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Exeter name same team to face a Toulouse team forced into one change
Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter has named an unchanged team to take on Toulouse on Sunday from the one that he believes put in their performance of the season against Bath last week.
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The Chiefs overcame Bath at Sandy Park in wild conditions in the Investec Champions Cup last 16, with Baxter praising the maturity of his young squad.
The 2020 Champions Cup winners travel to one of the unhappiest hunting ground for visitors in Europe, the Stade Ernest-Wallon, on Sunday and will face a Toulouse side that have made only one change to their XV after dismantling Racing 92 last week.
Paul Costes comes in for the injured Pierre-Louis Barassi in the midfield for the reigning Top 14 champions in the starting XV, while France fullback Thomas Ramos will make his return from injury and start on the bench.
“I think the performance against Bath Rugby was possibly one of our best of the season in a lot of ways,” Baxter said after naming his side.
“They’re a good side and they’ve had a couple of good results against us this season. They’re one of the form teams in the Gallagher Premiership – home and away – so we’re very pleased with the result.
“The way the lads got into the game the way we wanted to and the way they dealt with the scoreboard pressure and the conditions was really good as well. I think it kind of shows a level of maturity a bit beyond where the team could or should be. So, I think it bodes well for where we’re heading as a Premiership team. Now our test this weekend is seeing where we’re heading as a European team as well.
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“We said in the changing room that, as a team, the players have got to do one of the hardest things you do in sport which is to get yourself to a very competitive level two weeks running. At the same time, that’s how you win trophies. Winning trophies and getting to big games is when you put back-to-back performances in. So, that’s the next step for us to try to achieve.”
Exeter Chiefs XV
15 Josh Hodge
14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
13 Henry Slade
12 Ollie Devoto
11 Olly Woodburn
10 Harvey Skinner
9 Tom Cairns
1 Scott Sio
2 Jack Yeandle
3 Ehren Painter
4 Rusi Tuima
5 Dafydd Jenkins (c)
6 Ethan Roots
7 Christ Tshiunza
8 Ross Vintcent
Replacements
16 Jack Innard
17 Danny Southworth
18 Marcus Street
19 Lewis Pearson
20 Greg Fisilau
21 Stu Townsend
22 Will Haydon-Wood
23 Zack Wimbush
Toulouse XV
15. Blair Kinghorn
14. Juan Cruz Mallia
13. Paul Costes
12. Pita Ahki
11. Matthis Lebel
10. Romain Ntamack
9. Antoine Dupont (c)
1. Cyril Baille
2. Peato Mauvaka
3. Dorian Aldegheri
4. Richie Arnold
5. Emmanuel Meafou
6. Jack Willis
7. François Cros
8. Alexandre Roumat
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Replacements
16. Julien Marchand
17. Rodrigue Neti
18. Joel Merkler
19. Thibaud Flament
20. Joshua Brennan
21. Paul Graou
22. Thomas Ramos
23. Santiago Chocobares
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments