Young Gun: Will Carrick-Smith –Exeter lock

Affectionately nicknamed ‘The Bus’, Exeter Chiefs lock Will Carrick-Smith spent an age waiting for his first-team chance – then two came along at once this season, and he grabbed them with both hands.
At 6ft 11in, more than 18st and with a foray in the centres in his rugby past, on paper the 20-year-old has all the right credentials for the engine room.
And Chiefs coach Rob Baxter has told the rookie he is within touching distance of first-team Premiership action.
His classmate from Blundell’s School Matt Kvesic is already a mainstay of the Worcester back row and with some starring LV= Cup displays to his name Carrick-Smith is clearly a man in a hurry.
He scored a try in his first-team debut in the LV= Cup against London Welsh, and followed that up a week later with another in victory against the Ospreys.
Carrick-Smith admits it’s been a whirlwind campaign.
“It’s been fantastic to be part of the team and to get some game time in the LV= Cup,” he said. “To get a try in both games as well as scoring two against Wasps in the A-League the other night has been pretty amazing.
“I think the last time I scored was when I was 13 and at school so it had been a bit of a while.
“Hopefully I can build on that and try to force my way into the first team for some Premiership games.
“We all train together and Rob Baxter has said to me that I am not as far away from getting into those XVs as I might think.
“I’m working hard on improving all the time and getting a lot of help from the rest of the guys so hopefully I can get a fair bit of game time.”
In 33-cap Australian Dean Mumm, Carrick-Smith doesn’t have far too look for guidance but while he towers above all around him at Sandy Park, he revealed some of his toughest tasks ahead lie in minimising the impact of his considerable stature.
“I’ve been working hard on making sure I’m getting as low as I need to be when I’m looking to clear out rucks and things,” he added.
“Dean has been giving me a lot of tips on how to manage the restart and making sure that is up to scratch while Tommy Hayes has been helping me on my feet positioning in the scrum.
“I don’t have to look far for help at all which is great. Aly Muldowney gave me the name of ‘The Bus’ I think but it is all good fun.
“I’ve been tall ever since I can remember, my dad is 6ft 4in and my mum about 6ft. I didn’t have a growth spurt or anything I have just always been tall and been happy to use my height to my advantage.”
At school Carrick-Smith split his time between rugby and athletics, in discus and shot-put.
But, having plumped for rugby, Carrick-Smith is determined progress to the international arena, admitting Joe Launchbury‘s meteoric rise is the perfect blueprint.
“I don’t do athletics any more as I’m just concentrating on my rugby,” he said. “Joe Launchbury is someone I look up to a lot and Matt, too. He was in my year at school and is doing fantastically at Worcester and that’s what I want to try to do here at Exeter.
“I would love to play internationally one day but for now I’m concentrating on Exeter.
“Rob has said to me to just keep on pushing and that I’ll get there.”