Stade Toulousain v Exeter Chiefs

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Published early because wife has a cataract op early Friday. Teams should be published in this thread after 1200 on Friday!

Predicted Weather Forecast

Light cloud and a gentle breeze from the west north-west
Temperature 13 degrees
Low chance of Precipitation

TV Coverage
Available on Premier Sports

Match Officials
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Rob McDowell (Scotland), Finlay Brown (Scotland)
TMO: Dave Sutherland (Scotland)

if Burger and Fisilua want so play for England then this is the game to show what they are made of.

this is a no-lose game, a good stress test of our game plan, the type of game we have to play if we want to beat Saints. so my team

15 Harris
14 Hammersley ?
13 Slade
12 Butt
11 Wyatt
10 Skinner
9 Wolstenholme
8 Fisilau
7 Roots
6 Hooper
5 Jenkins
4 Beckerleg
3 JIS
2 Gulley
1 Burger
subs, Norey, WG-C, Tchumbadze, Wilson, James, Varney, Wimbush?, Vintcent

Maybe I'm in a minority here, but I hope we send as few of the first XV to Toulouse. The league games are more important to us, we've too many injuries in key positions and don't need to accumulate any more in what's likely to be a losing cause.

Chiefs XV

15 Sam Harris
14 Zack Wimbush
13 Henry Slade
12 Will Butt
11 Tommy Wyatt
10 Harvey Skinner
9 Stephen Varney
1 Will Goodrick-Clarke
2 Jack Yeandle
3 Josh Iosefa-Scott
4 Tom Hooper
5 Dafydd Jenkins (c)
6 Ethan Roots
7 Ross Vintcent
8 Greg Fisilau

Replacements:

16 Louie Gulley
17 Ethan Burger
18 Jimmy Roots
19 Harry Wilson
20 Kane James
21 Sam Wolstenholme
22 Will Haydon-Wood
23 Ben Hammersley

Toulouse XV

15. Matias Remue
14. Teddy Thomas
13. Kalvin Gourgues
12. Santiago Chocobares
11. Ange Capuozzo
10. Romain Ntamack
9. Antoine Dupont (c)
1. Rodrigue Neti
2. Thomas Lacombre
3. Dorian Aldegheri
4. Joshua Brennan
5. Joel Merkler
6. François Cros
7. Efrain Elias
8. Théo Ntamack

Replacements:

16. Peato Mauvaka
17. Benjamin Bertrand
18. Georges-Henri Colombe
19. Romeo Bonnard Martin
20. Anthony Jelonch
21. Marc-Elie Kouassi
22. Paul Graou
23. Tommaso Menoncello

Both sides look as strong as they can be, cant realistically see us getting much out of this game but who knows. Toulouse 39 - 19 Chiefs

We have decided to go strong selection wise, I suppose to try and make it a competitive game. Maybe get a try bp? In our favour Toulouse are short of at least 7 of their first choose starters and international players but have a very good bench.
Yeandle somehow keeps his place and Tchumbadze who made a huge difference last week is omitted from the squad, don’t get that at all unless injured?

I hope we can keep it under 50 points but that will take some doing, their half backs will play from anywhere at pace and don’t stop to pat each other on the back if they win a penalty, so we will need to be alert defensively. The difference in the quality of replacements is immense.
Toulouse 62 Chiefs 27.

Yenz starting again!!

Chiefs 27 Toulouse 48

Quote:

Andy15.1
We have decided to go strong selection wise, I suppose to try and make it a competitive game. Maybe get a try bp?

Try bonus points are only being awarded to a team scoring three or more tries than their opponent, they've changed the bonus point system to that used in France. A losing side can only get a point by finishing within 7 points of the winning side's score. With that in mind, and our injury list, I don't understand this selection at all.

Hopefully no more injuries.

Toulouse 58 Chiefs 21

Thanks EF wasn’t aware of the change - very difficult to see how we can get anything from this game making, selection a bit strange.

I actually respect Baxters decision to try and compete fully in all competitions.

Clearly it may hamper our prospects in the Premiership and there is always the risk of injury, but i think that its the right thing to do for the integrity of the game and it provides good experience and creates the right mindset throughout the club.

As others have said, i dont believe that Yeandle is a positive selection any more and i also would have liked to see Chumba in the 23. But its a great opportunity for Zack Wimbush and Sam Harris to show off their obvious talent so good luck to them and ro Louie Gulley who is really making an impression.

An away win against this Toulouse team is surely a few bridgesctoo far though. I just hope that we're competitive and avoid any injuries.

Stade 36 Chiefs 21

*gulp* It won't work but we'll give it a go!

Chiefs 14 Toulouse 40

Toulouse 48 - 14 Chiefs