Exeter vs Saracens - Saturday 3pm

[Puja]

Exeter: Hogg; Nowell, Slade, Whitten, O'Flaherty; J Simmonds, J Maunder; Hepburn, Cowan-Dickie, Iosefa-Scott, Gray, Hill, Ewers, Armand, S Simmonds.

Replacements: Yeandle, Kenny, Nixon, Capstick, Kiresten, S Maunder, H Skinner, Hendrickson.

Saracens: Malins; Lewington, Lozowski, Tompkins, Daly; Goode (co-capt), Davies; M Vunipola, Lewis, Koch, Itoje, Isiekwe, Wray (co-capt), Earl, B Vunipola .

Replacements: Pifeleti, Mawi, Clarey, Swinson, McFarland, Christie, van Zyl, Morris.

[Puja]

Much like last week, a game where I wouldn't mind if both sides lost.

Exeter have gone back to Simmonds at 10, which is interesting. Not sure he's done anything to demand it or Skinner's done much to lose it, but I suppose things do have to change. Neither bench particularly looks like it's packed with game-changers.

Puja

[Peej]

Sarries have gone for a 6:2, presumably expecting to have to keep this tight and maul for 80 minutes.

Think this could be a rather dull game

[Banquo]

Daly back, and on the wing.....yee ha. Also Nowell.

Lots of talent on display- hope they use it

[Mikey Brown]

Daly back, and on the wing.....yee ha. Also Nowell.

Lots of talent on display- hope they use it

Yeah particularly interesting given how much Malins has played there recently. I know Daly prefers 13 but I have no idea about wing vs fullback.

Maybe he's looked back at 2017 and figured that's his best route to more England caps.

Harvey Skinner on the bench. How the mighty have fallen.

[fivepointer]

LCD, Hill and Gray back for Exe. Suddenly that pack looks a lot more formidable.

Bound to be a bit of a slugfest with a fair bit of aerial ping pong, which maybe explains Simmonds coming back in.

[p/d]

Tidy. Power up front, playmakers in the backs…. But

[Banquo]

LCD, Hill and Gray back for Exe. Suddenly that pack looks a lot more formidable.

Bound to be a bit of a slugfest with a fair bit of aerial ping pong, which maybe explains Simmonds coming back in.

? Never seen Simmonds as particularly a kicking 10. Strength of his game has been distribution and taking it up himself.

[Peej]

Really? I see him primarily as a kicking 10.

[Banquo]

Really? I see him primarily as a kicking 10.

He's (or was) very good from the kicking tee, but not especially seen him kick that much from hand....9/Nic White used to do that. His passing is top notch and he's a decent pacy runner. Exeter rely much more on attritional ball retention and winning pens for field position (which Slade really takes advantage of down the right)from more than 30m from their line. It could be my perception, but just looking at the only stats I could easily find, in the Champions Cup final v Racing, Exeter only kicked 17 times (v Racing 21) and both of those are relatively small numbers...and as I said, Exeter kick from the base of rucks a lot, and that number would also include kick returns, as it were.

[p/d]

Indeed. Simmonds is very much a ball in hand player

[FKAS]

Much like last week, a game where I wouldn't mind if both sides lost.

Exeter have gone back to Simmonds at 10, which is interesting. Not sure he's done anything to demand it or Skinner's done much to lose it, but I suppose things do have to change. Neither bench particularly looks like it's packed with game-changers.

Puja

Really I thought Skinner has generally looked out of his depth. He might develop but Currently he'd get nowhere the 10 shirt at any other Prem club even Newcastle.

[twitchy]

The game is this afternoon (just a heads up).

[Danno]

The game is this afternoon (just a heads up).

Ugh back to bed for me.

[Oakboy]

Much like last week, a game where I wouldn't mind if both sides lost.

Exeter have gone back to Simmonds at 10, which is interesting. Not sure he's done anything to demand it or Skinner's done much to lose it, but I suppose things do have to change. Neither bench particularly looks like it's packed with game-changers.

Puja

Really I thought Skinner has generally looked out of his depth. He might develop but Currently he'd get nowhere the 10 shirt at any other Prem club even Newcastle.

Agreed. Do you think the same about Maunder? He makes White look better every time he plays, IMO.

[Puja]

The game is this afternoon (just a heads up).

What do you mean? The thread has always said Saturday. We've always been at war with Eurasia.

Puja

[Banquo]

The game is this afternoon (just a heads up).

What do you mean? The thread has always said Saturday. We've always been at war with Eurasia.

Puja

[Banquo]

poor twice from Malins, got lucky

[Mellsblue]

Healey needs to go specsavers. Billy was off the scrum ages before Maunder did anything.

[Banquo]

Healey needs to go specsavers. Billy was off the scrum ages before Maunder did anything.

yep marginal at best. iffy reffing to date tho.

itoje immense

[Banquo]

lol 20 metres for dissent

[Danno]

Fuck yeah, march em Pearce

[Mellsblue]

Anyone else wishing Healey and Dallaglio were watching a different game?

[Danno]

Anyone else wishing Healey and Dallaglio were watching a different game?

[Banquo]

commentators at odds w ref. Malins bit shaky