Exeter Chiefs v Northampton Saints: Big match preview

Competition: Gallagher Premiership

Venue: Sandy Park, Exeter

Date and kick-off time: Saturday, January 6, 2024, 3pm

Weather forecast: 7c, partly sunny

Live television coverage: TNT Sports

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe

Assistant referees: George Selwood and Neil Chivers

No.4: Paul Dix

TMO: David Rose

Exeter Chiefs: Wyatt; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Hawkins; Hammersley; Skinner, Townsend; Abuladze, Yeandle, Iosefa-Scott; Pearson, Jenkins (c); Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau.

Replacements: Norey, Hepburn, Painter, Tuima, Vintcent, Cairns, Devoto, Wimbush.

Saints: Furbank (c); Sleightholme, Odendaal, Hutchinson, Litchfield; F Smith, Braley; Haffar, S Matavesi, Davison; Moon, Munga; Coles, Scott-Young, Graham.

Replacements: Langdon, Iyogun, Millar Mills, Mayanavanua, Pearson, Mitchell, Dingwall, Freeman.

Not considered for Saints selection: Juarno Augustus, George Hendy, Paul Hill, Tom James (suspended), Lewis Ludlam, James Ramm, Tom Seabrook, Alex Waller.

Most recent meeting: Sunday, November 12, 2023: Saints 34 Exeter Chiefs 19 (Gallagher Premiership)

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter: “I think this group are training very well – they’ve maintained a pace, an intensity and a vibe around training for a number of weeks, so now they’re reaping the rewards of that with more consistent performances. I’ve said to the players, ‘this is a top-of-the-table clash, there’s no pressure here, it’s just fun, every one of you should be delighted with playing in these kinds of games’. And they are enjoying it, as we’re enjoying coaching them as a coaching group, so we’ve just got to maintain that. Not to get too carried away with good or bad results was always going to be one of the most important things this year, and I think we’ve managed to do that pretty well. We’re enjoying ourselves week-by-week and keeping level-headed about results. Northampton gave us a bit of a seeing-to up at Franklin’s Gardens so we’re very aware there are a lot of threats in that team. The basic thing for us this week will be to start the game well. I think Northampton are enjoying themselves and teams that are enjoying what they do are always going to be a threat. We’re going to need to show resilience and fight across the full 80 minutes. They’ve got a very good set piece, defensively they’re functioning well, and we know they are capable of scoring right up into the last minutes.”

Saints head coach Sam Vesty: “Exeter have been fantastic. They obviously had a lot of change in the summer. They've come out refreshed, they look like they know exactly what they want to do, and they're doing it really well and putting teams under a lot of pressure defensively, at the breakdown and scoring lots of tries. I've been really impressed with them.”

Opposition dangerman: Exeter have developed a side full of danger, but Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was exceptional in the win against Bristol Bears last Friday and the wing has the ability to do real damage.

Tom Vickers’ prediction: Exeter haven’t lost at home since Saracens won at Sandy Park in October 2022, and with key men recalled to the starting 15, the home side will hope to extend that incredible run of success. Saints are managing the minutes of some of their stars and though their rotation has worked to perfection in recent weeks, this feels like it may just be a step too far. Exeter 32 Saints 24.