine contention for England. The fact that he’s not really secured a regular place in their match day 23, after over half a season is a curious footnote to his Gloucester and England situations. No-one seems to know why, but it does seem that coaches don’t fully rate/trust him.

What’s the story with Yeandle? Why is it good to see him in the lineup? Isn’t he normally there?

For years, Kvesic drifted in and out of games. As for now, the question is whether he gets cleared out too easily. With the way the AP is reffed, he doesn't fit.

Granted we all pretty much hate how the AP is reffed...

Maybe. But then Willis, Young, O’Connor and Wallace have all shown in the last few weeks that you can legally jackal in the AP. So have Cowan-Dickie and Salvi.

It could be that it’s taken a while for the players to adjust to the new laws and it could be that the refs are allowing a bit more honest competition for the ball. I think it’s a bit of both, but I don’t see why Kvesic couldn’t do it if given the opportunity.

[Digby]

I like Kvesic too. I was excited when Exeter signed him becasue I thought it might put him back in genuine contention for England. The fact that he’s not really secured a regular place in their match day 23, after over half a season is a curious footnote to his Gloucester and England situations. No-one seems to know why, but it does seem that coaches don’t fully rate/trust him.

What’s the story with Yeandle? Why is it good to see him in the lineup? Isn’t he normally there?

For years, Kvesic drifted in and out of games. As for now, the question is whether he gets cleared out too easily. With the way the AP is reffed, he doesn't fit.

Granted we all pretty much hate how the AP is reffed...

Maybe. But then Willis, Young, O’Connor and Wallace have all shown in the last few weeks that you can legally jackal in the AP. So have Cowan-Dickie and Salvi.

It could be that it’s taken a while for the players to adjust to the new laws and it could be that the refs are allowing a bit more honest competition for the ball. I think it’s a bit of both, but I don’t see why Kvesic couldn’t do it if given the opportunity.

I think there's a fair case the AP is being reffed more in line with WR announcements, but I never like to see sides backing off the ruck.

What the solution is to getting defences to put numbers in and still allowing for attacking continuity I don't know. Maybe if defence puts nobody we could have the first 3 defenders on each side of the ruck not being allowed to breathe and having to chant 'kabaddi'

[twitchy]

I'm pretty nervous for this. Chiefs have been in a real slump of late.

[Peej]

Absentees (just the 21 this week including 11 of First XV):

15
14 Williams
13 Taylor
12 Tompkins, Griffiths
11 Maitland
10 Farrell
9. Wigglesworth, Taylor

1. Vunipola
2. George, Tolofua
3. Koch
4. Itoje
5. Skelton
6. Rhodes
7. Clark, Burger, Conlon, Hankin
8. Vunipola, Vailanu

Who is Griffiths?

Could you not have played Maitland and Williams if you wanted too?

On a side note, it's a little inconsistent that Kruis and Simmonds have been released to club duty and Daly and Haskell, who havent had any rugby for weeks, aren't.

[Banquo]

silly boy

[Peej]

Earle looking sharper today. Obviously keen to make amends!