Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter has touted promising number eight Greg Fisilau for England honours as the forward commits his long-term future to the club.
Fisilau joined the Chiefs from Wasps back in 2022 and has since gone on to make 38 appearances for the club.
Rob Baxter touts Greg Fisilau for England
In his time with the Chiefs, the Plymouth native has grown from strength to strength and quickly caught the eye of England boss Steve Borthwick.
Fisilau has been drafted into several EPS camps in the past year and has won three caps for England A too, scoring in all three Tests. His performances for the ‘A’ side have also got Baxter believing he could push on and win a senior cap sooner rather than later.
When asked if it was a matter of time before he got a senior cap, Baxter replied: “I would like to think so, but that relies a little bit on us and giving him a really good platform to build on and also it’s going to be on him making those steady improvements he’s making now. It’s just a very exciting prospect.”
His performance in the most recent ‘A’ Test against Ireland A was arguably the best of the lot too, notably scoring a superb second-half try, and commenting on this, Baxter said: “We were delighted to see how well he played for England A over the weekend.”
Exeter Chiefs: Rob Baxter addresses transfer links with Springboks and Wallabies stars
Fisilau was not included on Exeter’s recent list of players confirmed for next season, however, Baxter confirmed the number eight has signed a new three-year extension with the club.
“It’s a three-year deal for Greg, obviously we’re really pleased,” he said.
“He’s one of the bright, young, talented forwards in the country and he’s done exceptionally well since coming here. We’ve promoted him to the first-team pretty quickly since his arrival from Wasps, which was already the plan for him, and he’s just excelled for a young man.
Baxter also lauded his rise through the ranks: “He’s only 21 years old and has already played some England A rugby and featured in EPS camps too. He’s just a fantastic young talent and he’s someone we’re hoping to build a successful squad around and just a good picture of where we’re heading in the future.”
The former Wasps man was part of a triple signing back in 2022 which included Dan Frost and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Greg Fisilau ‘striving for more’ in Chiefs colours
Commenting on his new deal, Fisilau, who is the son of former Tonga international Keni Fisilau, said: “I’m incredibly excited to have re-signed with Exeter Chiefs. When I got the opportunity of a new contract, it was a no-brainer to me. I’ve really enjoyed my time here and I’m already looking forward to what is still to come.
“I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far but I’m always striving for more as I never want to become comfortable,” Fisilau continued. “There’s a lot of competition in the back row but I think it’s always good when you’ve got world-class players around you because it pushes you to improve and get better week-by-week which ultimately makes the whole team better.”
He added: “My goal is always the same and that is to be consistently performing in a Chiefs shirt.”
READ NEXT: How Exeter Chiefs could line up next season with Springboks and Wallabies stars set for Devon switch
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/england-rob-baxter-touts-fantastic-young-talent-for-senior-debut-as-key-forward-pens-new-deal
