TOP OF TABLE CLASH Bristol versus Exeter team news

Details

Created on Friday, 23 April 2021 10:22

Last Updated on Friday, 23 April 2021 10:53

Published on Friday, 23 April 2021 10:22

Written by TOM TAINTON, MARK STEVENS & ROSS REID

British Lions pace ace Jack Nowell is set to make his first Exeter Chiefs start of the season in tonight’s decisive round 17 top of the table Premiership clash at Bristol (1945).

Fit-again Nowell made his first appearance of the season as a second half replacement in last Saturday’s emphatic 43-13 home win over Wasps.

Tonight the Cornwall-born England rugby international starts on the right wing, replacing 14 Facundo Cordero.

Steven Luatua returns to the Bristol Bears starting XV against second placed Exeter.

The skipper is one of seven changes to Pat Lam’s winning side, who are 12 points clear at the Prem summit following a 34-17 round 16 triumph at Newcastle, the Bears 13^th top flight win of the term.

Charles Piutau comes in at full back, while Sam Bedlow also returns to the backline. Last weekend’s player of the match, Max Malins, switches to fly half as Welsh pivot Callum Sheedy is unavailable.

In the pack, Bryan Byrne and Kyle Sinckler are named in the front row, while Dave Attwood and Dan Thomas also earn starts for the Ashton Gate clash.

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter make a number of changes to his winning XV.

Ben Moon and Tomas Francis come into the front-row in place of Alec Hepburn and Harry Williams; Scottish international Jonny Gray is restored to the second-row as Dave Ewers is side-lined by a calf injury, Sam Skinner drops into the back-row to replace the powerful Zimbabwean.

With Gray promoted from the bench, Richard Capstick comes into the match-day 23, as does returning Irish international Ian Whitten.

Bristol Bears starting 15 Charles Piutau 14 Niyi Adeolokun 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Sam Bedlow 11 Luke Morahan 10 Max Malins 9 Andy Uren 1 Yann Thomas 2 Bryan Byrne 3 Kyle Sinckler 4 Dave Attwood 5 Chris Vui 6 Steven Luatua (capt) 7 Dan Thomas 8 Jake Heenan

16 Will Capon 17 Jake Woolmore 18 John Afoa 19 Joe Joyce 20 Fitz Harding 21 Tom Kessell 22 Ioan Lloyd 23 Alapati Leiua

Exeter Chiefs starting 15 Stuart Hogg 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Tom O’Flaherty 10 Joe Simmonds (capt) 9 Jack Maunder 1 Ben Moon 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 3 Tomas Francis 4 Jonny Gray 5 Jonny Hill 6 Sam Skinner 7 Jacques Vermeulen 8 Sam Simmonds

16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Harry Williams 19 Sean Lonsdale 20 Richard Capstick 21 Stu Townsend 22 Harvey Skinner 23 Ian Whitten

• < Prev
• Next >