EXETER Chiefs have made wholesale changes for their final Pool One fixture in this season’s Investec Champions Cup away to Ulster tomorrow night (7.45pm).

Having suffered three successive defeats so far in the competition, including a record European loss at home to Bordeaux-Begles last weekend, Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, believes the playing switch up could act as a ‘great challenge’ for his squad, who still hold a faint chance of qualifying for the European Challenge Cup with victory in Belfast.

Just three players remain in place from that which started against the Frenchmen last Saturday. Wingers Ben Hammersley and Paul Brown-Bampoe are two, the other is tight-head prop Josh Iosefa-Scott.

The selection certainly hints that Baxter has one eye at least on next week’s return to Gallagher Premiership action when the Chiefs face Saracens at Sandy Park.

“Following the Bordeaux result last weekend, this week we tried to speak to players very openly about everything as the reality is, it was a tough day,” said Baxter. “We wanted to make sure it didn’t create a divide in the group as the single most important thing right now is that we stay together as a group.

“Where we are now in the season, every game is important so we’re expecting this game against Ulster to give our players another chance to test themselves. The lads got themselves back on track in training this week very quickly and they look excited by the prospect of this game.

“We’re going to try to drive our performance on the field in Ulster. When you’re losing, you can get focused on ‘when will the win come’ and you can forget to actually play the games. So, we’ve got simple targets for this week to just play and try to implement our game plan.

“Ulster are, in some ways, a little like us in that they’re going through a bit of a rebuilding process. They’re introducing some young players and that can have some teething problems. They’ve seen the tough parts of this competition like we have, but they’re at home on a Friday night in Belfast, so it’s going to be a challenge.”

Cornishman Jack Innard will skipper the Chiefs side, which also includes both Lewis Pearson and Martin Moloney, both of whom have been playing in recent weeks for the Cornish Pirates in the Championship.

Exeter Chiefs: Harvey Skinner; Ben Hammersley, Joe Hawkins, Will Rigg, Paul Brown-Bampoe; Will Haydon-Wood, Niall Armstrong; Will Goodrick-Clarke, Jack Innard (capt), Josh Iosefa-Scott; Rus Tuima, Christ Tshiunza; Martin Moloney, Richard Capstick, Ross Vintcent. Replacements: Max Norey, Kwenso Blose, Jimmy Roots, Jack Dunne, Lewis Pearson, Joe Bailey, Tom Cairns, Zack Wimbush.