Chiefs Vs Tigers

[FKAS]

STARTING XV
15 Freddie Steward [47]
14 Chris Ashton [4]
13 Guy Porter [37]
12 Dan Kelly [39]
11 Nemani Nadolo [30]
10 George Ford [119]
9 Ben Youngs [274]
1 Ellis Genge (c) [101]
2 Julián Montoya [21]
3 Joe Heyes [92]
4 Harry Wells [146]
5 Eli Snyman [15]
6 Ollie Chessum [23]
7 Hanro Liebenberg (vc) [49]
8 Jasper Wiese [35]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Nic Dolly [18]
17 James Whitcombe [18]
18 Nephi Leatigaga [62]
19 Calum Green [82]
20 Tommy Reffell [69]
21 Jack van Poortvliet [41]
22 Freddie Burns [93]
23 Matías Moroni [26]

EXETER CHIEFS: 15 Josh Hodge, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 Tom O'Flaherty 10 Joe Simmonds (c); 9 Sam Maunder;
1 Alec Hepburn, 2 Jack Innard, 3 Harry Williams, 4 Richard Capstick, 5 Jonny Gray, 6 Dave Ewers, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 8 Sam Simmonds
Replacements: 16 Jack Yeandle, 17 Billy Keast, 18 Patrick Schickerling, 19 Will Witty, 20 Santiago Grondona, 21 Jack Maunder, 22 Harvey Skinner, 23 Facundo Cordero

[FKAS]

Not much in it. Tigers maybe slightly stronger on paper but Exeter will have home advantage. Hodge Vs Steward should be a good watch, both played under 20s together.

Tigers seem to be missing Martin and Cole through injury and still no word on MVS and that nasty concussion he suffered.

[fivepointer]

Should be a close one.
Exe are missing a few still. Capstick at lock is an interesting call. Good young player but i dont think he's played there before.
The contrast between the FB's and what they can bring to the game should be something to keep an eye on.

[Peej]

Aren't the international players supposed to have a rest?

[FKAS]

Aren't the international players supposed to have a rest?

A week off sometime in the next three weeks. Tigers have a bye week next week.

[Peej]

Ah that's fortunate timing! Presumably there isn't some odd rule that says they have to have a week off on top of the bye?

[Peej]

Also fair play to Sam Maunder, who has seized the 9 shirt for Chiefs.

[Puja]

No real 7 on either side - Tigers seem to have picked a back 5 to go toe-to-toe with Exeter, especially at the lineout, with Green on the bench if we need more mauling and Reffell on the bench if we want to switch it up and go jackalling. I'd hope that that Leicester front row would have the advantage over the Exeter one in the scrum, but it's rare that Exeter go too far backwards. Nice to see that we're trusting Ashton - his finish against Irish the other week was top drawer and I think he could be a real weapon for us through the end of the season.

Huge game for both sides. Exeter need a win to hang onto 4th place - if results go against them, they could go down to 7th with a loss. Whereas Tigers will want to put a marker down for the playoffs - if we plan on winning the Premiership this season, we need to go into games like this with a bit of a strut, expecting to win.

Puja

[FKAS]

Ah that's fortunate timing! Presumably there isn't some odd rule that says they have to have a week off on top of the bye?

Don't believe so. I think there's a cap in terms of minutes played before time off is required. Probably only Genge and Steward qualifying for that.

[Puja]

Ah that's fortunate timing! Presumably there isn't some odd rule that says they have to have a week off on top of the bye?

Don't believe so. I think there's a cap in terms of minutes played before time off is required. Probably only Genge and Steward qualifying for that.

And it's not as though Borthwick doesn't love a bit of rotation anyway. I can't imagine that Steward and Genge won't get a game or two off before the end of the season regardless of the rules.

Puja

[FKAS]

Ah that's fortunate timing! Presumably there isn't some odd rule that says they have to have a week off on top of the bye?

Don't believe so. I think there's a cap in terms of minutes played before time off is required. Probably only Genge and Steward qualifying for that.

