EXETER Chiefs welcome back some heavy artillery up front for the visit of the Newcastle Red Bulls in tomorrow’s PREM rugby tussle at Sandy Park (3pm).

International trio Dafydd Jenkins, Andrea Zambonin and Ethan Roots will all start for Rob Baxter’s side, who opening their seasonal account with a 33-33 draw with Northampton Saints.

Jenkins and Zambonin are preferred to Rus Tuima and Lewis Pearson, both of whom start on the bench, while Roots – who missed the game at Franklin’s Gardens with a neck injury – fills the void left by the injured Christ Tshiunza, who has been ruled out until the New Year with a broken foot.

The other change in personnel comes in the back division where Dan John comes in at full-back for the suspended Josh Hodge.

Hodge was handed a three-game ban by RFU disciplinary bods earlier this week, but two of those games are suspended providing his completes the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme (CIP).

Otherwise, it’s ‘as you were’ for the Chiefs, who showed their fighting spirit against the Saints, battling back from a 33-7 deficit at half-time to grab a share of the spoils.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “Following last weekend’s result, Northampton were probably gutted not to see the game home, and we’re probably delighted with the comeback.

“I think we’ve just got to show a little more resilience across longer periods of the game.

“The positive lesson we learned from it was that we’re a good side that’s got it in us to score tries and take points from games away from home. That resilience and positive momentum will be key for us going forward.

“The challenge for us this weekend will be remaining highly competitive for long periods of the game. We’ve worked this week to have clarity on how to put the best of ourselves on show and not put ourselves under pressure.”

Exeter Chiefs: Dan John; Immanuel Feyi-Waboso,Henry Slade, Ben Hammersley, Paul Brown-Bampoe; Harvey Skinner, Stephen Varney; Will Goodrick-Clarke, Joseph Dweba, Josh Iosefa-Scott; Dafydd Jenkins (capt), Andrea Zambonin; Ethan Roots, Greg Fisilau, Ross Vintcent. Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Kwenso Blose, Bachuki Tchumbadze, Rusi Tuima, Lewis Pearson, Kane James, Charlie Chapman, Nick Lilley.