England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is on track to be available to feature for Exeter Chiefs this weekend when they return to Gallagher Premiership action at home to Newcastle Falcons.
Feyi-Waboso, 21, made his first start for England in the 23-22 win over Ireland on March 9 but suffered a head knock in the match which saw him report concussion symptoms in the following week that ruled him out of last weekend’s narrow 33-31 defeat to France on Saturday. However, Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter confirmed he is coming through his return to play medical checks well and is in line to run out at Sandy Park this weekend.
Baxter said: “He is ticking all the boxes on his return to play, we had plenty of time because it was more than a week ago that he flagged up the symptoms. “He is ticking all the boxes and moving through the end stages of the process. “If he keeps ticking all those boxes he will be available to play.”
Exeter had six players away on international duty during the Six Nations, with Henry Slade and Ethan Roots with Feyi-Waboso with England, lock Dafydd Jenkins captaining Wales, number eight Ross Vintcent having a breakthrough tournament with Italy and prop Alec Hepburn switching allegiances to run out for Scotland having previously worn the red rose.
Baxter confirmed that despite both Slade and Jenkins being fully fit on their return to club duty he has given them a week off after the grueling tournament, ruling them out of this weekend’s game. Baxter explained: “We have given Henry this week off, and we have given Dafydd this week off as well, they are the two high-minute guys. Henry would have had to have a week off anyway because of the EPS rules.”
“Daf did get breaks during the Six Nations because of the rest weeks, the same with Ross Vintcent and Alec Hepburn and he didn’t play in the last week so it is less of a pressing issue with those guys because they have had break weeks and haven’t played the same volume of minutes. I am not concerned about those guys, they have all turned up ready to go, ready to play and looking pretty fresh. They are all enthused about the experiences they have had and want to get out there and prove things.
“Sladey has reported in fine, during the Six Nations there was something around his shoulder but he had it scanned and there was nothing there, it was a bruising, soreness issue and he reported in fine after the final game and we are expecting him to be fully fit for next week [against Sale Sharks].
Meanwhile, there is no clear return date for Scotland international lock Jonny Gray who is yet to play this season having dislocated his knee in Exeter’s semi-final defeat to La Rochelle back in May and then suffered a number of setbacks in his rehab. Baxter said: “I don’t have an update on Jonny here and now, that is still an ongoing process. We will probably get an update on him in the next week or two with where he is. I know it is a pressing matter and people wonder where he is but it is relatively delicate when it is a medical matter.”
Despite Gray’s continued absence, Baxter said he is excited about the competition in the back five of the scrum heading into the weekend with Welsh international Christ Tshiunza and Richard Capstick back in the selection mix having recovered from injuries that ruled them out in the first half of the season and Irish lock Eoin O’Connor ready to make his Chiefs debut as well having recovered from a hip injury.
