Exeter Chiefs vs Bath Rugby

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Exeter Chiefs


15 Stuart Hogg
14 Olly Woodburn
13 Ian Whitten
12 Tom Hendrickson
11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Joe Simmonds
9 Sam Maunder
1 Alec Hepburn
2 Jack Yeandle
3 Patrick Schickerling
4 Jannes Kirsten
5 Jonny Gray
6 Dave Ewers
7 Sam Skinner
8 Jacques Vermeulen

Replacements
16 Jack Innard
17 Billy Keast
18 Marcus Street
19 Richard Capstick
20 Santiago Grondona
21 Jack Maunder
22 Harvey Skinner
23 Josh Hodge

Bath

15 Tom De Glanville
14 Semesa Rokoduguni
13 Jonathan Joseph
12 Max Clark
11 Joe Cokansiga
10 Orlando Bailey
9 Ben Spencer
8 Nathan Hughes
7 Sam Underhill
6 Josh Bayliss
5 Charlie Ewels
4 Will Spencer
3 Will Stuart
2 Jacques Du Toit
1 Valery Morozov

Replacements
16 Tom Dunn
17 Arthur Cardwell
18 Darcy Raye
19 Mike Williams
20 Ewan Richards
21 Joe Simpson
22 Danny Cipriani
23 Will Muir

Well hopefully your line out will work this week with that selection but Skinner a 7?

Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant Referees: Simon Harding & Gareth Holsgrove.
TMO: Tom Foley.
Citing Officer: John Byett

Weather Forecast as at 1200 Friday
Light rain showers and light winds from the east north east
Temperature will feel like 6 degrees
Low chance of rain

Television Coverage
Not on BT this weekend but available on PRTV

Television Coverage
Not on BT this weekend but available on PRTV

Exeter Chiefs have slipped to back-to-back defeats in Gallagher Premiership Rugby, at Worcester and at home to Leicester. The Chiefs record at Sandy Park in Premiership Rugby this season is won five, lost five.

Bath Rugby are unbeaten in their last three Gallagher Premiership Rugby encounters since their 20-24 reversal to Leicester at the Recreation Ground in Round 17. Bath won their most recent away game in Premiership Rugby at Newcastle, their first victory on the road in the competition for almost twelve months.

Exeter have won their last five matches against Bath in Premiership Rugby whilst their only loss to Bath since 2016 was 10-13 at the Rec in October 2019. Bath’s only victory at Sandy Park since 2014 was 13-10 in October 2016

I assume that Moony is still under HIA protocols. Stuart is looking very good atm and that front row contest could be key.

Despite Baths record this season their squad must have twice as manny international caps, so to underestimate them would be crazy.

This is a banana skin in waiting.
The forwards will have to do it all, and I’m not sure they have it in them to subdue for 80 minutes, a Bath pack beginning to believe in itself again.
There is the usual “big banger” syndrome in the centres. Both players are hardworking and whole hearted but the spark of creativity does not burn very brightly.
I very much want to see a dominant performance, but I think this may be a shock and another home loss, killing our playoff hopes stone dead.
Chiefs 22 Bath 24.

Hmmm...Chiefs 25 Bath 15. Not going to make this one as I have coronavirus!

Chiefs 28 - Bath 17

Think our back five will be dominant so Exeter 31 - 23 Bath

Keeping the faith ... Chiefs to win 30:18

In Rob we trust.
By the way - cream on first. There's nothing to debate.

Would of liked to have seen Kirsten and Skinner other way around but the coaches know best.
Think it will be tight. Chiefs 27 - 22 Bath

With kirsten, skinner, Hogg all fresh think this is a 5 pointer chiefs 33.bath 17 Beats me why Townsend is not in the line up.

The pack is the key tomorrow, and I believe we have the superior and the bench looks very strong feel some players are being rested.
If The Jacks can get their darts right, we should find it easier to hopefully control the game.
Won’t be surprised if they kick as Tigers did and hope to capitalise on the ridiculous panic that ensured with a bouncing ball. We need to hold it and control it, and being one of the few teams to struggle at their place let’s make up for it.
Bath are still great players in a good team but in transition, let’s not give them a start to a good Spring. Chiefs 35- Bath salts 21

Quote:

keithbar54
With kirsten, skinner, Hogg all fresh think this is a 5 pointer chiefs 33.bath 17 Beats me why Townsend is not in the line up.

