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LEFT<br />
CENTRE<br />
HENRY SLADE<br />
BELOW<br />
LOCK<br />
RUS TUIMA<br />
IN OPPOSITION<br />
EXETER CHIEFS<br />
NICKNAME<br />
<strong>Chiefs</strong><br />
FOUNDED<br />
1871<br />
HOME GROUND<br />
Sandy Park<br />
DIRECTOR OF RUGBY<br />
ROB BAXTER<br />
CAPTAIN<br />
Jack Yeandle<br />
<strong>Exeter</strong> <strong>Chiefs</strong> arrive at Kingston Park determined to avenge<br />
the 25-21 defeat they suffered here last season.<br />
Sitting third in the table after winning all four of their home<br />
games, the <strong>Chiefs</strong> set out today in search of their first<br />
Premiership away victory in over a year after ten successive<br />
losses on the road.<br />
The Devon side have had a major and well-publicised makeover<br />
to their squad for the current campaign, putting their faith<br />
largely in youth after a summer which saw a host of their<br />
established stars moving on.<br />
Among those heading for the exit were the Simmonds brothers,<br />
Sam and Joe, who departed for France, with the Top 14 also<br />
enticing Jack Nowell and Harry Williams.<br />
Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg rand veteran centre Ian Whitten<br />
both retired, back-row totem Dave Ewers headed to Ulster,<br />
Jannes Kirsten returned to The Bulls, Solomone Kate joined<br />
Leicester Tigers and England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie<br />
headed north to Sale Sharks.<br />
An emphasis on building from the ground up was at the heart<br />
of the recruitment strategy with Wales centre Joe Hawkins<br />
one of a small number of arrivals which also included former<br />
<strong>Falcons</strong> fly-half Will Haydon-Wood, via Wasp and Massy.<br />
Osprey Ethan Roots added back-row ballast having arrived<br />
from Ospreys, and despite their off-season exodus there has<br />
been plenty of promise shown during the opening months of<br />
their campaign.<br />
BELOW<br />
FLY-HALF<br />
HARVEY SKINNER<br />
The Premiership Rugby Cup holders made it through to the<br />
semi-finals of this season’s competition after winning four of<br />
their five pool games, beginning with a 75-0 home thumping of<br />
Bristol Bears.<br />
Round two brought a 38-13 victory away to South-West rivals<br />
Cornish Pirates, with a late-September trip to Jersey seeing the<br />
<strong>Chiefs</strong> as 43-22 winners.<br />
That game was to prove the final match for Jersey Reds as<br />
their financial issues came to the fore in the ensuing days, but<br />
<strong>Exeter</strong>’s cup form continued in the capital with a 47-10 triumph<br />
at London Scottish.<br />
A 34-14 loss at Bath in the last group game could not prevent<br />
them from topping the pool, and the league campaign got<br />
off to a flyer when their 65-10 home thumping of Saracens<br />
provided the shock of the season so far.<br />
Away form in the Premiership has proved more elusive as they<br />
were beaten 22-14 at Harlequins, but their Sandy Park form<br />
continued when Sale Sharks were demolished 49-0 in late<br />
October.<br />
Bristol were beaten 29-20 in Devon before a round-four trip to<br />
Northampton saw the Saints go marching in with a 34-19 East<br />
Midland triumph.<br />
Last weekend’s home game against Gloucester saw a lastminute<br />
penalty from Henry Slade sealing a dramatic 25-24<br />
triumph, setting things up nicely for this afternoon’s Kingston<br />
Park cracker.<br />
IN OPPOSITION - EXETER CHIEFS<br />
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