The start of a new campaign is often less about the scoreline than the shape of the group that takes the field, and Exeter Chiefs’ 35-player squad for Saturday’s friendly against Scarlets says plenty about where Rob Baxter wants his side to be. This is not just a first outing at Sandy Park in the 2026/27 campaign. It is a chance to get the majority of the training squad into meaningful minutes, while also giving newer faces their first proper taste of the club environment.
That is especially useful with Exeter due to open their PREM Rugby Cup schedule next weekend. Baxter has made no secret of the value he places on these early-season meetings, describing fixtures with Scarlets as consistently competitive and saying the performance should help the squad move from training into match rhythm. In other words, this is a friendly with a practical edge.
Two XVs, one clear purpose
Baxter has named two different XVs for each half, a selection pattern that underlines the point of the exercise. The aim is not merely to assess a first-choice group, but to spread game-time across the squad and learn something useful from both halves. That matters in pre-season, when minutes can reveal as much about readiness as any session on the training field.
The squad also offers a look at how Exeter are trying to build depth around established names and younger players. Included are Tommy Wyatt, Harry Wilson, Sam Wolstenholme, Will Butt, Charlie Poynton, Archie McArthur, Jake Murray, Olly Woodburn, Zack Wimbush, Campbell Ridl, Harvey Skinner, Ethan Burger, Louie Gulley, Ehren Painter, Joe Bailey, Finn Worley Brady, Harry Westlake, Ethan Roots, Will Haydon-Wood, Ollie Batson, Charlie Bosanko, Ben Hammersley, Ben Coen, Tom Cairns, Will Goodrick-Clarke, Julian Heaven, Josh Iosefa-Scott, Lewis Pearson, Oscar Beckerleg, Morgan Crew, Oisin Smith, Alfie Johns, Joseph Dweba, Jimmy Roots and Nic Allison.
Among those names, the inclusion of several younger players stands out as a deliberate nod to development, while the presence of the new arrivals suggests Baxter wants them settled quickly. That first run out at Sandy Park can matter more than it looks on paper, because it starts the process of turning training-ground combinations into something that holds up under pressure.
Why this friendly matters
Baxter said the squad have had a strong pre-season and added that the group’s energy in training suggests they are ready to play. He also pointed to the speed and flow the coaches have seen on the training pitch, expressing hope that it shows up on Saturday. That is the real point of a fixture like this: not to solve every selection question, but to find out whether the work so far has translated into live rugby.
There is also a wider timing issue here. With Exeter heading toward next weekend’s opening PREM Rugby Cup game, this is the last obvious opportunity to give the bulk of the squad a controlled but competitive run-out. If the Chiefs get the kind of sharp, lively performance Baxter is asking for, it will tell them more than a win on its own. It will suggest the squad is arriving at the season with purpose, options and enough depth to make the opening weeks meaningful.
Scarlets, as a United Rugby Championship side, should provide the kind of test Baxter expects: competitive, physical and useful. For Exeter, that is exactly the point. A pre-season match is never just about getting through it. It is about starting the season with clarity about who is ready, who is pushing, and how quickly the pieces can come together.
