Dennis enticed by European carrot
EXETER enforcer Dave Dennis is ready to turn down offers from Japan, Super Rugby and other Premiership clubs to remain in Devon.
Versatile former Australia forward Dennis has proved a big hit at Sandy Park since arriving from the Waratahs in 2016, winning the Premiership title in his first season and helping to establish Rob Baxter’s side as top two regulars alongside Saracens.
But European success continues to elude the Chiefs – a major reason why Dennis is ready to pledge his immediate future to the ambitious club. Dennis, 33, told The
Rugby Paper: “I’m still in the process but my threeyear contract is ending in May and I wasn’t sure what I was doing. There were options to move on but fortunately the club’s offered me a longer stay.
“I’m weighing that up but this experience I’ve had in the first three years – the club culture and what I’ve found in Devon – is hard to pass up and I might be staying a bit longer.”
Dennis added: “There were opportunities to go home and I was looking at Japan and keeping my options open, maybe to go to other English clubs as well. But when you get an opportunity to stay at a club like this, it’s an easy decision.
“With the family there’s always the thought of taking them back closer to home, but when you’re on to something good, you must make the most of it.
“The thing I enjoy most here is the ambition of everyone involved. Even though in my first year we won the Premiership, it’s never been a case of taking the foot off the pedal and cruising a bit.
“Every day, every week and every season we’re of the attitude that we can get a lot better as a team and there’s that carrot of doing well in Europe because in my three years here we’ve never got past the group stage.”
While Exeter are in a strong position to reclaim the Premiership title from Saracens, Dennis believes the acquisition of Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg next season will make them a more fearsome prospect in Europe.
“Europe’s a big itch to scratch for everyone and over the last three years we’ve had big moments that cost us,” he said.
“This season, it was our performance at home to Gloucester and they’re the frustrating moments, but we’re building a squad organically, adding one or two players each year, and we know we can fix it and get the job done in future.
“We’ve already got world-class players who are playing in the Six Nations, so adding another like Stuart will help. With his running talent from fullback, it will add a new dimension to our game.”
Chiefs are well placed for a fourth successive Premiership final this May but Dennis warns against complacency: “We’re in a good place but we know that every team we meet now will be desperate to win.
“We know we need to keep performing or we’ll slip up; we’re chasing that home semi-final and know how valuable that is.”