EXETER Chiefs have made three changes from their last Premiership game against Newcastle for Sunday's crunch trip to Bath (3pm), writes Mark Stevens.

Welsh international duo Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza come into the back-five forwards for Jannes Kirsten (concussion) and Jacques Vermeulen (foot), while behind the scrum, Henry Slade is back from England duty and will partner Solomone Kata in the Exeter midfield.

On the bench, there are also welcome returns for both Alec Hepburn and Ollie Devoto, the latter of whom last played in the top flight back on New Year’s Day in 2022, as well as a first return back to the Rec for former Bath lock Mike Williams. 

Chiefs' director of rugby Rob Baxter has told his players to have ‘no regrets’ in their quest to reach this season’s Gallagher Premiership play-offs.

"It’s in our hands if we want to extend the season beyond these last four league games,” he said. “You can look at all the permutations that are there and you can say ‘this will happen, that will happen’ – but actually it is in our hands. If we could go on a run now, then we can start to see some good things happen and we can continue to climb the table.

“Yes, we’ve got a game in hand on teams around us, but we have to win. There is no point in us having that game in hand if we don’t win. We’re not in the ‘Last Chance Saloon’, but we’re not far off it. It doesn’t take a genius to see that and we certainly haven’t got a chance if we don’t improve our away form.

"Therefore, we may as well lump everything into this weekend’s game and say ‘here we go guys’ and let’s turn up, give it everything and have no regrets. If we do that, then let’s see where we stand after that.”

Baxter knows Bath - despite being bottom of the table - will pose a formidable threat to his side.

“They have picked up more losing bonus points than we have, so that shows you the games they have lost they have been more tenacious than us, so that says something to me straight away,” warned Baxter.

“If you actually look at a lot of their games, they’ve finished in some pretty tight scenarios, so they may look at this season as a stepping stone in that if they turn three or four performances by one more score. That is the threat for us, that is why we have to talk a lot about our intensity across 80 minutes, because if it ebbs or flows, then Bath will get back into the game.

“We have got to make sure we set a tone that we are happy with. If we win or we lose, I’ll take that, but we have to set something out across the 80 minutes that we can walk off the pitch and be happy with. If we do that, nine times out of ten that means we win games of rugby. We are very focused on what it’s going to take, minute by minute, moment by moment and how we align as a team, that’s going to be our big mantra until the end of the season.”

Back-row forward Dave Ewers will run out for his 200th Premiership and Champions Cup appearance for the club on Sunday..

Ted Hill and Ollie Lawrence return for Bath. Blindside flanker Hill last featured on the road at Sale Sharks in January while fellow England centre Lawrence has been absent due to Guinness Six Nations action.

International tighthead prop Will Stuart is back in the front row, alongside Beno Obano and Tom Dunn, and Josh McNally is recalled to the second row to partner GJ van Velze.

Captain Ben Spencer is reinstated at scrum-half, and Scotland man Cameron Redpath comes in at inside centre. 

Matt Gallagher switches back to full-back to accommodate Ruaridh McConnochie with Joe Cokanasiga returning to the right wing. Orlando Bailey completes the backline at fly-half.

Bath: M Gallagher, J Cokanasiga, O Lawrence, C Redpath, R McConnochie, O Bailey, B Spencer (capt); B Obano, T Dunn, W Stuart, J McNally, GJ van Velze, T Hill, C Cloete, M Reid. Replacements: N Annett, L Boyce, D Rae, F Lee-Warner, J Bayliss, L Schreuder, P Francis, T de Glanville.

Exeter: J Hodge, J Nowell (capt), H Slade, S Kata, O Woodburn, H Skinner, S Maunder, S Sio, D Frost, M Street, J Dunne, D Jenkins, D Ewers, C Tshiunza, S Simmonds. Replacements: J Yeandle, A Hepburn, P Shickerling, M Williams, A Davis, J Maunder, J Simmonds, O Devoto.

Referee: Karl Dickson.