Exeter Chiefs vs Montpellier-Herault: Heineken Champions Cup

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Exeter Chiefs

15 Tom Wyatt
14 Jack Nowell
13 Henry Slade
12 Sean O’Brien
11 Olly Woodburn
10 Joe Simmonds
9 Will Becconsall
8 Sam Simmonds
7 Christ Tshiunza
6 Jannes Kirsten
5 Dafydd Jenkins
4 Jonly Gray
3 Marcus Street
2 Dan Frost
1 Scott Sio


16 Jack Yeandle
17 Alec Hepburn
18 Josh Iosefa-Scott
19 Aidon Davis
20 Dave Ewers
21 Tom Cairns
22 Harvey Skinner
23 Josh Hodge

Match Officials

Referee: Andrew Brace

Assistant Referees: Eoghan Cross and Oisin Quinn

TMO: Joy Nevill

Frost starting??
Even in the 23 ???
There go the lineouts!
Great to see some changes even if I would have liked to see more.

Weather Forecast as at 1200 Friday

Light cloud and a gentle breeze from the northeast
Temperature 9 degrees but will feel like 7 degrees
Low chance of Precipitation.

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TV Coverage

SD Channel 408 BT Sports 1 from 1200 for 1230 kick off
HD Channel 430 BT Sports 1 from 1200 for 1230 kick off
ITV1 HD Channel 103 from 1200 for 1230 kick off

Positives, joe and Jannes Johnny and Will Becconsall start, Wyatt gets his big chance. And Cairns on the bench. But no Devoto? And let’s hope Jenkins is a little more disciplined this week.

Is Hogg still injured?

Heart rules head, Chiefs 27 21 Montpellier

Is Innard injured? He is our best Hooker imo. Can't see us winning this but i hope i'm wrong.
Chiefs 15 - 28 Montpellier

Lots of good matchups.

Beconsall v Reinach
Sio v Haouas 👀
MBE v Garbisi
Wyatt v Bouthier
NOMBE v Mercer

Great opportunity for the younsters!

Montpellier Herault Rugby

15 ANTHONY BOUTHIER
14 BEN LAM
13 THOMAS DARMON
12 JAN SERFONTEIN
11 VINCENT RATTEZ
10 PAOLO GARBISI
9 COBUS REINACH
8 ZACH MERCER
7 MASIVESI DAKUWAQ
6 NICOLAAS JANSE VAN RENSBURG
5 TYLER DUGUID
4 ELLIOTT STOOKE
3 HENRY THOMAS
2 BRANDON PAENGA-AMOSA
1 ENZO FORLETTA


16 CURTIS LANGDON
17 SIMON-PIERRE CHAUVAC
18 MOHAMED HAOUAS
19 LENNI NOUCHI
20 LÉO COLY
21 LOUIS CARBONEL
22 GEORGE BRIDGE
23 MARCO TAULEIGNE

When forecasting the final scores don’t forget to make allowance for the fact that Cobus Reinach will score a sucker try, probably sniping around the fringes, because he always does…

Jack Nowell's 150th Prem/Euro game and Jack Yeandle's 250th this weekend. Hope they are part of a performance to remember for the right reasons.

Am I right in thinking that their bench has a 4-4 split? Leo Coly at 20 is, I'm sure, a scrum half!! Also no Yacouba Camera or Willemse who are big losses for them IMO. Still a strong side though, hopeful more than optimistic.

Strongest lineup for a while even if I'd have Hodge over Wyatt.

As we're at home I'll lean towards optimism. Chiefs 30 Montpellier 25.

Chief Bert, not sure why but their back-row cover (Tauleigne) is listed at the end. So it is 5-3



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:03:31:13:27:57 by CommanderInChief.

Should be an interesting game both sides below full strength and we have home advantage so I am optimistic of a very strong performance. Clearly there had to be changes through lack of form and injury so for me I’m looking forward to the game and to see how the young inexperienced team perform. It’s a very big ask to step up in such a big game but let’s all not judge them on one performance if things don’t go as we all hope. Thought Hodge might have started ahead of woody given the bang he got last week on his head.

