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Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter has not ruled out adding to his squad ahead of the new 2022/23 season, which kicks-off next month with the visit of Leicester Tigers to Sandy Park.
Having added Tongan international Solomone Kata to his ranks earlier this week, Baxter hinted that there could yet be more incomings with potential spaces to fill in the forwards.
“We still have a couple of slots that we could fill,” said Baxter. “With Will Witty moving on, that’s opened up a space there, and there’s a little bit of room potentially around the front-row that I’m still looking at.
“That said, we are starting to look where we need to be. So far we’ve got a good block of training into the guys that are here. It would have been nice to have got through this period with a few less operations and a few more guys on the field able to train regularly, but it’s very rare that Premiership clubs get to do that now.
“Overall, though, we’re looking good and the guys look like they are bonding together nicely, which is really important. Initially, we didn’t think we would get Solomone over here as early as we have, so it’s great that he is here and settling in because that means we can get him on the pitch a lot earlier as well.”
With just a month to the opening fixture on Saturday, September 10, Baxter admits he is liking what he is seeing from his players in the countdown to the big kick-off.
“The guys are working extremely hard,” added Baxter. “We have reconfigured the gym over the summer, so that everything can run a bit more smoothly. To be fair, we can’t question how hard they have worked and the challenges we have set them.
“We’ve got a leadership group who are really driving the way and we have got a bit of freshness about us. Weirdly – and I know this sounds a bit strange – finishing seventh last season has for some of the guys taken a bit of pressure off them. For others, it will have added a bit of pressure, probably me more than anyone else, but actually we’ve tried not to look at it like that.
“Instead, we’ve tried to look at it as a bit of a fresh start and it’s now our jobs to kind of rebuild that team that challenges at the top again. It’s not like there is an expectation that Week One it has to be perfect. We’ve changed a few things – new defence coach, we’re slightly changing our attack – and we’re just going to start to work our way through a lot of those things over the next three or four weeks running into those first few games.”
With reigning champions Leicester Tigers first up for the Chiefs, Baxter and his squad can now focus their minds on what should be a mouth-watering opening day fixture.
“I’ll be honest, I think we would have been this excited whoever we were facing first up,” continued Baxter. “But that one is as good as any to start with. Playing Leicester gives us a real focus and it gives the crowd a real opportunity to come in and pack out Sandy Park and see what this group of players are going to be about this season. It just gives us an opportunity to lay down a marker.”
Content & Images from – Exeter Chiefs Rugby
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Imposing second row Michael Etete has signed for Bath Rugby for the 2022/23 season.
The 6ft 7 lock, who can also play in the back row, has impressed whilst on trial during pre-season.
A strong ball carrier with an ability to get over the gainline, Etete has featured in National 1 for both Leeds Tykes and Rams RFC over the past couple of seasons as well as starring in BUCS Super Rugby with Leeds Beckett University RFC.
He linked up with the Blue, Black and White on day one of pre-season for an initial three-week period and has earned his first opportunity at Gallagher Premiership level.
“We have been really pleased with Michael’s attitude and application so far in pre-season,” Head of Rugby Johann van Graan said.
Content & Images from – Bath Rugby
Northampton Saints have confirmed the Club’s first-team squad list for the 2022/23 season.
Director of Rugby Phil Dowson will lead a group of 60 players in total for his first season at the helm (up from 58 in 2021/22) with 19 new faces arriving at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens – including the likes of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Angus Scott-Young, James Ramm, Callum Braley and Ethan Waller.
Saints’ coaching group is reshaped for the upcoming campaign as Dowson moves into the Director of Rugby position and Sam Vesty also makes a step-up as Head Coach.
Former Saints lock James Craig also transitions from the Club’s Academy programme into the senior coaching group, joining first-team coaches Ian Vass and Matt Ferguson.
Former Director of Rugby Chris Boyd takes up a new advisory role with the Club, providing strategic counsel to the coaching group by both working remotely from New Zealand and visiting Northampton during the season.
An impressive 70% (42/60) of Northampton’s senior squad have come through the Saints Academy system, an increase of 3% from 2021/22. Mark Hopley (Head of Academy) continues to lead the Senior Academy group of 21 players and is supported by Jake Sharp, Will Parkin, and Jim Henry, as well as Alex O’Dowd (Academy Programme Manager).
PROPS Oisín Heffernan Paul Hill Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi Emmanuel Iyogun Ehren Painter George Patten* Alfie Petch Ed Prowse* Nick Tarr* Alex Waller Ethan Waller
HOOKERS Callum Burns* James Fish Aston Gradwick-Light* Mikey Haywood Sam Matavesi Robbie Smith Craig Wright*
LOCKS & LOOSE FORWARDS Emeka Atuanya* Juarno Augustus Alex Coles Joseph Gaffan* Sam Graham Aaron Hinkley Geordie Irvine* Courtney Lawes Tom Lockett* Lewis Ludlam Alex Moon Brandon Nansen David Ribbans Lukhan Salakaia-Loto Angus Scott-Young Kayde Sylvester* Josh Weru* Karl Wilkins Duane RatuVilai Willemsen*
SCRUM-HALVES Callum Braley Jake Garside* Tom James Alex Mitchell
FLY-HALVES Dan Biggar James Grayson Matthew Arden*
CENTRES Fraser Dingwall Ethan Grayson* Rory Hutchinson Archie Kean* Tom Litchfield* Joel Matavesi Matt Proctor Toby Thame*
WINGERS Tom Collins James Ramm Courtnall Skosan Frankie Sleightholme* Ollie Sleightholme
FULLBACKS Tommy Freeman George Furbank George Hendy*
Content & Images from – Northampton Saints Rugby
As Exeter Rugby Club prepare to unearth a new chapter in the club’s long and distinguished history, so we look to the future with today’s launch of the club’s new home and away kits.
Working in collaboration with our club partners Samurai, our traditional home and away strips merge our unrivalled legacy with that of technical innovation. Indeed, state-of-the-art development means our cutting-edge fabrics deliver a high-performance jersey fit for the very best.
Now into our 12th season working with Samurai, the Chiefs jersey has a harder-to-scrag collar with more specific compression zones for better muscular control and endurance. The Ripstop (Poly Spandex) shorts are also a new addition, providing comfort as well as a robust feel for the on-field action.
The club crest sits proudly on the left side of the upper chest and is accompanied by Samurai’s logo on the right side. And, for the first time, Troy take the centre of the jersey as the main shirt sponsor for the home and away kits.
Across the two shirts, it will continue to carry the logo of club partners SW Comms, Bradfords Building Supplies, Centrax, Devon Contract Waste, Kensa Heat Pumps, Samurai, Sandy Park, University of Exeter and Crew Clothing Company.
On the shorts, Carparison, Advanced Scaffolding and Otter Brewery complete the line-up.
Supporters can buy the replica shirt, shorts and socks online and in-store now. Shirts are available in junior (age 3-4 up to 13-14), women’s (UK 8-20) and men’s (XXS-5XL) sizes.
Content & Images from – Exeter Chiefs Rugby
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