Tom Hooper is back in Exeter Chiefs' matchday 23 for the first time this season, named among the replacements as Sandy Park hosts Newcastle Red Bulls in round three of the Gallagher Premiership. The Wallabies back-rower returned to the UK this week after featuring for Australia in the Rugby Championship, rejoining a squad looking to build on a promising away performance.
A Settled Pack With One Change
Director of rugby Rob Baxter has made just one alteration to the starting forward pack that performed well at Bath. Kane James drops to the bench, with Italy international Ross Vintcent coming into the back row at openside flanker. Everywhere else, continuity is the theme: Ethan Burger and Josh Iosefa-Scott pack down either side of hooker Jack Yeandle, who scored a try last time out, while captain Dafydd Jenkins and Harry Wilson retain their places in the second row. Ethan Roots and Greg Fisilau, both prominent in the tackle count against Bath, complete a back row that now includes Vintcent.
Baxter's selection logic reflects a broader pattern in professional rugby squad management: reward form, make targeted changes only where tactically necessary, and avoid disrupting combinations that are showing signs of cohesion. His comments about Newcastle underline that calculation - he described them as a side with "real strength and quality individuals" still finding its collective rhythm, a dynamic that shapes how Exeter will approach both selection and gameplan.
Backline Continuity and a Forced Change
In the backs, Stephen Varney and Harvey Skinner continue their half-back partnership after both scored at The Rec. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who scored twice against Bath, lines up on the wing alongside Tommy Wyatt. Will Butt, facing his former club last weekend, keeps his centre-field role alongside Henry Slade. The one enforced change in the backline sees Sam Harris come in at full-back, covering for an injury concern to Olly Woodburn.
Hooper's recall is notable beyond its immediate team sheet value. He made more than 20 appearances in his debut Chiefs season, including a start in the 2026 Premiership final, making him a proven contributor rather than a squad fringe player. His presence among the replacements gives Baxter a experienced forward option to introduce from the bench, particularly useful against a Newcastle side he has flagged as physically dangerous.
What the Result Means for Exeter's Season
Baxter was candid about the stakes. A losing bonus point from Bath was, in his words, "a decent return," but he acknowledged that only collecting one point from the opening home fixture leaves little margin. Reaching seven or eight points from the first three rounds would represent a season "back on track" by his own measure. That framing matters for how this fixture should be read: not as a must-win in isolation, but as part of an early-season points target that shapes squad rotation, player welfare management around international call-ups like Hooper's, and the broader competitive picture in a Premiership season where consistency across rounds often determines playoff contention more than any single result.