Exeter Chiefs vs Saracens - build-up, teams and live match-day thread

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

An injury list like this:

Hoani Tui....Hamstring - 6-8 weeks
Hadyn Thomas...Hamstring - 4-5 weeks
Josh Tatupu....Broken Ankle - 3-4 months
Jason Shoemark....Calf - 2-3 weeks
Myles Dorrian....Broken Hand - 5-6 weeks
Tom Johnson....Ribs - 2-4 months
Craig Mitchell....Arm - 6-8 weeks

...is almost certainly not the best preparation for the most gruelling sequence of matches over the next 5 weeks that Exe have ever faced - Sarries (H), Tiggers (A), Quins (H), Leinster (A) & ASM Clermont (H). Nevermind, you can only play the hand that is dealt you, and I should imagine that the Chiefs will rally strongly after one of the poorest performances I have seen from them in their away loss to newbies Oxford Welsh.

On Sunday we welcome Sarries to Sandy Park once again, for what is normally an entertaining fixture. Sarries have won on both previous visits, so it must be time to set that statistic right with a home win. I'm not going to predict a score, knowing that it will be a tough afternoon, but I'm looking forward to us combining our traditional mean and stingy defensive approach with the free-flowing attacking play that we saw in the season opener against Sale.

[Dubbelyew L Overate]

Continuing on from the Exe-L Welsh thread:

I believe Alex Brown, the former Sarries academy TH signed from Donny is also injured. Lloyd Fairbrother is fit at the moment, though, and playing for Albion and Braves so I guess he'd be the only option if Rimmer or Budge get injured in the next few weeks before Tui is back. We could borrow Paves from the Pirates again, but he's been injured too.

Looks like Jack Nowell may have come back early from the England U-20 training camp, so I guess he'll be repeating his bench duty. Be good to see him come on, but I always love to see Nic Sestaret play.

Exe need to come back against Sarries with cool, calm, collected heads, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Kev Barrett start against his ex-employers, with Chudley on the bench. Ben White will probably come in for TJ, but Kai Horstmann or Dave Ewers may also get the call. I expect it's too early for Dean Mumm.

Clarkey played a good few minutes for the Braves, so may sneak the hooker bench spot, although Si Alcott would be hard done by - he has the best try song, Paint It Black.

Sireli is a hell of a weapon in midfield, but I'm not convinced that he best fits with the expansive game that Chiefs have, at times, shown to be so effective, nor the defensive alignment. Maybe wing is a better position than centre for him? New combinations, though, with Whits, Dolly and Sireli not having played together, so some bedding in is still needed.

Very nervous about this one, not to mention the next 4 games.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Can't imagine we'll see Whitts this weekend, Dub, so might keep Naqer in the centre, with Fozzy or Nowell on the wing, or maybe a dolly/Ses centre combo?

[beshocked]

Wow a real injury hit Exeter. Not a nice time to face Saracens.

Who do you think Exeter will start?

I expect Saracens to start the same team that faced Leicester. Hopefully Farrell won't have a shocker with the boot again.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Some good news for Exe with Matt Jess and Craig Mitchell penning new deals: http://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/latest-headlines?item=1854 - from the offy site.

beshocked, I would expect to see: Sturgess-Whitehead-Rimmer-Hayes-Hanks/Muldowney(poss Mumm as an outside bet)-White-Scaysbrook-Baxter; Chudley/Thomas-Mieres-Jess-Dollman-Sestaret-Naqelevuki-Arscott or something similar

[LondonTiger]

~The Times yesterday suggested Johnson is not as badly hurt as first thought and may be fit this weekend

[Dubbelyew L Overate]

Can't imagine we'll see Whitts this weekend, Dub, so might keep Naqer in the centre, with Fozzy or Nowell on the wing, or maybe a dolly/Ses centre combo?

He chose to play last Sunday but I'm sure the club is being very supportive and he'll decide what's best. I hope he'll be at Sandy Park, on the pitch or not, to hear us sing SUFTUM.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

I'd expect him to be attending the memorial service at Ravenhill on Sunday tbh.