Chiefs 27 v M 24

Aah ok thanks CiC.

Quote:

Tiverton Brave
Frost starting??
Even in the 23 ???
There go the lineouts!
Great to see some changes even if I would have liked to see more.

Think you’re being very harsh on Frost, he has the making of a very good hooker, and as for throwing the line out you could easily say that about Yeandle. But these aren’t the old days of set piece to set piece. The hookers as both mentioned show do a a lot more than just lineouts.
Looking forward to this, and Joe starting. Need more hunger and these young boys have it as so many leaving had when they started out.

Just hope for a better performance, they have some dangerous players and I think they will be too strong for us. Hope I’m wrong but Chiefs 24 Montpellier 31.

Good to see a few changes. Devoto played longer last week than I anticipate was intended so not shocked at his absence. Did think we might see Hendrickson at 12 this week.
Hope the 9s are allowed to play as they have in the Prem Cup, or will they have been given the script as bed time reading this week? 🤣

Edit to add predicrtion: Exe 24 Montpelier 27



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:03:31:15:19:04 by ExeterFan.

Quote:

ExeterFan
Good to see a few changes. Devoto played longer last week than I anticipate was intended so not shocked at his absence. Did think we might see Hendrickson at 12 this week.
Hope the 9s are allowed to play as they have in the Prem Cup, or will they have been given the script as bed time reading this week? 🤣

Edit to add predicrtion: Exe 24 Montpelier 27

Given Baxter went out his way to openly criticize players for not doing exactly what the Coaches told them to do, as good as suggesting they disobeyed rules deliberately, then yes, I am pretty damn sure they will have a lot of bed time reading this week !!

Usual optimism Exe 27 - 22 Montpellier but I could be wrong

Chiefs 28 - Montpellier 24

Chiefs 19 Montpellier 24

I really hope I'm wrong, but given recent performances and settling in some new faces, I think we're under powered.
Exe 15 Mon 20

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

The biggest surprise in selection for me is Sean O'Brien starting. I don't understand why he has been overlooked so much, only to start on Sunday. I'm not sure but think the only other game he has started for the Chiefs was away against Montpellier when he scored and we were well and truly beaten?
Hope he goes well..

Chiefs 30 Montpellier 28

I hope for a reaction from last week

Chiefs 22 Montpellier 15

Continuing the optimistic theme- Exeter 28 - 26 Montpellier

Chiefs 21 Montpellier 18

Hi Cialan, I am with Tiverton Brave. Frost is a good prospect compared to Yendle. Neither is as good as Innard who I suspect is injured. I would have dropped Frost completely not because of his throwing/in - Yendle is equally bad - but because of his reckless late challenge which saw a yellow. If the other player had been injured I think it was so late it would have been a red. If anybody had attacked our fly half in such a way we would be screaming on this forum. Foul play like that should have a consequence and dropping out of the 23 might mean he does not lose control again, He came very close to a similar incident in a previous match



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:03:31:20:49:26 by cornwallchief.

I am very pleased to see Joe Simmonds starting with Will Becconsall. I worry about the pace of our back row and fear for us at the breakdown. The scrum will be a battle and the lineouts who can tell.
Cobus Reinach and Mercer could well cause us big problems unless we scrummage better. Montpellier are not on great form and away. Providing we keep the penalties down I think we will win; at least my heart hopes so. Chiefs 38 Montpeller 25 The rest of the season my head is more likely to rule

Heart over head then: Chiefs 29 Montpellier 22

Just hope that win or lose we put that awful performance from last week firmly into the past

Interesting team reinach is a great 9 take him out the game and a win is more than a possibility. chiefs 21 mon 17

Chiefs 20 Montpellier 30

Reinach and Mercer are a very dangerous combination. Reinach is very quick both around the breakdown and in open play and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score. Mercer is almost too good - he gets turned over more than any other player in the top 14 normally because the rest of his team can’t keep up with him and are too late to the breakdown. So it’s a perfect opportunity to play a really good jackal specialist to take advantage of that - hmmm, any ideas?

