Welch up for the Welsh challenge

Damian Welch is expecting former club Scarlets to offer Exeter Chiefs a testing work-out in their opening pre-season fixture this Saturday (3pm).

The towering lock spent three years at the Parc Y Scarlets before heading to Sandy Park during the summer of 2012, where he has since established himself as a key figure within Rob Baxter’s first team plans.

With 88 appearances already to his name for the Devon club, the 34-year-old forward is hoping to kick-off the 2016/17 season on a high note by helping the Chiefs to see off the Welsh region.

The Chiefs endured their best-ever campaign last term, finishing runners-up to Saracens in the Aviva Premiership, whilst also reaching the last eight of the European Champions Cup for the first time.

Those impressive statistics mean expectation levels will have risen for Rob Baxter’s side and Welch knows the Chiefs will have all and sundry looking to shoot them down in battle this season.

Welch said: "It’s important to hit the ground running after a hard pre-season and take the work we have done so far into these pre-season games.

"There is not much point doing the hard slog like we have, if you don’t then back it up in performances on the pitch.

"Traditionally we like to start every season well and for us that begins this weekend against the Scarlets. We know they will be a decent test for us, the Welsh regions always tend to up their game a bit when they play the English sides, so we should expect a tough game."

See more at: http://exeterchiefs.co.uk/news/welch-warms-welsh-test/