Agree about ST, tho I would have liked to see JM start. This game against a nothing to lose, dangerous Bath will define our Prem season esp if we lose. SM has had a few starts now I’d have rested him and brought him back for Munster in a comp which we are highly unlikely to win.

Against Bath we’ve came out on top in 9 out of the last 10, usually with a good result. This time with a Bath side that’s finding it’s mojo, l think we’ll still win by 7.

Chiefs 27 - 20 Bath

We are Exeter, We are Chiefs

29 - 22 to Exe

Chiefs 27 - Bath 12

What team will turn up for us - have they recovered from the last two weeks? Some players rested for Munster I think. looking at the Bath side it is difficult to reconcile their league position. Please no more cards or interceptions. We need five points but think Bath will punish any tackle lapses by our back three. Chiefs 36 Bath 32 and a nervy afternoon.

With a must win game, Chiefs 35 Bath 33.

We really are in must win territory! Surprised that some are rested for Munster, maybe we are not fussed on the prem and going all out for the euros! Our recent poor form is just a ruse to lull Munster into a false sense of security!!!!
With that team I think we'll bludgen them into submission so Chiefs 31 Bath 18

Very definitely "must win territory". Found myself quietly cheering Sarries last night. I think the top four is beyond us but we still have a good chance of top six.
Mrs PC Chiefs by 24 - 21
PC Chiefs 31 - 18
Go REALLY well Chiefs

Chiefs 30 Bath 19 - but I'm almost certain I'll be wrong

As ever this season a result that probably depends on how our line out functions with a back row playing at lock?
It shouldn't really matter as we have 4 catching options in the team but our line out has been a mess really recently and I can't have any confidence in us getting results until I have confidence in our line out.
We should be good enough but confidence levels are not high here, maybe Bath will have more confidence on the pitch too?

Definitely a potential banana skin this one, Bath starting to come good at just the wrong time for us. Nevertheless I'll go for a Chiefs win 31 - 26.

Going to be a real tough fight as Bath are finding a bit of form again, but hoping Chiefs will have sorted out some of the basic errors of last week to scrape home 21-20.

I'm nervey about this one but just keeping the faith. With our form nd lack of spark in the midfield I can't see the high scores some are predicting but defence has ge really been tight this year (when we don't throw it to the opposition!) Chiefs 19 Bath 12

Chiefs 33 (because we need a bonus point win) Bath 21

Well played Exeter. Bath gave it everything, but your lungs lasted a couple of minutes longer than ours, and then our heads dropped (helped by a couple of outrageous dummies), and the floodgates opened.

No surprise, at least to me, that nobody predicted SIX tries. Mike the Shirt and Bold Eagle are now tied in first place with 50 points each. Clalan two points back followed by Cornwall Chief a further two back. Five points separate the top five players.
50 Points: Mike the Shirt; Bold Eagle
48 Points: Clalan
46 Points: Cornwall Chief
45 Points: Osmium
42 Points: Mrs PC
40 Points: Ex 58
37 Points: Plympton Chief; Curry Chief
36 Points: Chief Firewater
35: Ouch That Hurts; ExTeddChief; The Stoke Canon; DumnoniiNomad
34 Points: Fisher
33 Points: Keithbar54
32 Points: Big Chief Little Chief
30 Points: Thomas Hawk
22 Points: Last of the Beercans
20 Points: Exeterfan
16 Points: Ljs399
15 Points: Scottish Chief
11 Points: Lapo
10 Points: Father Alice; Alain le Chief

Interesting problem next week predicting the Munster result. Will we have Henry and Jonny Hill back in our ranks?

With the players we have in the second row will Rob play Hill again this season. Traditionally Rob doesn’t play players who are leaving.

Quote:

Chief Fire Water
With the players we have in the second row will Rob play Hill again this season. Traditionally Rob doesn’t play players who are leaving.

I hope pragmatism will prevail and we put out our best available players.

Rob has continually played Flats although he knew he was leaving.

Quote:

cornwallchief
Rob has continually played Flats although he knew he was leaving.

Is that because we have lack of cover it that position .

I agree but not so much cover just he has been our best wing - with nowelsy out - and Rob was/is still hoping to get in the top four.