One of our issues so far this season is that we have not yet been able to send out the same backline in two consecutive games and I think this has hindered our continuity.

LT, TJ has a badly bruised rib - the stretcher off the field on Sunday was simply to keep him still, but I doubt we'll see him for at least a few weeks - would be delighted to be proved wrong, altho I think Ben White is a fairly useful replacement

[beshocked]

ALAB100ofus if Farrell kicks as badly as he did at Wembley and if the handling is just as atrocious then Exeter will have a field day.

The good thing is that Saracens in their last 3 encounters vs Exeter have done well.

How's everything been working - lineout,scrum,breakdown,defense and attack.


Summary of Saracens so far

Forwards:

Set piece - lineout awful against Sale but good vs Leicester. Scrum - pretty decent in general. Strong against Sale, mixed vs Leicester.

Backrow has been very good so far. Certainly slowing the ball down.

[Dubbelyew L Overate]

I'd expect him to be attending the memorial service at Ravenhill on Sunday tbh.One of our issues so far this season is that we have not yet been able to send out the same backline in two consecutive games and I think this has hindered our continuity.

LT, TJ has a badly bruised rib - the stretcher off the field on Sunday was simply to keep him still, but I doubt we'll see him for at least a few weeks - would be delighted to be proved wrong, altho I think Ben White is a fairly useful replacement

Didn't know about that - Ravenhill's definitely the place for him.

Beshocked,

the quality of Exe's set piece seems to have swapped - in the past, lineout has been poor and scrum decent, this season it's t'other way round. It won't have gone unnoticed that Saints mauled us to death and Welsh did the same for a pen try.

Breakdown has been variable - Mr Pearson took a dislike to it last week, but there's been a good supply of recycled quick ball, generally.

Defence too has been variable - fairly solid most of the time, but having backs ghost past props in the backline is not a good sign. The lack of continuity may have something to do with that.

Attack has been good - Exe seemed to have kicked on from the latter part of last season, with some nice offloading and running lines, and that's despite the lack of continuity. Consistency of correct decision-making and patience needs to be upped from the Welsh game.

[beshocked]

We'll look for the mismatches then. Hopefully a one on one - Ashton vs Budgen.

If we stop dropping the ball Saracens will score some tries.

Backrow has been too focused on stopping the opposition. Needs more focus on generating quick ball.

Looking forward to watching the game on ESPN.

Ever since you hammered us at VR, Saracens have been hurting.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

We'll look for the mismatches then. Hopefully a one on one - Ashton vs Budgen.

If we stop dropping the ball Saracens will score some tries.

Backrow has been too focused on stopping the opposition. Needs more focus on generating quick ball.

Looking forward to watching the game on ESPN.

Ever since you hammered us at VR, Saracens have been hurting.

The joy of seeing Budgie sitting on Ashton would be worth the price of my season ticket alone!

Looking forward to seeing a recovered Kelly Brown from your lot

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

~The Times yesterday suggested Johnson is not as badly hurt as first thought and may be fit this weekend

LT, your source was spot on, thank you! Seems that TJ has a badly bruised rib cartilage, which is more about pain management rather than affecting his ability to play - sounds like he may even make it back for Sunday. Good news, altho wouldn't have done Ben White any harm to get a run out either.

On other injury news, sounds like Rob is happy with the TH resources we've got - Rimmer likely to start with Budgie on the bench, Alex Brown should be fit again after his injury in the friendly versus Connacht, and Lloyd Fairbrother can always be recalled from Plymouth where he has been going well

[beshocked]

We'll look for the mismatches then. Hopefully a one on one - Ashton vs Budgen.

If we stop dropping the ball Saracens will score some tries.

Backrow has been too focused on stopping the opposition. Needs more focus on generating quick ball.

Looking forward to watching the game on ESPN.

Ever since you hammered us at VR, Saracens have been hurting.

The joy of seeing Budgie sitting on Ashton would be worth the price of my season ticket alone!

Looking forward to seeing a recovered Kelly Brown from your lot

Budgen sitting on Ashton really? I don't think Budgen would be able to catch him!

