Baxter to look within for a Francis replacement

Exeter chief to give Street, Petch and van Dyke the chance to show what they can do

EXETER Chiefs director of Rob Baxter says he hasn’t decided whether he will be bringing in a replacement for outgoing Welsh international tighthead prop Tomas Francis.

Francis, 28, will leave Sandy Park after seven seasons for Pro14 side Ospreys, with the move motivated by a desire to continue to play international rugby with the forward eight caps short of the 60 required for a player to continue to play club rugby outside Wales and still be selected by Wayne Pivac.

While Baxter was clear Francis will leave with the club’s full ‘blessing’ the double winning director of rugby has now been left with a considerable hole in his squad ahead of the 2021/22 season.

England tighthead Harry Williams remains the club’s first choice in the specialist position, but with the 17 cap international at risk of being away for large swathes of the season during the Autumn internationals and Six Nations, it is vital Chiefs have depth in a key position.

In typical Exeter fashion, Baxter is looking at the possibility of promoting from within first and said he will use the next few months to establish whether the players currently at club are up to the job.

Baxter said: “The depth scenario could sort itself out because we have got some good young props here.

“Marcus Street is here and has played a bit of Premiership and is improving all the time. He certainly has got great potential.

“He was England Under-20s prop for a couple of years and is one of the best young English tightheads in the country. He will only improve with game time. He isn’t someone who is going to get worse.”

Despite only being 22 next month, Street has already notched up 40 first team appearances for Chiefs having come through the Exeter academy to make his debut in 2016 against Cardiff Blues in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

He gained further senior experience by being dual-registered with Plymouth Albion. In the same season Street was selected for England U20s, two years early.

Baxter continued “We have got another England U20s prop here in Alfie Petch who we are expecting a lot of as well as time goes on and as he matures and gets game time. And we have got Maks van Dyke here.

Petch, 21, who was born in Truro, Cornwall, is a product of Bude Rugby Club, and has played six senior games for Chiefs having been involved in the club’s academy since the age of 14. He has also represented England at Under 16, 18 and 20 level.

South African van Dyke, 29, signed for Chiefs in the summer from Harlequins on a one year contract.

Baxter continued: “He has not yet featured. He is still kind of learning the ropes a little bit of Exeter and he will have an opportunity during the Six Nations period to get game time and we will want to have a good look at him.

“Everything we need could well be here.

“We have got time,” Baxter said. “We have got the rest of this season which is quite a long time to see how these guys develop and of course there is always the opportunity to recruit from outside if we feel that extra depth is needed. So we have got plenty of options.”