'It's pretty much a done deal' - club stalwart set to commit to Exeter

Exeter Chiefs skipper Jack Yeandle will be staying for a 14th season at Sandy Park after Rob Baxter said the club stalwart has agreed to a new contract.

Yeandle, 35, looks set to finish his career with the Chiefs after being sounded out by Bristol Bears, and Baxter hopes that Stu Townsend and Olly Woodburn, who won’t play again this season with a knee injury, will re-sign.

Baxter says that local boy Yeandle, who joined the Chiefs from Doncaster Knights in 2012, will give the Chiefs more options in the middle of the front row after the signings of Springbok Joseph Dweba and Australian Julian Heaven.

“Jack is going to stay. That is pretty much a done deal, and we are still discussing things with the other two. They are two guys that we aren’t definitely letting go, and we would like to keep them.

“They add experience and depth to the squad that we haven’t had for the last couple of years, when we have had to focus on one competition or another.

“He has very good culturally in and around the club as well as still playing very well. He is almost thriving in the role of trying to keep people on course and on track, helping other people play well and focus.

“He is very driven and focused on playing and training at the highest level. We have discussed things like maybe doing some part-time coaching at the university.

“Jack has said that he wants to do some coaching in the future, but at the moment, he has told me that he wants to focus on playing and being a competitive member of the squad.

“When you look at coming in, Joseph Dweba and Julian Heaven, we are really strong in that position, and we need to get ourselves as strong as that in a couple of other key positions,” said Baxter.