\n\tExeter Chiefs host Leicester Tigers at a sold-out Sandy Park on Sunday afternoon as Chiefs look to finish 2025 on a high in round eight of the Gallagher PREM.<\/p>\n
\n\tChiefs took an influential bonus-point win over Saracens at the StoneX stadium pre-Christmas, cementing themselves in the second place slot in the league table with Bath Rugby ahead of them and Northampton Saints behind on points difference in third place.<\/p>\n
\n\tChiefs\u2019 director of rugby Rob Baxter said: \u201cOn the whole, I think we can be pretty pleased with how the whole game was formulated against Saracens. It\u2019s what gave us the opportunity to win the game.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThis week, when you look at the England international quality Leicester have to be able to great some moments, it\u2019s impressive. They\u2019ve got genuine pace on the wings, a very good full-back and their scrum is currently the highest penalty winning scrum in the Prem, I think, so there\u2019s some real challenges there for us.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe\u2019re going to have to be very good to nullify all of that and enforce our own game on them. We\u2019re at that stage in the season though where you\u2019re going to get big challenges, the top four is going to be fought for very hard now because there\u2019s still a lot of clubs that won\u2019t feel they\u2019re too far off it with the league being so tight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tHooker Joseph Dweba returns to the starting line-up having been rested with a slight [what] strain picked up against Racing 92 in the EPCR Challenge Cup. Scott Sio also starts at loosehead prop with Bachuki Tchumbadze retaining the tighthead berth.<\/p>\n
\n\tDafydd Jenkins captains the side from the second row alongside Andrea Zambonin. Tom Hooper starts in the back-row with Ethan Roots and Greg Fisilau as the sole Wallabies player in the side following the news of Len Ikitau\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n
\n\tFresh off scoring a try against Saracens on his return to Chiefs action, Stephen Varney links up with Harvey Skinner in the half-back spots. Will Rigg comes into the side to partner Henry Slade in the centres.<\/p>\n
\n\tHaving impressed out of position at the StoneX, Olly Woodburn is named at full-back for a second time with Campbell Ridl and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the wings.<\/p>\n
\n\tBaxter added: \u201cI\u2019ve been really impressed with Leicester. Even when they\u2019ve been playing in really tough situations, tough conditions, and against very good sides, they\u2019re very dogged and they\u2019re in the fight all the time.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThat\u2019s probably the most important quality a team can have and I\u2019d like to think that\u2019s something that we look like we\u2019ve got at the moment, or that we\u2019ve improved upon at the start of this season.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tClub captain Jack Yeandle brings a wealth of experience to the bench, named in a replacement front row with Will Goodrick-Clarke and Jimmy Roots. Second row Rusi Tuima rotates back into the side as he and youngster Kane James round out the forwards contingent of the bench.<\/p>\n
\n\tFor the backs, Dan John returns to the line-up as he is named the 23rd man with Charlie Chapman and Will Haydon-Wood at 21 and 22.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe sell-out game kicks off at 15:00 in Devon, broadcast live on TNT Sports.<\/p>\n
\n
\n\tExeter Chiefs:<\/p>\n
\n\t15 Olly Woodburn<\/p>\n
\n\t14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso<\/p>\n
\n\t13 Henry Slade<\/p>\n
\n\t12 Will Rigg<\/p>\n
\n\t11 Campbell Ridl<\/p>\n
\n\t10 Harvey Skinner<\/p>\n
\n\t9 Stephen Varney<\/p>\n
\n
\n\t1 Scott Sio<\/p>\n
\n\t2 Joseph Dweba<\/p>\n
\n\t3 Bachuki Tchumbadze<\/p>\n
\n\t4 Dafydd Jenkins (c)<\/p>\n
\n\t5 Andrea Zambonin<\/p>\n
\n\t6 Tom Hooper<\/p>\n
\n\t7 Ethan Roots<\/p>\n
\n\t8 Greg Fisilau<\/p>\n
\n
\n\tReplacements: <\/p>\n
\n\t16 Jack Yeandle<\/p>\n
\n\t17 Will Goodrick-Clarke<\/p>\n
\n\t18 Jimmy Roots<\/p>\n
\n\t19 Rusi Tuima<\/p>\n
\n\t20 Kane James<\/p>\n
\n\t21 Charlie Chapman<\/p>\n
\n\t22 Will Haydon-Wood<\/p>\n
\n\t23 Dan John<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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