And it's not as though Borthwick doesn't love a bit of rotation anyway. I can't imagine that Steward and Genge won't get a game or two off before the end of the season regardless of the rules.

Puja

If we didn't have the bye week next week I think Borthwick would have rotated for this one. I'm expecting strong squads at home and then rotate for away games.

[Banquo]

I think Tigers should win relatively easily. Exeter haven't found any sort of consistency, owing to second row issue imo.

[Puja]

I think Tigers should win relatively easily. Exeter haven't found any sort of consistency, owing to second row issue imo.

Not a great run-in for Exeter if they lose this one: Bath at home should be 5, but then they've got Saracens away and a bye week - if they come away from 4 Prem weekends with only 6-7 points, they could end up out of the race for 4th place with two rounds to go.

Puja

[Banquo]

I think Tigers should win relatively easily. Exeter haven't found any sort of consistency, owing to second row issue imo.

Not a great run-in for Exeter if they lose this one: Bath at home should be 5, but then they've got Saracens away and a bye week - if they come away from 4 Prem weekends with only 6-7 points, they could end up out of the race for 4th place with two rounds to go.

Puja

Yes, maybe that hunger will help them, but its been a poor season by their standards. Big disruptions and injuries not helped.

[twitchy]

Yep this is going to a walk in the park for tigers. Jogging it in for the first score.

[Puja]

Leicester absolutely dominant in the first 7 minutes. Exeter caught the kick-off, sent Ewers up on the carry and Wiese and Genge pick him up and send him backward 5 metres. We then pin them back in the 22, charge down the box-kick and then spent 5 minutes winning penalty after penalty as Exeter cheat to keep up out, only for Ford to eventually pull out a glorious cross-field kick for Ashton to score.

Could've had a penalty try from O'Flaherty slapping the ball down a minute or two before as well. Great start.

Puja

[Puja]

Yep this is going to a walk in the park for tigers. Jogging it in for the first score.

Bit early for that. Good start notwithstanding, Exeter definitely have the quality to come back into it. Just had a very good attack right up to the Leicester line, just as I type.

Puja

[FKAS]

O'Flaherty was a very lucky boy, he knew it as well, looked nervous. Probably lucky Dean Richards is the TMO he tends to be very hit and miss in what he gets involved in.

Beautiful crossfield kick from Ford for Ashton for the try. Hodge will be disappointed because he over chases a lost cause and then let's Ashton step him beyond the try line.

[FKAS]

Well the officials nearly missed that one as well. Vermulen had his head in his hands which should have been the obvious give away there

[FKAS]

Lack of precision in attack is really hurting Tigers at the minute. Chiefs spoiling so many attacks.

[Puja]

We needed that try. Would've been very disheartening to have had so much of that first half and go in at only 5-0 up.

Hope Ford's okay - massive player for us.

Puja

[Puja]

That was a comedy decision from the referee and TMO. Steward gets taken out as he runs and jumps to take a high ball and somehow concedes a penalty for "running into the back of the Exeter player". And now Ashton's been penalised for a lifting tackle despite only actually lifting one leg and not tipping the player beyond just a decent tackle.

Thankfully justice is done as Ewers is held up over the line and that's half-time.

Puja

[francoisfou]

Just caught the last two minutes of the first half and heard the familiar dulcit tones of Dallaglio - again. How many times did he mention the name of world-class Farrell?

[FKAS]

Dayglo has been completely shite on the mic as usual.

Puja, agree. Whitten running beyond where the ball is going to fall and then blocking Steward isn't a penalty is ridiculous. I can only think that Steward tried to milk it a bit by jumping into him despite not being under the ball.

[Puja]

Dayglo has been completely shite on the mic as usual.

Puja, agree. Whitten running beyond where the ball is going to fall and then blocking Steward isn't a penalty is ridiculous. I can only think that Steward tried to milk it a bit by jumping into him despite not being under the ball.

I don't know that it was any milking - Steward does tend to jump from a distance out and he does have a right to expect that the opposition aren't a full metre ahead of where the ball's landing to block him off.

Puja