Young guns who are shining for the Chiefs

Paul Rees talks to Exeter DoR Rob Baxter to find out how his investment in homegrown talent is paying off at 9 and 10

Exeter Chiefs have done it their own way since securing promotion to the Premiership in 2010 and they continue to defy top flight convention at half-back.

All the eight play-off contenders with the exception of the Chiefs had international half-backs on their books. Outside-half Finn Russell has been credited with making a crucial difference to Bath, Leicester moved for Springbok World Cup winner Handre Pollard after losing George Ford two years ago and table toppers Northampton have England players in Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell, as do Harlequins with Marcus Smith and Danny Care.

Ninth-placed Gloucester have signed the Wales half-backs Gareth Anscombe and Tomos Williams next season with their director of rugby George Skivington believing that having such experience in key positions can help drive them up the table.

Exeter, who were in the running for a play-off slot until the last day of the campaign at Leicester despite losing a raft of internationals last summer and investing in youth, had Harvey Skinner and Tom Cairns together at half-back for two-thirds of their Premiership matches, homegrown players who were available throughout the season.

“We won the Premiership and the Champions Cup without international half-backs,” said Rob Baxter, below, Exeter's director of rugby. “Gareth Steenson and Stu Townsend were our pairing when we first won the title with Joe Simmonds and Jack Maunder (who won his solitary England cap in Argentina during the 2017 Lions year) the pairing when we won it a second time and then Europe (Australia's Nic White left halfway through that Covid disrupted campaign).

“You want good players in as many positions as you can, but I do not see someone having a cap as a deciding factor. It is certainly not the be-all-and-endall and, anyway, a couple of our young 9s might develop as internationals and who knows how Harvey's career will blossom after his first full year in the Premiership. They can certainly push on. I would say that 90 per cent of our squad are nowhere near their potential and that is the pleasing thing for me. Every one of our half-backs should be thinking about getting better next season and even better in the one afterwards. If they are not, I will be disappointed.”

Skinner has been involved in every game of the season for the Chiefs, starting all their league and Champions Cup matches and four of their six Premiership Cup games, on the bench for the ones against Cornish Pirates and London Scottish with Baxter using that tournament to develop the partnership between the outside-half and Cairns.

Skinner, who is 26, has been with Exeter since 2015. He had loan spells with Plymouth Albion and Cornish Pirates and made his Premiership debut four years later, rivalling Joe Simmonds for the 10 jersey after Steenson retired and joined the coaching staff.

He was often picked ahead of Simmonds last season and when his rival joined Pau this season, Skinner became the first choice, pushed by Will Hayden-Wood, a recruit from Newcastle.

“I am pleased with how the season worked out for me and that I was able to help deliver the game-plan,” said Skinner. “The forwards generated good momentum and it allowed me to go to the line and assess options and I loved having the chance to score or put people in.

“The first league game of the season against Saracens (which the Chiefs won 65-10) was a great platform because it gave us confidence about what we could achieve.

“Harvey Skinner has been involved in every game of the season for Exeter”

“We got to the Champions Cup quarter-final and lived with Toulouse for 50 minutes. We were punished for the slightest mistake and it will be something that makes us stronger in the future. We have laid a good foundation.”

The Chiefs were not widely backed to be among the Premiership contenders this season because of the number of players they had lost and their experience having been part of the league and Champions Cup double in 2020.

The likes of Skinner, Cairns, Manny Feyi-Waboso, Ethan Roots, Greg Fisilau, Rusi Tuima and Ross Vintcent have all made an impact with three making their international debuts during the Six Nations.

Second row Tuima was named in the Premiership's team of the season, along with centre Henry Slade, whose calm knowhow was a significant factor behind the Chiefs' form in the league and the Champions Cup.

“Sladey has been massive for us,” said Skinner. “Having him outside me has been a huge help: he provides clarity on where the space is and allows me to have extra time on the ball. He's a massive asset for us and I am glad he is sticking around.

“Greg has come on really well and given us front foot ball. Everyone can see what Manny is like, an athlete who is learning very quickly about how the game works and how he can help other people.

“He is going to be so dangerous. He is already an international but the way he is playing he will put himself in the frame for the Lions next year. Ethan and Dafydd Jenkins deliver on the energy front and the good thing about this group is that you do not have to worry about others and are able to focus on yourself.What we talked about in the last month of the season was getting rid of the mentality of being a young side. We do not want to use it as an excuse and we are passed that. We have experience through lessons learned and you will see a lot more from us.”

In their heyday, Exeter were a possession side who used penalties to earn lineouts which turned into driving mauls and, very often, tries. They are difficult to counter and in the end World Rugby intervened by awarding the defending team a drop out if a move got over the line but the ball was held up.

“We have more of an off-loading game now,” said Skinner. “Front foot ball gives you more choices as an outside-half and you use that momentum to ensure the defence does not have the time to set itself. “There was a spell during the season when we were punished for making basic errors, but overall it has been a positive campaign. We have come together as a squad and have gone out there and enjoyed it. We have set a platform and it is now about building on it.”