Rob Baxter drops a revealing admission as he plots Exeter Chiefs’ lineup for a high-stakes PREM Rugby Cup clash with Bath at Sandy Park this Saturday.
Baxter confirms he will resist the lure of recalling England duo Henry Slade and Greg Fisilau, despite the squad’s back-five depth being stretched to the brink. The question now is whether the pair will be named among England’s reserves for the Six Nations showdown with Ireland, after having been left out of the initial matchday squad.
Even with limited resources in the pack, Baxter insists he won’t turn to Fisilau unless absolutely necessary. Fisilau would offer utility at No. 8 and blindside flanker, but only in an extreme scenario.
So far in the Six Nations, Slade and Fisilau have not been used by Steve Borthwick, which means they could go almost two months without senior game time if not involved in this weekend’s fixture.
The two players last appeared for Exeter against Bristol Bears on January 24. Should the Chiefs progress in the Premiership, their next home game is March 21 when Sale Sharks visit Devon—assuming they aren’t drawn into cup semi-finals or the final.
Baxter elaborates, “We won’t know until later today if they’re travelling as reserves. If they’re released back to us, they become options. But at this moment, our plan isn’t to pick them.”
Nevertheless, he won’t completely rule them out for the semi-finals in two weeks, provided Exeter seals qualification by beating Bath, who thrashed them 48-14 in last season’s final at Sandy Park.
“I suspect that if they’re not involved for a while and we do qualify, we might consider bringing them in then, if they’re available later in the week,” Baxter said. “They’ve both said they’re happy to play. We’ll take it week by week, gauging availability and comfort with selection, with any call-ups limited to a team run if they arrive late.”
