Chiefs Vs Tigers - Sat 3.05pm

[FKAS]

Exeter Chiefs:

15 Josh Hodge
14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso
13 Ben Hammersley
12 Joe Hawkins
11 Olly Woodburn
10 Harvey Skinner
9 Niall Armstrong
1 Scott Sio (c)
2 Dan Frost
3 Ehren Painter
4 Rusi Tuima
5 Richard Capstick
6 Ethan Roots
7 Ross Vintcent
8 Greg Fisilau

Replacements:
16 Jack Yeandle
17 Will Goodrick-Clarke
18 Josh Iosefa-Scott
19 Jack Dunne
20 Christ Tshiunza
21 Tom Cairns
22 Will Haydon-Wood
23 Paul Brown-Bampoe

STARTING XV
15 Freddie Steward [88]
14 Josh Bassett [15]
13 Izaia Perese *
12 Solomone Kata [19]
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [22]
10 Jamie Shillcock [26]
9 Jack van Poortvliet [73]
1 Nicky Smith *
2 Charlie Clare [95]
3 Joe Heyes [141]
4 Harry Wells [199]
5 Ollie Chessum (C) [56]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [107]
7 Olly Cracknell [43]
8 Kyle Hatherell [20]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Finn Theobald-Thomas [9]
17 James Cronin [34]
18 Dan Cole [323]
19 Côme Joussain *
20 Tommy Reffell [114]
21 Ben Youngs [314]
22 Ben Volavola *
23 Dan Kelly [81]

[FKAS]

So both sides starting with the idea that contesting the breakdown is for other people. Depressing to see Olly Cracknell at 7 unless Ilione is injured.

The lack of fit locks is a tad concerning with Henderson and Martin not available we've gone for dual registered Joussain over Tom Manz. Chessum the younger is still injured.

Chessum Snr taking on captain duties is a positive with JVP as vice captain. Slight concern that Shillcock is in at 10 despite barely featuring in pre season. Josh Bassett might be nervously looking over his shoulder given the form of Satala in pre season and the ability of the impressive Will Wand to play 13 and wing.

[Puja]

Disappointing that Kata has beaten out Kelly for 12 as well. One can't argue with his bosh, but it's a bit one-dimensional, especially with an undercooked Shillcock at 10.

Puja

[FKAS]

Disappointing that Kata has beaten out Kelly for 12 as well. One can't argue with his bosh, but it's a bit one-dimensional, especially with an undercooked Shillcock at 10.

Puja

The write ups from pre season had both playing well but Kata made some rampaging runs and against a makeshift Chiefs midfield I imagine the plan is to try and isolate Hammersley one on one Vs Perese. Kata's carrying at 12 will definitely cause Hawkins and any cover defence to stay in the 12 channel to mark up.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Tigers backrow, Liebenberg aside, looks awful! Is that the best we’ve got to offer? Is everyone else dead?

[FKAS]

Tigers backrow, Liebenberg aside, looks awful! Is that the best we’ve got to offer? Is everyone else dead?

I had hoped we'd seen the last of big plodding back rows with Cheika coming in. Sadly not. Maybe it's just for this game as Chiefs like a physical game.

[twitchy]

23 Paul Brown-Bampoe

I'm hyped for a try off then bench.

[fivepointer]

Interesting that Capstick is named at lock. Permanent switch like Tuima or just filling in due to injuries?

Could be a good battle in the front row. Exe have a good one on the bench which might come in handy.

[twitchy]

Didn't even recognise it was the tigers in that kit.

[twitchy]

Chiefs players dropping like flies.

[FKAS]

The starting Tigers backrow was dreadful. All the mobility of having an additional three locks. Tommy Reffell coming into the game helped, Tigers had the physical edge throughout but Chiefs looked way better in attack PBB and IFW could be an immense wing combination for them.

I'm not really sure what made Kata's tackle a red and Haydon-Wood's only a yellow. Didn't really matter but the inconsistency is annoying. Particularly the penalty on Kelly where there's barely any head contact (took multiple shots before it was conclusive that they'd effectively kissed) and the TMO jumps in. I'm willing to bet there's multiple similar incidents in the game the TMO hasn't looked at so why flag that one? It's not the sort of tackle we're trying to get rid from the game, that's the Kata and Haydon-Wood upright into contact with force style.

Incidentally Kata should have 100% gone for a HIA, ridiculous he didn't.

