Street glad to be back in the fight after neck injury

EXETER tighthead Marcus Street is delighted to be back playing again after eight months out with a serious neck injury.

The 23-year-old has made three appearances off the bench this season having returned to action in February.

“It’s the longest injury I have been out for so it’s just been nice to play some rugby again,” the former England U20 international said.

“I had a disc displacement in my neck so it was pretty serious, and at my age as well. But I’ve come back flying and feel the best I’ve ever felt. It is my time to put the shirt back on.”

Street faces a fight for the number three jersey from the likes of Patrick Schickerling, Josh IosefaScott and Sam Nixon, and fit-again Harry Williams.

Fighting is a theme that Street says applies to the whole of the squad given Exeter’s up and down form.

Remarkably 12 of Exeter’s 17 matches to date have finished with the teams separated by seven points or fewer. And Sale this afternoon has all the makings of another tight arm-wrestle.

“Every game from now to the play-offs is important, we need as many points as we can. It is not like other seasons where we have been pretty clear at the top,” the Exeterborn prop said. “Rob (Baxter, DoR) speaks about fighting constantly – fighting in training, fighting on a weekend. We can’t take our foot off the gas otherwise we’ll be struggling for top four.”

During his time as an age-grade player, Street rubbed shoulders with current England loosehead Bevan Rodd and the pair may be at it again this weekend.

“We did 20s together, we roomed together at one of the camps so I know him pretty well,” he said. “He is a good player, a strong scrummager and strong around the park as well.”