Chiefs add three more from Wasps
EXETER Chiefs have confirmed the signing of three young Wasps stars following the the club going into administration.
Having already secured the services of hooker Dan Frost last month, Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter has swooped to seal the signings of Academy youngsters Alfie Bell, Greg Fisilau and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Lock Bell, who hails from Nuneaton, is an England Under20s international and stands at a whopping 6ft 8in tall and tips the scales at 118kg.
Back-row forward Fisilau was born in Plymouth and is the son of former Albion and Tonga centre, Keni Fisilau. Like Bell, he too is an England Under-20s international, standing at 6ft 2in tall and 109kg.
Feyi-Waboso, meanwhile, was born in Cardiff and came through Cardiff ’s Academy before he transferred to Aston University in Birmingham and was then picked up by Wasps. A lightning-quick back, who can play in the centre or on the wing, he has previously featured for Wales at Under-18 level, as well as being part of their Under-20s squad.
The talented trio, all aged 19, have all been added to the Chiefs squad this week and Baxter is looking forward to them playing an exciting part in the future of the Devon club.
“Once things started happening as it did at Worcester and Wasps, the players we actually started looking at first were the young guys for obvious reasons,” said Baxter. “I’ve made it clear a few times now, I want to find guys who have not won anything and I want to find that next group whose sole focus is winning.
“I want a group that enjoy being on a journey that takes them to winning Premiership titles, winning European Cups or becoming international players. I don’t mind saying it, Wasps have a very talented group of players there - they have done fantastically well bringing them through to where they are now - and for me, it was the most exciting thing about looking at the players becoming available.
“Manny has played in their Premiership Cup games on the wing and done very well. With both Greg and Alfie, they are both within the England Under-20s set-up.
“When I spoke to Greg, I said tell me about your rugby story and he said he spent a lot of time as a youngster in Plymouth where his dad was playing at the time.
“In a different scenario, he could easily have come through our academy system had he spent longer down here. And Alfie, he’s a big guy, another who has had experience playing in the Championship, so we’re very excited at what all of them will bring.”