Exeter Chiefs are interested in signing Ealing Trailfinders loosehead prop Will Goodrick-Clarke as Rob Baxter lines up a replacement for new Scotland international Alec Hepburn, according to the latest reports.
Chiefs have found themselves essentially over-stacked with international calibre players at loosehead, with Wallaby Scott Sio and Georgian Nika Abuladze as options as well at Hepburn. Despite Abuladze having suffered a season-ending injury, Hepburn is set to leave Sandy Park this summer when his contract expires.
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Hepburn, 30, arrived at Sandy Park ahead of the 2014/15 season having been signed from London Welsh who were playing in the Championship at the time. Since then he has grown into an international front-rower, making his England debut in 2018 as well at helping Chiefs to a European and domestic double on his way to 179 appearances for the club.
And now, after five years out in the international wilderness, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has taken advantage of World Rugby’s recent eligibility law change to call him up and cap him during the 2024 Six Nations.
With Hepburn seemingly on the way out, Baxter is ready to turn to former London Irish prop Goodrick-Clarke according to RugbyPass.
Goodrick-Clarke, 28, joined Championship leaders Ealing Trailfinders at the start of the season when London Irish went out of business earlier this season and has long been tipped as one of the top English talents in the game having been called up to train with England under Eddie Jones without winning a cap, but featuring for his country against the Barbarians.
