Dafydd Jenkins reveals physical toll behind Exeter’s PREM final run

Dafydd Jenkins admits he played through the pain barrier to reach the Gallagher PREM final in June, but says a taste of the big stage has left him wanting more.

The Wales lock scored his only try of the season in the 26-17 defeat to Northampton Saints in the Twickenham showpiece before undergoing an operation on a shoulder injury that he aggravated in South-West London.

Jenkins, who missed the Nations Championship, is now battling to be fit for the opening game of the PREM campaign against Gloucester at Sandy Park on Saturday week, and accepts injuries are part and parcel of the game.

He, who played 32 games for the Chiefs and Wales last season, says they are more likely to happen given the workload placed on international stars.

“We’re going to do everything we can to put ourselves in the best possible scenario later in the season. We don’t really want to leave ourselves too much to do, like last season when we had to win three out of three to get to the final.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Exeter Chiefs

07:05

26 Sep 26

Gloucester

All Stats and Data

“It’s going to be a challenge. You just know every week is going to be very attritional and every team is good. If you play a lot of games in the season, you’re probably going to break your body at some point.

“But I was never going to miss a semi-final or final of the PREM. It was just the way it worked out. We had to win a couple of games in a row, and it was something I really wanted to be a part of.

“We’ve had a taste of a PREM final, but we got on the wrong side of it. That hunger is still there because we want to go one better. No one is going to speak about the PREM final last year.

“They’re going to speak about who won it. Saints are an awesome team, and we just want to replicate what they did and be that team. We probably put a lot more respect on our name as a team. But every team has got to respect each other. I think that’s how it is in this league,” he said.