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Bristol change seven for Friday's top-table Premiership clash while Exeter hand Jack Nowell first start in six months

(Photo by PA)

Pat Lam has made seven changes to his Bristol team for Friday night’s top-table Gallager Premiership clash against an Exeter XV that will give fit-again Jack Nowell his first start since last October’s title win over Wasps at Twickenham. With the Bears currently twelve points clear of the title holders, boss Pat Lam has stuck by his habit of never picking the same 23 during his four-year Ashton Gate tenure and his shake-up this week begins with the return of skipper Steven Luatua returns to the starting line-up.

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Charles Piutau comes in at full-back and Sam Bedlow also returns to the backline. Max Malins, last weekend’s man of the match at Newcastle, switches to fly-half with Callum Sheedy unavailable. In the pack, Bryan Byrne and Kyle Sinckler are named in the front row, while Dave Attwood and Dan Thomas also earn starts.

Rob Baxter has also tinkered with his Exeter selection following their hammering of Wasps last weekend at Sandy Park. Ben Moon and Tomas Francis come into the front row in place of Alec Hepburn and Harry Williams, Jonny Gray is restored to the second row and with Dave Ewers sidelined with a calf injury, Sam Skinner drops into the back row.

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      Behind the scrum, the sole change sees Nowell – who played his first game of the season last week when he came on as a second-half replacement – start on the right wing at the expense of Facundo Cordero. With Gray promoted from the bench, Richard Capstick comes into the match-day 23, as does Ian Whitten.

      Bristol beat Exeter at Sandy Park in January and Baxter warned: “I’ll be honest, we are not playing at our best yet by any means. In fact, that best may still be a week or so away. However, we are getting more and more time together with the whole group of players and I can definitely see us on an upward curve, which is important at this time of year.

      “It should be a good game, shouldn’t it. It’s first versus second, conditions are going to be good, the pitch is going to be good, and Bristol are a very good team playing very good rugby. That said, we have started to show form ourselves, so it has all the ingredients to be a great occasion.

      “It may seem a little less important for Bristol than us, just because they have that points lead, but they have earned that lead. We haven’t given ourselves any leeway at this stage, so we’ve got to keep winning if we want to keep teams away from us.” 

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      BRISTOL: 15. Charles Piutau; 14. Niyi Adeolokun, 13. Piers O’Conor, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Luke Morahan; 10. Max Malins, 9. Andy Uren; 1. Yann Thomas, 2. Bryan Byrne, 3. Kyle Sinckler, 4. Dave Attwood, 5. Chris Vui, 6. Steven Luatua (capt), 7. Dan Thomas, 8. Jake Heenan. Reps: 16. Will Capon, 17. Jake Woolmore, 18. John Afoa, 19. Joe Joyce, 20. Fitz Harding, 21. Tom Kessell, 22. Ioan Lloyd, 23. Alapati Leiua.

      EXETER: 15. Stuart Hogg; 14. Jack Nowell, 13. Henry Slade, 12. Ollie Devoto, 11. Tom O’Flaherty; 10. Joe Simmonds (capt), 9. Jack Maunder; 1. Ben Moon, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Tomas Francis, 4. Jonny Gray, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Sam Skinner, 7. Jacques Vermeulen, 8. Sam Simmonds. Reps: 16. Jack Yeandle, 17. Alec Hepburn, 18. Harry Williams, 19. Sean Lonsdale, 20. Richard Capstick, 21. Stu Townsend, 22. Harvey Skinner, 23. Ian Whitten.

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      Soliloquin 2 hours ago
      Fabien Galthie announces France squad to take on the All Blacks

      It’s understandable that NZ and other countries relying on their national team for revenue push for highlighting test matches as the biggest thing.

      The problem is that it seems like France is being held responsible for other nations’ business model.

      The business model hasn’t really changed since 2018, when France last toured NZ. They came as always with a B team, with a rather weak team by international standards back then, as it was the case with France during the 2010s.

      Yet still almost all tickets got sold (50000 at Eden Park, 34000 in Wellington and 27000 in Dunedin). The interest was there.

      So what has changed between that 2018 tour and the upcoming one?


      In my opinion, it seems like the French business model has flourished, with the JIFF policy strenghtening the positions of French talents and less foreign players, the financial health of French clubs dominating the NH, the revigorated national team with what could have been 4 6Nations titles (the 2020 and 2021 were super close) and the emergence of top players in every positions, with arguably the best current rugby player in the world.

      On the other hand, Covid has dismantled the financial basis of many federations, the departure of SA franchises from Super Rugby has weakened the competition, NZ are not the reference anymore, SA is dominating the test match competition, with Ireland and France pushing hard, although the Irish seem at a crossroads.


      But again, why would it be France’s fault that NZ problems exist?

      Is the French team responsible for structural problems in NZ’s rugby?

      Nope. But it’s probably easier to blame the French to not give it all in terms of marketing with superstars coming, live on past glory, to cling on the view that until Dupont doesn’t tour SH, he cannot be seen as the best in the world.


      Sorry, but most of French fans don’t really know NZ players.

      They come in to see the French team against the All Blacks in the Autumn Tests.


      And I don’t think anyone in NZ came to see Doumayrou, Parra, Belleau, Teddy Thomas or even Serin or Fickou in 2018. They came for the mighty All Blacks, the Barrett brothers, Savea, Whitelock, Aaron Smith…

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      TRENDING Fabien Galthie announces France squad to take on the All Blacks Fabien Galthie announces France squad to take on the All Blacks
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