Chiefs name side to face reigning champions at The Rec

January 02, 2026
135
Ultimate Rugby

Exeter Chiefs have named an unchanged team to take on the reigning champions, Bath Rugby, at the Recreation Ground on Saturday afternoon.

The first match of the calendar year features the exact same Chiefs 23 as that which secured a win over Leicester Tigers at Sandy Park to close out 2025 second in the Gallagher PREM table.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “We were pleased with our overall performance against Leicester, I think we showed a lot of good qualities in the game. The fundamentals that the lads are putting on the field are building foundations to help us do well at the moment.

“I’m not too worried about our short turnaround into this week, it’s the battle of getting the emotional and physical energy right on the field for us right now. As long as we keep doing that, we look like a decent side.”

Following a performance which saw him nominated for player of the day against Tigers, tighthead prop Bachuki Tchumbadze starts alongside Joseph Dweba and Scott Sio in the front row.

The ever-developing partnership of match captain Dafydd Jenkins and Andrea Zambonin continues in the boiler room with a back-row which has become familiar to Chiefs fans of Tom Hooper, Ethan Roots and Greg Fisilau, who was this week nominated for the Prem player of the month award for December.

A try-scorer last weekend, Stephen Varney starts at scrum-half with Harvey Skinner at fly-half. Will Rigg and Henry Slade combine in the centres with Campbell Ridl, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Olly Woodburn forming the back-three combination.

Baxter added: “The mood around the camp is good, the boys are really embracing a want to get onto the field to train or play. That to me is the most enjoyable part, staying on the field at the end of training because the lads want to do top-ups.

“Bath are a good side anyway, even before they get a bit of a slap in the face from a result like the one from Northampton, so I imagine they’ll have had a very focused training week this week.”

Chiefs opt for a 5-3 split on the bench. The replacement front row of Jack Yeandle, Will Goodrick-Clarke and Jimmy Roots is joined by Rusi Tuima and Kane James covering the back five of the scrum.

The back-line can call upon Charlie Chapman, Will Haydon-Wood or Dan John.

The game kicks off at 15:05 at The Rec, live on TNT sports, with general admission tickets now sold-out.

Exeter Chiefs:

15 Olly Woodburn

14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

13 Henry Slade

12 Will Rigg

11 Campbell Ridl

10 Harvey Skinner

9 Stephen Varney

1 Scott Sio

2 Joseph Dweba