As blatant as it gets. Exeter attack and Josh McNally is so far off his feet he might as well have been lying down.

A 10 minute rest for the second row.

Ioan Lloys opts for the cross-field kick and expertly finds wing Tom Bowen out wide. He then chips ahead but that's great work from Paul Brown-Bampoe, covering across and running his side out of danger.

Exeter then get a penalty and Slade kicks them within 20 metres of the Cardiff line.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Finally, Cardiff get a foothold after a powerful carry from number eight Taine Basham.

Scrum half Johan Mulder then opts for the box kick and an Exeter hand has knocked on.

The away side have a scrum and a first real chance to attack.

Gareth Delve
Former Wales international on BBC Radio Wales

The try was good forward play from Exeter. The initial Cardiff defence did well but they just couldn't hold them out on the pick and go.

Brief respite for Cardiff after Kane James bursts into their 22.

The cover defence brings him down though and the Blue and Blacks get the penalty at the breakdown.

Worryingly, James is now leaving the field with what appears an ankle injury. It looks like his afternoon his already over.

Heavy Exeter pressure culminates with Adrea Zambonin driving over the line.

However, after consulting with the TMO, referee Griffin Colby confirms the Italian lock didn't ground the ball.

Another penalty instead though.

After a powerful lineout drive, it's another Exeter penalty and again, there is zero interest in going for goal.

Another attacking lineout platform...

It's Exeter dominating the early possession as Immanuel Feyi-Waboso does superbly to gather a high kick.

The hosts are awarded a penalty but opt against three points as Henry Slade boots them into the corner.

On a cold but clear January afternoon, Harvey Skinner gets us under way by kicking deep into the Cardiff 22.

Gareth Delve
Former Wales international on BBC Radio Wales

Looking at the Cardiff line-up, despite the number of changes it's still a really dangerous back line.

Both these sides have been going well in their domestic leagues this season, but have endured mixed results of late.

The Chiefs are out to avoid a third straight loss, with last week's result in France preceded by a 33-26 defeat to Bath in the Gallagher Premiership.

However, they remain strong favourites with the bookmakers today, and home fans can point to the fact their side is unbeaten at Sandy Park since losing to Sale on 31 May this year.

Cardiff, fourth in the URC, endured a mixed festive period, with defeats to Welsh rivals Scarlets and Ospreys coming either side of a narrow home win over Dragons on Boxing Day.

However, they looked close to their best in last week's 32-13 win over Racing 92 and have a proud history in this competition - having lifted the trophy twice before.

Image source, Getty Images

Gareth Delve
Former Wales international on BBC Radio Wales

Cardiff have made a number of changes from last week, and Exeter are unbeaten at home. For me that probably leads to a strong showing from the Chiefs.

Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter is undoubtedly still ruing the narrow defeat in Stade last weekend, that has ultimately scuppered his side's hopes of a top-two finish.

However, this he's vowed his squad will learn from the defeat, saying: "We’ve looked at the areas of our game we can address to be better in following on from our performance against Stade Francais, things like discipline and different areas around our set piece, to get us back on track.

“Cardiff are very competitive at the breakdown, that’ll be another challenge for us, and they like to play rugby. They move the ball well and when they get momentum in a game, they look very dangerous. They’re having one of those seasons where they can challenge anybody, but we are as well, so that should create a really good game.”

Coach Corniel van Zyl meanwhile, insisted his much-changed side will relish the task against a team sitting third in the English league.

"They've had a positive season, they've become a difficult team to beat, like they used to be," he said.

"They're good at the breakdown, have a good set-piece and kicking game and they've got some dangerous backs that can score tries. "It's going to be a nice challenge but 100% something we look forward to, we'll put our game on the pitch and see what happens."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Wales outside half Ioan Lloyd is back in the Cardiff XV for the first time since picking up a shoulder injury against Stade Francais at the start of December.

The 24-year-old is one of 10 changes from the side that defeated Racing 92 last weekend, with Corniel van Zyl seemingly weary of his side's six-day turnaround and a crucial United Rugby Championship (URC) game with Benetton next weekend.

Lock Josh McNally is back to captain the side, and is one of six changes to the pack alongside open-side flanker Dan Thomas, blind-side flanker James Botham, loose-head prop Danny Southworth, hooker Evan Lloyd and tight-head prop Sam Wainwright.

Scrum-half Johan Mulder, centre Rory Jennings and wing Mason Grady are also starting are also starting, while Wales Under-20s captain Tom Cottle is in line for his competitive debut from the bench.

Cardiff: Beetham; Grady, Smit, Jennings, Bowen; I Lloyd, Mulder; Southworth, E Lloyd, S Wainwright; McNally (Capt), Thornton; Botham, D Thomas, Basham.

Replacements: D Hughes, Domachowski, Assiratti, Nott, Lawrence, Cottle, I Davies, Winnett.

Image source, Getty Images

Not only do the Chiefs welcome back the half-back pairing of Stephen Varney and Harvey Skinner this afternoon, but Rob Baxter has named a number of players that the travelling Welsh fans will be begrudgingly familiar with.

Varney is returning from a concussion lay-off and of course, was raised in Wales before pledging international allegiance to Italy.

Skipper Dafydd Jenkins will face a number of his Wales teammates while number eight Greg Fisilau is rested, making way for England Under-20s international Kane James who, you guessed it, was born and bred on the other side of the Severn Bridge.

Elsewhere, Will Haydon-Wood shifts into the centre alongside Henry Slade, while the back-three remains unchanged with Immanuel Brown-Bampoe and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the wings, and Olly Woodburn at full-back.

Feyi-Waboso, of course, grew up in Rumney, came through the academy system at Cardiff, played for Wales at age-grade level before publicly stating his ambition to follow suit with the senior side - only to then opt to represent England in the 2024 Six Nations. Ouch.

Exeter Chiefs: Woodburn; Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Haydon-Wood, Brown-Bampoe; Skinner, Varney; Sio, Dweba, Tchumbadze; Jenkins (Capt), Zambonin; Hooper, Roots, James.

Replacements: Heaven, Goodrick-Clarke, Roots; Tuima, Pearson, Capstick, Chapman, Hammersley.

Welcome to Sandy Park for what is now effectively a 'third-placed shootout' in Pool Three of the European Challenge Cup.

Ulster's 26-19 win over Stade Francais this weekend has left Exeter fourth in the table, and while already through to the knockout stages, Rob Hunter's men are unable to catch the top two.

They can however, leapfrog today's visitors Cardiff Rugby, who are a point better off than the Chiefs but even a bonus point win for them would leave them short of Stade in second place

So the equation today is simple. Both sides are guaranteed a passage into the last-16 regardless of the result, but are essentially playing for a better seeding and an easier passage to Bilbao in May.

Exeter win, and third place belongs to them.

Famous last words, but the only other scenario that would see the hosts displace the Blue and Blacks is a very unlikely one - a draw with Exeter securing a four-try bonus point while the away side fail to do so.

Anyway, enough of the mathematics, let's look at the team news.

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