PIRI Weepu is given a birthday debut by London Welsh in their televised Aviva Premiership opener at home to Exeter Chiefs tomorrow (2pm).

The New Zealand World Cup-winning scrum half, who turns 31 on Sunday, is one of nine summer signings making their first competitive appearance for the Exiles at the Kassam Stadium.

Tim Molenaar, Olly Bark-ley, Ricky Reeves, Koree Britton, Taione Vea, Dean Schofield, James Down and Lachlan McCaffrey also make first starts.

Club captain Matt Corker is named among the replacements as he begins his eighth season with the Exiles.

“Everybody involved with London Welsh worked so hard last season, on and off the field, and we were all so proud of our achievement of gaining promotion,” said head coach Justin Burnell.

“But we’ve now got to make sure we retain our position within the Aviva Premiership.

“We’ve spent the last seven weeks planning towards Sunday and it’s going to be good to see where we’re actually at.

“There’s no better measuring stick than playing Exeter on Sunday and that’s when we’ll see where we are at.

“The biggest thing for the coaching staff is that we put in a performance in line with what we’ve been training towards.

“It’s about getting our head down and doing what we’re good at, and that’s working hard.

“Our preparations could have been better, but I don’t think you’re ever going to get it 100 percent.

“We’ve had a couple of injuries, but that’s part and parcel and you’ve just got to get on with it.

“It would be easy to start looking for excuses. It’s about turning up and giving a wholehearted performance that we can all be proud of.

“The step up from the Championship to the Aviva Premiership is massive. Everything in the Premiership is five yards faster and ten kilos heavier.”

Exeter give a debut to former London Welsh second row Mitch Lees, who switched clubs this summer.

But they have not selected England and former Chinnor flanker Tom Johnson.

TOMORROW'S TEAMS

LONDON WELSH
Jewell, Stegmann, May (capt), Molenaar, Scott, Barkley, Weepu, Reeves, Britton, Vea, Schofield, Down, P Browne, Thorpe, McCaffrey. Reps: Vella, Henn, Gilding, Corker, Stedman, R Lewis, Roberts, Crane.

EXETER CHIEFS
Botha, Whitten, Slade, Hill, Jess, Steenson, Thomas, Rimmer, Yeandle (capt), Francis, Lees, Caldwell, Ewers, White, Waldrom. Reps: Taione, Moon, Low, Armand, Horstmann, Chudley, Sweeney, Arnott.

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