Jenkins returns as Woodburn becomes a double centurion

September 25, 2026
343
Ultimate Rugby

Dafydd Jenkins returns from injury for the opening of the new Gallagher PREM season as he captains an Exeter Chiefs side which includes Olly Woodburn becoming a club double centurion.

Elsewhere in the teamsheet, there are three Prem debuts for Louie Gulley, Oscar Beckerleg and Joe Bailey, who are all named on the bench.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “Overall, I’m pleased with pre-season and the character we showed in games like last weekend’s friendly in Cardiff. We’ve got to decide to roll our sleeves up now though and get ready for the Prem.”

“The league is so competitive now, the games come so quickly and there’s so few of them, that you really can’t afford to get caught. It’ll be a really interesting game for both of us.”

Club captain Jack Yeandle leads a tough front-row unit which includes Ethan Burger and Josh Iosefa-Scott.

The noteworthy return of Wales’s Jenkins sees him wear the captain’s armband in a new second-row pairing with summer signing, Harry Wilson. They are backed up by a barnstorming back-row of Ethan Roots, Kane James and Greg Fisilau.

A week on from a try-scoring return to Chiefs colours in Cardiff, scrum-half Stephen Varney partners Harvey Skinner at fly-half. In the centres, Henry Slade partners up with experienced Prem player, Will Butt.

Then, joining new club double centurion Woodburn in the backfield will be Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the wing and Ben Hammersley at full-back.

Baxter added: “One thing I know about Gloucester is they’ll have had a good, long, tough pre-season. They’ll have talked a lot about resetting standards, goals and ambitions around how they want to play and what they want to achieve this season.

“Whereas we’ve had to go ‘we had a decent season, we want to push on from there’. So, the psychology of the game is very interesting. It’s something we’ve got to make sure we get right.”

Joining league debutant Gulley in the replacement front row are props Will Goodrick-Clarke and Jimmy Roots. Beckerleg and Bailey then cover the back five of the scrum.

Scrum-half Jake Murray joins utility backs Will Haydon-Wood and Zack Wimbush to complete the match 23.

Exeter Chiefs:

15 Ben Hammersley

14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

13 Henry Slade

12 Will Butt

11 Olly Woodburn

10 Harvey Skinner

9 Stephen Varney

1 Ethan Burger

2 Jack Yeandle

3 Josh Iosefa-Scott