Saturday December 9th
Toulon vs Exeter Chiefs – Stade Mayol, 13:00 KO
The reigning Challenge Cup holders have been promoted to the Champions Cup, with Toulon looking to build on their momentum in European competition. Toulon have been to the Champions Cup mountain top three times before, with the trifecta of wins coming back-to-back-to-back, from 2012 to 2015. Toulon are the only side to have achieved this feat, yet La Rochelle could well claim their own ‘three-peat’ should they retain their Champions Cup title in London next Summer.
Exeter Chiefs enter the Champions Cup fray in an intriguing position. The men from Devon boast a new-look side of promising young talents, with just two men from the 2020 Champions Cup triumph’s starting XV are retained in the current crop of players. Just centre Henry Slade and hooker Jack Yeandle remain at Sandy Park, following the mass exodus of Chiefs players throughout the past couple of seasons. However, this new side has been firing in recent Premiership appearances, and have climbed to sixth in the table, with five wins in eight matches.
Exeter Director of Rugby Rob Baxter has made six changes to his side, with four of the alterations coming in the pack. Baxter has named an entirely new front row, from the one that was defeated by Bath last weekend. Scott Sio is in at loosehead, Ehren Painter at tighthead with Dan Frost in the middle of the two at hooker. Rusi Tuima rotates into the side to partner captain Dafydd Jenkins in the second row. The remaining two changes come in the form of Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s returns to the match-day squad, and Tom Cairns starts at scrum half.
Toulon have confirmed a stacked side to take on the Chiefs, with boundless international talents decorating the ranks. After extending his contract with the red and blacks, France flanker Charles Ollivon starts on the open-side and also captains the team. Scotland scrum half Ben White takes the number nine jersey, and leads a back-line that includes Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu in the midfield, and French maestro Melvyn Jaminet slots in at fullback.
RC TOULON
15. Melvyn Jamient 14. Gael Drean 13. Waisea Nayacalevu 12. Mathieu Smaili 11. Gabin Villiere 10. Enzo Herve 9. Ben White 1. Bruce Devaux 2. Jack Singleton 3. Beka Gigashvili 4. Matthias Halalgahu 5. Brian Alainu’uese 6. Estaban Abadie 7. Charles Ollivon 8. Facundo Isa
16. Christopher Tolofua 17. Dany Prisio 18. Emerick Setiano 19. David Ribbans 20. Cornell Du Preez 21. Baptiste Serin 22. Leicester Fainga’anauku 23. Maelan Rabut
EXETER CHIEFS
15. Tommy Wyatt 14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso 13. Henry Slade 12. Joe Hawkins 11. Ben Hammersley 10. Harvey Skinner 9. Tom Cairns 1. Scott Sio 2. Dan Frost 3. Ehren Painter 4. Rusi Tuima 5. Dafydd Jenkins (c) 6. Ethan Roots 7. Jacques Vermeulen 8. Greg Fisilau
Replacements:
16. Max Norey 17. Nika Abuladze 18. Marcus Street 19. Lewis Pearson 20. Ross Vintcent 21. Stu Townsend 22. Rory O’Loughlin 23. Olly Woodburn
Vodacom Bulls vs Saracens – Loftus Versfeld Stadium, 17:30 KO
Alongside the DHL Stormers who are set to take on Leicester Tigers this Sunday, the Vodacom Bulls are one of just two South African sides to have qualified for the Champions Cup this year. The likes of the Sharks, Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs all slot into the Challenge Cup for the 2023 campaign. The Bulls have had a strong start to the United Rugby Championship campaign, and currently sit at third in the table with five wins in seven matches.
Saracens head out to Pretoria, and begin their search for a fourth Champions Cup title. The North Londoners won back-to-back titles in 2015 to 2017, before adding a third triumph in the 2018/19 season. Saracens enter the Champions Cup off the back of a mixed bag in the Premiership. Five wins out of three matches is a solid start, however Mark McCall’s latest result was an 18-12 home defeat to Northampton Saints. This first time meeting between the two clubs will be sure to provide some fireworks, and sees Bulls co-captain Marcell Coetzee returning from serving his suspension.
The starting Bulls herd remains unchanged, with Director of Rugby Jake White praising the continuity and Coetzee return to the match day squad. “We are happy to have Marcell back but we are also more happy to have the same pack of forwards running out for continuity and also sends the right message to the guys after they played so well last weekend. It is nice to have him but there is a lot of positivity in the camp that it is as it was last weekend.”
Saracens have named a stacked side brimming with international experience, with six changes made from the side that was defeated by Northampton Saints. England stalwarts Mako Vunipola and Jamie George are back in the front row, and captain Owen Farrell is back at fly half following a minor knee injury. This will be Farrell’s first match for Saracens, after the news was announced that he would be stepping away from England duties to prioritise his mental health. On the bench, Christian Judge is set for a milestone 50th Saracens cap, with Theo McFarland and Lucio Cinti also amongst the replacements.
VODACOM BULLS
15. Willie le Roux 14. 14. Kurt-Lee Arendse 13. Stedman Gans 12. David Kriel 11. Canan Moodie 10. Johan Goosen 9. Embrose Papier 1. Gerhard Steenekamp, 2. Akker van der Merwe, 3. Wilco Louw, 4. Ruan Vermaak, 5. Reinhardt Ludwig, 6. Marco van Staden, 7. Elrigh Louw (c), 8. Cameron Hanekom
Replacements
16. Simphiwe Matanzima, 17. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18. Mornay Smith, 19. Janko Swanepoel, 20. Marcell Coetzee, 21. Zak Burger, 22. Jaco van der Walt, 23. Sergeal Petersen
SARACENS
15. Alex Goode 14. Alex Lewington 13. Elliot Daly 12. Nick Tompkins 11. Sean Maitland 10. Owen Farrell (C) 9. Ivan Van Zyl 1. Mako Vunipola 2 .Jamie George 3. Alec Clarey 4. Maro Itoje 5. Hugh Tizard 6. Juan Martin Gonzalez 7. Andy Christie 8. Billy Vunipola
Replacements:
16. Theo Dan 17. Tom West 18. Christian Judge 19. Theo McFarland 20. Toby Knight 21. Aled Davies 22. Olly Hartley 23. Lucio Cinti