Western Morning News (Saturday)
Simmonds returns but Nowell picks up injury
Exeter Chiefs forced into changes for their first home league match of the campaign
EXETER Chiefs captain Joe Simmonds has overcome a dead leg to be named for selection against Northampton Saints tomorrow.
Simmonds was replaced in the 49th minute of Exeter’s 34-19 defeat to Leicester Tigers at Welford Road after taking a heavy blow to his thigh.
Twenty-three-year-old Harvey Skinner came on at standoff and kept Chiefs ticking over playing opposite two international standard fly-halves in George Ford and then Freddie Burns.
But despite a solid display from Skinner on his 22nd Premiership appearance, it comes as a significant boost for Exeter to have Simmonds back in the 10 shirt this weekend with Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter not expecting any of his long list of injured forwards back for the contest at Sandy Park.
Exeter are without injured backrow talisman Dave Ewers, Scotland international locks Jonny Gray and Sam Skinner, South African flanker Jacques Vermeulen and British and Irish Lions Jonny Gray and Luke Cowan-Dickie who are both still on mandatory rest as members of Englands Elite Player Squad, as per an agreement with the RFU and Premiership Rugby
Baxter said: “We are battling along with the same group who have trained very well this week.
“The group of players we had at Tigers wasn’t why we lost the game, we didn’t play well enough.
“It wasn’t that we didn’t have a strong enough team, it was that we didn’t play well enough and that is what we have focused on.
“We haven’t spent a lot of time looking at the make-up of the side because it is what it is but we have spent a lot of time looking at how we played and how we can get better and I think we will be better this week.”
Number eight Sam Simmonds and Scotland captain Stuart Hogg have both now completed their mandatory five-week rest period afetr playing for the British & Irish Lions in the summer, but neither are involved this weekend. Simmonds’ rest period is shorter than his fellow England internationals as he is not in the EPS squad yet despite being called-up by Eddie Jones to train with the national team ahead of the Autumn internationals.
Saints’ Lions duo, Welsh fly-half Dan Biggar and English lock/flanker Courtney Lawes will not play this weekend Northampton director of rugby Chris Boyd has confirmed but summer signings Karl Wilkins and Frank Lomani are now available for selection.
Flanker Wilkins missed Northampton’s 34-20 home win over Gloucester due to a ban he carried over having joined the club from Béziers.
England and British Lions star Jack Nowell is ruled out after picking up an injury in training this week, so Facundo Cordero comes into the back division.
Up front Jack Yeandle is back to skipper the side from hooker in place of Jack Innard.
Exeter Chiefs: Josh Hodge, Facundo Cordero, Henry Slade, Ollie Devoto, Tom O’Flaherty, Joe Simmonds, Jack Maunder; Alec Hepburn, Jack Yeandle, Harry Williams, Will Witty, Sean Lonsdale, Jannes Kirsten, Don Armand, Rus Tuima. Replacements: Jack Innard, Ben Moon, Josh IosefaScott, Ryan McCauley, Christ Tshiunza, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Harvey Skinner, Ian Whitten.