Exeter count the cost of derby defeat at Bristol, with star injured

Exeter Chiefs are counting the cost of Saturday afternoon’s West Country derby defeat to Bristol Bears, with Wallaby back-rower Tom Hooper aggravating the shoulder injury he sustained on international duty this summer.

Hooper, 25, has made only three appearances for the struggling Chiefs this season and will likely need a scan to assess the injury he suffered just before half-time in the 20-7 defeat at Ashton Gate.

Wallabies boss Les Kiss will also be watching the verdict, as he hopes to have him available for the Nations Championship, which returns with a trip to Twickenham to face England a week on Sunday.

“He had a bang on the shoulder that he injured before. Hopefully it’s not a bad injury, but he will need to have a scan, and he has just aggravated it, but we won’t know for a little while.

“But we are having one of those injury situations at the moment, but it is what it is, and we will just get on with it,” Baxter told Devon Live after the defeat in Bristol.

Exeter have lost three of their opening four games in the Gallagher PREM this season and are currently ninth in the table with eight points, one ahead of Harlequins, who visit Sandy Park this weekend.

“Harlequins becomes big because we beat Harlequins at home last season, so we’ve got to beat them at home this season. That’s how we’ve got to do it,” added the Chiefs boss.

Injuries are starting to pile up for the Chiefs, with full-back Tommy Wyatt facing weeks on the sidelines after damaging ankle ligaments in the Champions Cup defeat against Toulouse.

England star Immanuel Feyi-Waboso continues his rehab from a hamstring injury with the national team this week, while Campbell Ridl is out for the season after an ACL injury that required an operation.

But Paul Brown-Bampoe, who has been sidelined with a heel problem and Italian international Andrea Zambonin (shoulder surgery) are closing in on a return to action.