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Exeter Chiefs reveal 30 new contracts as Wales star effectively ends Test career
By Ian Cameron
Wales star Tomas Francis appears to have ended his international career by signing a new contract at Gallagher Premiership side Exeter Chiefs. Francis is one of 30 players that the club have confirmed have signed new terms with the Devon based side.
Francis, who is stuck on 47 caps for Wales, falls below the threshold for Wales' Senior Player Selection Policy (SPSP), which demands that players have at least 60 caps if they wish to play outside of Wales and for Wales internationally. Francis Test career appears now to be over.
Exeter have secured the signing of their central stars, including Stuart Hogg, Jack Nowell, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Henry Slade and Joe and Sam Simmonds.
Rob Baxter also revealed that the Exeter Chiefs players who didn't sign contracts with the club won't necessarily be leaving.
Baxter told the club website: "Not every player has got an extension, but those who haven’t received an extension, it’s kind of irrelevant because they are players who may well be thinking ‘let’s see how the next year goes and where I stand’.
“With those guys it doesn’t mean they will be leaving, but because we have ourselves in a salary cap position where we are pretty well settled for a few years, we also have that little bit of room that if a player does decide to move on, we can replace them."
“I’m delighted with what has happened. It seems strange really, because there has been an awful lot of news coming out from other clubs in regards what is happening around pay cuts, players leaving, players staying, yet we have got on with our business pretty quickly.
NEW CONTRACTS
Don Armand
Corey Baldwin
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Alex Cuthbert
Dave Dennis
Ollie Devoto
Dave Ewers
Tomas Francis
Tom Hendrickson
Alec Hepburn
Jonny Hill
Stuart Hogg
Billy Keast
Jannes Kirsten
Sean Lonsdale
Jack Nowell
Tom Price
Joe Simmonds
Sam Simmonds
Harvey Skinner
Sam Skinner
Henry Slade
Marcus Street
Stuart Townsend
Jacques Vermeulen
Ian Whitten
Harry Williams
Will Witty
Olly Woodburn
Jack Yeandle
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Latest Comments
No he's just limited in what he can do. Like Scott Robertson. And Eddie Jones.
Sometimes it doesn't work out so you have to go looking for another national coach who supports his country and believes in what he is doing. Like NZ replacing Ian Foster. And South Africa bringing Erasmus back in to over see Neinbar.
This is the real world. Not the fantasy oh you don't need passion for your country for international rugby. Ask a kiwi, or a south african or a frenchman.
Go to commentsDont complain too much or start jumping to conclusions.
Here in NZ commentators have been blabbing that our bottom pathway competition the NPC (provincial teams only like Taranaki, Wellington etc)is not fit for purpose ie supplying players to Super rugby level then they started blabbing that our Super Rugby comp (combined provincial unions making up, Crusaders, Hurricanes, etc) wasn't good enough without the South African teams and for the style SA and the northern powers play at test level.
Here is what I reckon, Our comps are good enough for how WE want to play rugby not how Ireland, SA, England etc play. Our comps are high tempo, more rucks, mauls, running plays, kicks in play, returns, in a game than most YES alot of repetition but that builds attacking skillsets and mindsets. I don't want to see world teams all play the same they all have their own identity and style as do England (we were scared with all this kind of talk when they came here) World powerhouse for a reason, losses this year have been by the tiniest of margins and could have gone either way in alot of games. Built around forward power and blitz defence they have got a great attack Wingers are chosen for their Xfactor now not can they chase up and unders all day. Stick to your guns its not far off
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