Gloucester vs Exeter Chiefs Prediction: Back hosts on the handicap

The Premiership Rugby Cup gets underway on Friday evening (19:45 BST), with a West Country derby kicking off this season’s tournament. Gloucester play host to Exeter Chiefs at Kingsholm, with both teams looking for a winning start as they seek to lift the trophy for a second time.

Below are my Gloucester vs Exeter Chiefs predictions, as well as all the essential team news and match odds.

Team News

Gloucester have named a strong squad for the visit of the Chiefs, for what will be their first competitive game of the new season.

Director of Rugby George Skivington has selected England internationals Jack Singleton, Lewis Ludlow and Will Joseph in his starting XV.

Hooker Singleton is joined in the front row by Ciaran Knight and Afo Fasogbon, while Ludlow is in the back row alongside James Venter and Jack Clement.

The half-backs will be Caolan Englefield and Ross Byrne, while Wales star Max Llewellyn will team up with Will Butler in the centres.

Ex-Harlequins man Joseph is in the back three alongside Ollie Thorly and Charlie Atkinson.

In contrast, Exeter will hand debuts to five players with Director of Rugby Rob Baxter insisting that he wants to see the team “carry momentum into the league”.

Trialist Harry Ascherl, the former Bristol Bears centre, is handed a start while Joseph Dweba and Stephen Varney are also included in the XV.

Will Haydon-Wood has been named at full-back, as England A international Josh Hodge continues his recovery from injury.

The other debutants for the visitors, Italian lock Andrea Zambonin and Scottish scrum-half Charlie Chapman, are named amongst the replacements.

Gloucester vs Exeter Chiefs Odds

The home side, who finished four places ahead of Exeter in last season’s campaign, can be backed at 2/9 to win Friday’s cup derby.

Having lost by 62 points on their last visit to Kingsholm, the visitors are 16/5 to claim the victory, while the draw is available at 22/1.

Handicap -8 - Gloucester -8 @ 8/11

The strength of the Gloucester squad shows how keen they are to get a win in their opening match in Pool 1, which also includes Bath, Bristol and Sale.

The Cherry and Whites will also have boosted their confidence thanks to a pre-season friendly win over Munster last week - a game they won with the last kick of the game.

The last time these two rivals faced each other was in the Premiership back in April, when the hosts ran out emphatic victors.

On that occasion, Gloucester ran in 13 tries - including a hat-trick for Jack Singleton - in a 79-17 defeat, which was Exeter’s heaviest loss in the top flight.

The Chiefs only recorded four victories in 18 league fixtures last term, and this cup campaign will probably see them tweak their team in order to prepare for the new season.

Although I don’t expect a similarly heavy defeat this time around, Gloucester should have enough to see off their West Country rivals on home soil.

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