Chiefs 17 Montpelier 27

Hopelessly optimistic as usual

Chiefs 19 - 17 MHR

If the predictions are right and we sneak a win, we'll be playinging Stormers at home.

They have just outquinned quins and pretty much demolished them.

We are living in interesting times....

More in hope than expectation - Chiefs 24 - MHR 21

No idea tbh. Exe 24- M 22? Hopefully.

In normal circumstances, l think we’d easily have a 15pt lead at 80mins, against a French side in our own backyard but I’m struggling with that based on current form. Only thing in our favour is home advantage but I’m still not convinced!
Chiefs 29 - 33 Montpellier hope I’m wrong and we have a home QF against Stormers next weekend

I think they will just be a bit too strong for us, so Chiefs 20 Montp. 30

Do we want to play Stormers next weekend? For 70 minutes they totally outplayed Quins and the final scoreline did not reflect the game. I reckon we'd lose to them by 30 points even at home.

Quote:

Exeforever
Do we want to play Stormers next weekend? For 70 minutes they totally outplayed Quins and the final scoreline did not reflect the game. I reckon we'd lose to them by 30 points even at home.

Of course we do. For financial reasons if no other.

Quins were away and played quite a naive game. Maybe we will lose but it can only be good experience for the players.

Chiefs 17 Mont 29 I really hope I am wrong. Going in hope!

Chiefs 14 Montpellier 28

Quote:

Exeforever
Do we want to play Stormers next weekend? For 70 minutes they totally outplayed Quins and the final scoreline did not reflect the game. I reckon we'd lose to them by 30 points even at home.

Stormers don’t currently know where they’re playing next weekend. An Exe win means Stormers have to arrange travel from Cape Town to Exeter at short notice this week (a Montpellier win today means Stormers are at home v the French). And Stormers are at home v Munster in 14 days for a big URC game. So they might copy the Bulls example and not send a full-strength travelling squad to Exe next week.

(Hopefully Montpellier have decided that they don’t fancy having to do a round-trip to Cape Town over the Easter weekend…)

This is where "baggage" and experience collide! Montpellier appear to have lots of experience while according to Rob we have baggage. Very keen to see how the youngsters get on and hope the target of a home tie against Stormers is enough encouragement to take the day.
But don't think it will
Mrs PC Ex 17 MHR 24
PC Ex 23 MHR 30

The Boys did good!
62 Points: Ouch that hurts;
61 Points: Mike the Shirt;
60 Points: Dumnoniinomad;
59 Points: Scottish Chief;
58 Points: Bold Eagle
57 Points:
56 Points: Andy15.1;
53 Points: Alain le Chief; Cornwall Chief; ExTedd Chief;
51 Points: Rowancroft73; Hankey;
50 Points: Plympton Chief; Osmium;
49 Points: Lowerwatha; Chief Firewater;
48 Points: Keithbar54;
45 Points: Not Manichean;
46 Points: Mrs PC;
43 Points:
42 Points: Currychef; Stokecanon;
41 Points: Lapo; Cully Chief;
40 Points: Big Chief Little Chief;
39 Points: Ex58;
36 Points: Fisher;
35 Points: Ljs399;
27 Points: Seaside Chief;
24 Points: Exeterfan;
22 Points: Broken Arrow;
21 Points: Moosechief;
Next week Stormers at Sandy Park. Let’s hope that there are more than the 10,500 watching this afternoon!!

Quote:

plymptonchief
The Boys did good!
Next week Stormers at Sandy Park. Let’s hope that there are more than the 10,500 watching this afternoon!!

I doubt it personally because:

It's all pay
It's the day before Easter and people will be away or have family commitments
It's on the telly
A win most likely sends us to France to play La Rochelle, a game that most people won't be able to afford to go to.
Council tax, food prices and fuel bills have just gone up yet again. For many it'll be £30 or £40 that they just can't afford.
I doubt that there will be a significant amount of away support