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Exeter Chiefs face crisis as duo in same position head to door


Press Association
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Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter faces a problem with at least two of his three front-line hookers looking set to leave Sandy Park when their contracts run out at the end of the season.

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There are signs that they could be joined by a third, which could throw his recruitment plans into total disarray and force a dramatic rethink as clubs start to step up their transfer plans after the Christmas and New Year period.

Ex-Cornish Pirates and Wasps man Dan Frost is set to become the first player out of the exit door after we understand he has agreed to rejoin another of his former clubs, Bath, next season.

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Taunton-born Frost, 27, has started 12 of his 13 appearances this season, scoring five tries moved to Devon in October 2022 when Wasps were liquidated initially on a short-term contract before signing a two-year deal.

He could be followed out of the club by Jack Innard, who is Welsh-qualified and is on Warren Gatland’s radar for a shock call-up for the Six Nations campaign which gets underway at the end of the month.

Truro-born former England under-20 international, 29, who scored two tries in the 2018 Anglo-Welsh Cup win over Bath, joined the Chiefs in 2013 and had loan spells at Launceston, Cornish Pirates and Plymouth Albion.

He has made ten appearances for the Chiefs this season, all off the bench, including yesterday’s 28-15 defeat to Leicester Tigers. He also scored one try against the Pirates in the Premiership Cup.

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Innard had been keen on a move to Japan but is being looked at by Welsh regions encouraged by Gatland, who is leaving no stone unturned to try and turn around last year’s disastrous form.

It is understood that long-serving Exeter-born club skipper Jack Yeandle, who was signed from Doncaster Knights 13 years ago and celebrated his 35th birthday before Christmas, is yet to be offered a deal for next season.

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EvilMockingJay 1 hour ago
All Blacks dependency on Cam Roigard means he should sit out Super Rugby

There is a big difference between Super Rugby and Top14. That’s why one of them is the best championship while the over is clearly not. Top14 is longer, harder, and protecting players is a necessity, even without a WC year. Top14 players are playing too much. Far too much. Hell, Top14 (more intense than others championships and longer), useless ChCups we tend to win at en heavy price (winning both Top14 and ChCup is a nightmare), November/Summer series, 6 Nations we tend to win too, final phases of top14… Ain't the case in Super Rugby. + Not playing for a long time is also having negative consequences. It's not because France did what they did recently that it’s useful for other nations to follow. We did that because in OUR situation it’s beneficial to do so. It doesn’t mean everyone on the planet is in the same situation. Of course Roigard should be cautious (like everyone). And his club should take care of him (idk but burning an international player seems quite stupid, and I bet the Canes are not). But stop playing for a while ? That’s more than stupid.

PS : one exemple in France, Louis Bielle Biarrey. He wants to play the Olympics and the World Cup. He signed again this summer. That was difficult. I bet that in the negociations it was said he would not be playing too much top14 or CC to compete both RWC and Olympics. Meaning Union Bordeaux Bègles will not have one of their best weapons for most of this season. Not that he will not play at all…



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