Exeter sign highly rated ex-England U20s star Hinkley
Aaron Hinkley says he is relishing the new challenge that awaits next season after he agreed to join the Exeter Chiefs from Gallagher Premiership rivals, Gloucester Rugby.
The 20-year-old forward will make the switch to Sandy Park this summer, having agreed a two-year deal with the Devon club.
He is Exeter’s third confirmed capture ahead of the 2020/21 season and follows Scottish internationals Jonny Gray and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne in joining Rob Baxter’s squad.
The Hereford-born flanker was a pupil at St Peter’s High School in Gloucester before joining the club’s Academy set-up in 2017. The following year he made his first-team debut as a replacement for Ben Morgan in an Anglo-Welsh Cup fixture against Newcastle Falcons.
Since then, he has combined life with the Cherry & Whites by featuring initially for Cinderford in the National League and then Hartpury College in the RFU Championship.
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To date, he has featured 12 times for Gloucester, scoring tries against Harlequins and London Irish in this season’s Premiership Rugby Cup. However, he sees his future away from Kingsholm and is excited about testing himself in a new environment with the Chiefs.
“I’m very excited about the move,” said Hinkley, who has been capped at both Under-18s and Under-20s level with England. “I was coming to the end of my contract at Gloucester and when I heard there was some interest from Exeter, I wanted to hear more of what they had to say.
“Speaking with Rob Baxter and Rob Hunter, I liked what they had to say and how they wanted to work with me and develop my game moving forward. Everyone knows that Exeter are one of the best clubs in Europe and that they have created a great environment and a great culture for their players.
.@ExeterChiefs have completed the signing of talented England Under 20 back-rower Aaron Hinkley from Gloucester pic.twitter.com/AB8WCSZYv4
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 2, 2020
“Obviously, I’m grateful for the opportunities that Gloucester have given me over the last few years, but I feel the time is right for me to try something different. I know going down to Exeter is going to be a huge challenge, especially when you see the quality of their squad, but I believe they can help take me to another level.”
Baxter himself is delighted to have acquired the services of Hinkley, who was named man of the match when he featured for England Under-20s at Sandy Park last season.
“Aaron is someone who we have looked at very closely,” said Baxter. “We met him and really liked what he had to say and liked his character. He’s got raw pace and he’s a player that likes to get in and around the ball a lot.
“Those are important features for us because, I know people will look at our pack of forwards and talk about the size of it and that they are big and physical, which they are, but you also need to have elements of pace and you need to build a group of players in your pack that can do something together.
“What you see with Aaron is he’s someone we feel who can drop into our combinations very well and provide some of those key elements. At the same time, he’s also got other attributes that we can only seeing growing with us more and more.
“I can see him being a guy who has good line-speed attributes; will be strong over the ball; and he’s got a pinball way of getting through contact, which I think will be great for us.
“He’s also a young guy who has only just come out of the England Under-20s, so we seem him physically developing for a number of years yet. Those are the kind of qualities that we want to see. We want to see the attributes that will make him part of various combinations we want to put on the field on a regular basis.”
And being English-qualified too, Hinkley ticks a number of other boxes for Baxter in terms of his overall squad.
“We feel like we are going well and that we are a team that have got a lot of things right over the last few years,” added Baxter. “However, the last thing I want us to do is sit on our laurels and expect the players we have got to just keep us progressing. It doesn’t work like that.
“Although we have a good age range to the squad at the minute, you also do have senior players who do move beyond their best years and start to move out of contract, so it’s really important we have plans in place about where we might be in two or three years’ time.
“Where we are really lucky with Aaron is we feel he has lots of qualities that man he can play first team rugby pretty quickly, but I can also see him playing, progressing and improving over a number of years. I think that’s the exciting thing, we feel can bring players in who are pretty much ready to go now, but who you can also see that physical and playing maturity still developing.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Some dumb selections there. Not Porecki Not Donaldson Not Gordon Not Lonegran - both Not Nic White - Fines instead Not Liam Wright Not Paisami Definitely not Vunivalu Other than that not bad.
1 Go to commentsI've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
7 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
44 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
7 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
7 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
7 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
7 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
7 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to comments