[Puja]

Daylight robbery that was. Absolutely no right to win that. We showed good defence, but both teams were very poor and will be lower mid-table if they can't buck their ideas up significantly.

Agreed with FKAS on the back-row being predictably shit. Perese was a loose cannon and inaccurate with it, Kata was impactful but hardly conducive to fluid backplay, Steward still looked shell-shocked from the summer, and I don't actually believe Bassett was on the pitch, or may as well not've been. Amusing when the commentators went to Hewat in the stands and asked him if he was pleased with our attacking play only to get a... diplomatic answer.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Fair play to Tigers for staying in the game but Exe should have been well clear by the closing minutes. PBB showed up well on his debut and he and IFW could be a potent pairing.

[FKAS]

Steward still looked shell-shocked from the summer

He looked shite under the high ball but possibly because Exeter kicked short or very long so he had to start deep and then make up a lot of ground when they kicked short. Why we didn't just move either the winger or scrum half into a shallow receiving position to negate the short kick I'm not sure.

I liked his new role in attack where he was coming into the line far closer to the breakdown and from the blindside so it was hard to pick him out early. Got us a few nice carries over the gainline with that tactic. Tackling was good and the read for hot that smokes Hawkins helped make up for the crap drop that set up the move.

Perese looked like a loose cannon but he got a couple of turnover penalties and I think he'll be a real asset when dialled in. Kata is an impact sub and not a starter. Kelly was our best centre and his distribution got our wingers into the game.

[twitchy]

Frustrating match. Some good and some bad from exe. Worrying injuries.

[Which Tyler]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rfu-stat ... leicester/
RFU statement: Michael Cheika charged with prejudicial conduct

[Puja]

Literally couldn't even go one game.

Puja

[FKAS]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rfu-stat ... leicester/
RFU statement: Michael Cheika charged with prejudicial conduct

Relating to the Chiefs game and not the Bath one which is odd it's taken a while to come out unless it was only flagged as part of the Kata hearing. Be interesting to see what's happened.

[Which Tyler]

Yeah, just not enough information at this point.

[Puja]

More detail: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/ ... ugby-union

Apparently took umbrage with Kata not being sent for an HIA by the independent doctor after cracking heads with Chessum, shortly before he then made the inept tackle that got him sent off.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Can club medics take a player off for an HIA? or is it solely at the independent Dr's discretion now?

I will note that thus far this season, the independent Dr.s have not been covering themselves in glory.

Asked about the Kata situation after Leicester’s defeat by Bath on Sunday, in which the centre Izaia Perese was shown a yellow card for a late collision with Joe Cokanasiga, Cheika said: “I think American sitcoms have made the phrase ‘whatever’ famous. That’s all I’ve got to say really. "Whatever it is, it is now.

If that's all it is, then there's really no case to answer. I assume that's not all it is.

[FKAS]

By the sounds of it he's annoyed the independent doctor at the Chiefs game decided Kata was fit enough to stay on but at the disciplinary hearing changed his tune and said Kata should have been removed. As Kata had concussion symptoms it added another week to his suspension as he was deemed injured for the Bath game.

If it's purely at the discretion of independent doctors now then I would generally approve though the incompetence of the one at the Chiefs game is a concern as I'm pretty sure Chessum was allowed back on to finish the game and Kata should of 100% gone for a HIA, said it at the time and the Tigers bench thought he would as they had Perese warmed up and ready to come back on.

I assume the "whatever" comment is after he knows he's in hit water so is keeping quiet so as to not inflame things further.

[FKAS]

Two week ban with one week suspended. The full report will be interesting as this but doesn't exactly paint much of a picture.

"The panel found that Michael Cheika disrespected the Independent match day doctor in challenging the decision he had made that a player was subject to an IPR (Immediate Permanent Removal)," said Richard Whittam, who chaired the panel.

"Although it was an unusual case because there was a lack of clarity about the decisions made about the head injuries, the decisions of the Independent Match Day Doctor must be respected.

"In this particular case, the appropriate sanction was one of two weeks. The panel mitigated this by suspending one week until the end of the season."

[FKAS]

https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/st ... DziCyLrOvQ

[twitchy]

Surely we have seen enough incidents now that show that the 'independent' doctors thing is...... I am not sure quite how to phrase this. I'm guessing they have been quite firmly told the game needs to 'keep moving'.

Last week tom curry went down like he had taken a right cross from daniel dubois. You are telling me that a qualified 'independent' doctor just went "yeah he's fine just stay on".