Yes Kelly Brown should be good.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

We'll look for the mismatches then. Hopefully a one on one - Ashton vs Budgen.

If we stop dropping the ball Saracens will score some tries.

Backrow has been too focused on stopping the opposition. Needs more focus on generating quick ball.

Looking forward to watching the game on ESPN.

Ever since you hammered us at VR, Saracens have been hurting.

The joy of seeing Budgie sitting on Ashton would be worth the price of my season ticket alone!

Looking forward to seeing a recovered Kelly Brown from your lot

Budgen sitting on Ashton really? I don't think Budgen would be able to catch him!

Yes Kelly Brown should be good.

Jessy to catch him, Budgie to sit on him

[beshocked]

We'll look for the mismatches then. Hopefully a one on one - Ashton vs Budgen.

If we stop dropping the ball Saracens will score some tries.

Backrow has been too focused on stopping the opposition. Needs more focus on generating quick ball.

Looking forward to watching the game on ESPN.

Ever since you hammered us at VR, Saracens have been hurting.

The joy of seeing Budgie sitting on Ashton would be worth the price of my season ticket alone!

Looking forward to seeing a recovered Kelly Brown from your lot

Budgen sitting on Ashton really? I don't think Budgen would be able to catch him!

Yes Kelly Brown should be good.

Jessy to catch him, Budgie to sit on him

Very optimistic.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

EXETER CHIEFS SIDE TO FACE SARACENS

15 Luke Arscott
14 Phil Dollman
13 Ian Whitten
12 Sireli Naqelevuki
11 Matt Jess
10 Ignacio Mieres
9 Haydn Thomas

1 Brett Sturgess
2 Chris Whitehead
3 Carl Rimmer
4 Tom Hayes (capt)
5 James Hanks
6 James Phillips
7 James Scaysbrook
8 Richard Baxter

16 Simon Alcott
17 Ben Moon
18 Chris Budgen
19 Aly Muldowney
20 Ben White
21 Will Chudley
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Jack Nowell

Happy with that.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

Sarries:

Saracens line-up vs Exeter Chiefs

15 Alex Goode
14 Chris Ashton
13 Duncan Taylor
12 Brad Barritt
11 James Short
10 Owen Farrell
9 Neil de Kock
1 Mako Vunipola
2 Jamie George
3 Carlos Nieto
4 Alistair Hargreaves
5 Mouritz Botha
6 Kelly Brown ©
7 Will Fraser
8 Jackson Wray

16 Schalk Brits
17 Rhys Gill
18 Matt Stevens
19 Steve Borthwick
20 Ernst Joubert
21 Richard Wigglesworth
22 Charlie Hodgson
23 Joel Tomkins

Strong bench

[beshocked]

Yup I like your bench. Bit worried about the lineout though as our best jumpers are on the bench. Also Jamie George is not exactly that experienced. Hargreaves is a new signing too.

Liking the team other than that though.

Also if we start to struggle in areas - cavalry can be sent on.

Do you think Johnson will be missed a lot?

[Moorsman]

looks like a nice little warm up match before taking on Tigers, Quins, Leinster and Clermont I think Ben White will deputise well for TJ (Johnson)

[beshocked]

If it's a warm up why would you pick what looks to be your best side - injuries aside?

I like Exeter. I hope you guys beat Tigers,Quins,Leinster and Clermont but of course lose to Saracens heavily.

[Jenifer McLadyboy]

Ah. The Munster v Connacht game of the Premiership eh?

[Dubbelyew L Overate]

Soggy but happy

[Pot Hale]

looks like a nice little warm up match before taking on Tigers, Quins, Leinster and Clermont I think Ben White will deputise well for TJ (Johnson)

There ARE no warm-up games in the Aviva every-match-is-a-hard-fought-battle-all-season-for-play-off-spots,-European-places,-and-fighting-every-minute-against-relegation Premiership (c) PRL 2012

As today's game clearly demonstrates.......

[beshocked]

Getting worried because yet again a game we should have won.

[AsLongAsBut100ofUs]

A simple game plan, which given the atrocious conditions, the lads did well to stick to and execute. Thanks too to Mr Ashton. Happy daze.

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