Investec Champions Cup: Rob Baxter makes six changes for Exeter's trip to Toulon
- Published
Centre Joe Hawkins ruled himself out of Wales contention by joining Exeter
Investec Champions Cup: Pool 3 - Toulon v Exeter Chiefs |
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Venue: Stade Mayol Dates: Saturday, 9 December Kick-off: 13:00 GMT |
Coverage: Score updates and match report on the BBC Sport website |
Rob Baxter has made six changes for Exeter's opening Investec Champions Cup game against Toulon on Saturday after his side's heavy defeat at Bath.
It is a full new front row with props Scott Sio and Ehren Painter joined by Dan Frost at hooker.
Two changes in the backline see winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and scrum-half Tom Cairns come into the starting XV.
Scotland scrum-half Ben White starts for Toulon with New Zealand winger Leicester Fainga'anuku on the bench.
Wales international Joe Hawkins, who ruled himself out of selection for his country by moving to Exeter, is joined by Henry Slade in the midfield.
In the pack, Rusi Tuima partners captain Dafydd Jenkins in the second row and the back row remains unchanged with Jacques Vermeulen, Ethan Roots and Greg Fisilau.
Exeter won the competition in 2020 but field a relatively inexperienced side against the three-time Champions Cup winners.
"I'm certainly not going to put too much pressure on the guys. I want them to go over there to enjoy the experience, enjoy playing well together and take everything out of the game that they can," Baxter told the Exeter club website.
"I'm not going to talk about this game as if it is a shot to nothing, because it's not. It's a very important part of the process of developing to where we want this team to go.
"And so, our expectation is to go there and be absolutely flat-out physically and see where that takes us in the competitive side of the game. If there's things that we then learn technically and tactically, then that's great.
"Hopefully that will be some points, but if not, then hopefully it will be some important experiences that we can learn from."
Exeter also face Munster, Glasgow and Bayonnais in Pool Three.
Line-ups
Toulon: Jaminet; Drean, Nayacalevu, Smaili, Villiere; Herve, White; Devaux, Singleton, Gigashvili, Halagahu, Alainu'uese, Abadie, Ollivon (capt), Isa.
Replacements: Tolofua, Priso, Setiano, Ribbans, Du Preez, Serin, Fainga'anuku, Rabut.
Exeter: Wyatt; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Hawkins, Hammersley; Skinner, Cairns; Sio, Frost, Painter, Tuima, Jenkins (capt), Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau.
Replacements: Norey, Abuladze, Street, Pearson, Vintcent, Townsend, O'Loughlin, Woodburn.
Referee: Chris Busby