Kings Park Stadium, Durban Date: Saturday 7 December Kick-off: 13:00 GMT
The Exeter Chiefs have named five Champions Cup debutants in their squad to face South African side the Sharks in their first game of group one in Durban.
Lock Franco Molina, opening halfback Will Haydon-Wood and centre Tamati Tua will face last year’s Challenge Cup winners from the start, while prop Jimmy Roots and centre Will Rigg are among the substitutes.
England centre Henry Slade is resting, meanwhile, after his involvement in the Autumn Nations Series.
South African lock Eben Etzebeth returns to captain a strong Sharks team, which also includes Springboks captain Siya Kolisi at number eight.
Exeter have lost all seven Premiership matches and are rooted to the bottom of the table after a disappointing campaign so far.
Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter is hoping that a positive performance in South Africa will kick-start his team’s season.
‘Starting our campaign in South Africa might be one of the toughest ways to start, but I think we saw the benefits of a start like this last season in Toulon – a win really set the tone for our whole campaign,’ Baxter said.
‘The Sharks are a very good team with world-class individual players and that contributes hugely to what they are able to achieve as a team. Looking through the pack and the back line, you realise that you have to try and stop them everywhere.’
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