PRC - SF: Exeter Chiefs v Northampton Saints

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On my way to Rome shortly to watch England against a resurgent Italy with our star Zambonin, so in with an early prediction

Chiefs 32 - 25 Saints

Chiefs 36 Saints 31

Fortunately I don’t need to see the teams to make my usual prediction:
Chiefs 31; Saints 26

Exeter Chiefs:

15 Josh Hodge

14 Paul Brown-Bampoe

13 Henry Slade

12 Zack Wimbush

11 Olly Woodburn

10 Harvey Skinner

9 Tom Cairns

1 Will Goodrick-Clarke

2 Jack Yeandle (c)

3 Jimmy Roots

4 Lewis Pearson

5 Rusi Tuima

6 Martin Moloney

7 Finn Worley Brady

8 Greg Fisilau


Replacements:

16 Julian Heaven

17 Ethan Burger

18 Khwezi Mona

19 Joe Bailey

20 Oscar Beckerleg

21 Charlie Chapman

22 Will Haydon-Wood

23 Campbell Ridl

15 George Hendy
14 James Martin
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 James Ramm
10 Anthony Belleau
9 Archie McParland

1 Tom West
2 Henry Walker
3 Luke Green
4 Tom Lockett
5 JJ Van Der Mescht
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Charlie Ulcoq
8 Callum Chick (c)

Replacements:
16 Curtis Langdon
17 Joe Cowell – Guest player
18 Will Davies-King – Guest player, Northampton Saints debut
19 Chunya Munga
20 Archie Benson
21 Tom James
22 Toby Thame
23 Amena Caqusau

Match Officials

Referee: George Selwood

Assistant referees: Rochard Gordon and Neil Chivers

No.4: Mike Woods

TMO: David Rose

Weather Forecast as at 1200 Friday

Thick cloud and a gentle breeze from the south east
Temperature 11 degrees will feel like 19 degrees
Low chance of Precipitation

Chiefs 26 - 19 Saints

Roots will be a big miss but isn’t it a shame we start with just 1 academy player Worley Bailey, we have gone away from our tradition of developing future stars. No wonder our academy players are leaving. The treatment of Coen is bewildering to say the least.
With Bath putting out a very inexperienced team at a near full strength Tigers it looks like the winner of our match will be off to Welford Road for the final.
Saints play wonderful attacking rugby so it will be a big ask defensively and I think they will have too much pace and power for us, I hope I’m wrong.
Chiefs 31 Saints 38

Chiefs 32 - 21 Saints

Think we will edge it:
Exeter 37 - 36 Northampton

Chiefs 25 Northampton 15

This is a strong team especially given the competition being played in and the fact we are competing for top 4. Can't believe Yendle is starting. What does our young talent have to do to be given an opportunity.
Given the teams Ex 24 St's 18

The Wimbush Slade Centre partnership is something that I've wanted to watch for a long time.

I think it could be very exciting indeed.

It should be a cracking match whatever the score but im going chiefs 38 Saints 32

Chiefs 28 - Saints 21

32:22 win for Chiefs

In Rob we trust.
By the way - cream on first. There's nothing to debate.

Expect a lot of interventions by TMO Rosie!!
'I think you need to see this'
'Thats a yellow card'
'there is a forward pass 10 mins ago, so that try doesn't count!'

Disappointing to see us go so strong, but I guess the chance of winning a trophy is too big for those in charge to ignore. Think it'll be a close game, us 34 Saints 31. My main hope is nobody picks up any injuries.

Both the Saints replacement props are listed as “guest players”. Does that mean that they’ve run out of their own front row players, or are they listed as such because they haven’t featured in the competition previously?

Quote:

SixNineOne
Both the Saints replacement props are listed as “guest players”. Does that mean that they’ve run out of their own front row players, or are they listed as such because they haven’t featured in the competition previously?

They are Cardiff players who have joined on loan as cover.

[www.cardiffrugby.wales]

Will Davies-King has played fewer than 1000 mins for Cardiff over the last 5 years. Cowell has been playing at Bedford Blues on loan before this and has been playing for Cardiff RFC in the Super Rygbi Cymru league. So looks like they have run out.

[24/25 adoptee: Francois van Wyk]

Quote:

SixNineOne
Both the Saints replacement props are listed as “guest players”. Does that mean that they’ve run out of their own front row players, or are they listed as such because they haven’t featured in the competition previously?

Saints are missing 6 props on international duty: Davison & Iyogan away with England, Millar-Mills with Scotland and Fischetti with Italy plus Scola & Tongahuia with England U20s

Quote:

SixNineOne
Both the Saints replacement props are listed as “guest players”. Does that mean that they’ve run out of their own front row players, or are they listed as such because they haven’t featured in the competition previously?

For info: Not available for selection:
Emeka Atuanya, Will Glister, Sam Graham, Henry Lumley, Alex Mitchell, Ollie Sleightholme, and Edoardo Todaro.
International duty:
Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall, Trevor Davison, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Emmanuel Iyogun, Henry Pollock and Fin Smith (all England), Elliot Millar Mills (both Scotland), Danilo Fischetti (Italy), Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, James Pater, Oliver Scola, Sonny Tonga’uiha, and Jonny Weimann (England U20s), Archie Appleby (Scotland U20s).

We really should win pretty easily. `I think Coen must be leaving and who could blame him. Chiefs 38 Saints 22

Chiefs 27 - 24 Saints

This has banana skin written all over it . If we aren’t brilliant- Saints will take us to the cleaners. Lets hope they have an off day .

Yeandle, Skinner and Slade need some development time to gain experience……..😆

Quote:

Tiverton Brave
Expect a lot of interventions by TMO Rosie!!
'I think you need to see this'
'Thats a yellow card'
'there is a forward pass 10 mins ago, so that try doesn't count!'

Lol I must admit I swear to myself when I see his name as Tmo for our games.

Anyway back to our line up.

I assume we have a lot of injuries in the squad as as mentioned above there are a lot of senior players that I wouldn't have expected to play.
Our centre issues are well known so we have another new partnership but it is exciting to see what might happen there with Zac getting a start at 12 with what everyone hopes will be a long term natural position for him.
I thought we had a long list of hookers waiting for games but I guess they are injured? Otherwise that could be a reason why Sol is leaving?

Chiefs by 15,but taking nothing for granted.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2026:03:06:18:57:17 by Zyder head.

Chiefs 38 Saints 32

Not with much conviction but Exe 28-14 Saints.

Northampton's back line looks reasonably strong, I'm sure they will play as attacking all saints teams do.
They will be capable of scoring quickly let's hope we make all our chances count.
Like others I would have preferred to see a younger team, although it seems like we have a lot of injuries forcing selection some what.
Hard one to predict. I'm going Chiefs 42 Saints 34 but it could just as easy be the other way around.

Chiefs 32 Saints 24

Chiefs 34 - Saints 26

Chiefs 34 Saints 27

Chiefs 32 - 29 Saints

Chiefs 32 Saints 24