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Alex Cuthbert's Welsh career could be over as Premiership move a done deal - reports

Alex Cuthbert to join Exeter Chiefs

It is being reported that Cardiff Blues wing Alex Cuthbert’s long rumoured move to the Premiership is now a done deal.

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Neil Fisler in the Rugby Paper is reporting that the Cardiff wing is set to join Exeter Chiefs for the 2018/19, bringing to an end a seven year career with the Blues.

It is reported that he is set to sign a two year deal with the Chiefs.

It could also bring to an end his career with Wales. The 6’6, 106kg wing will be 28 when he joins and with 47 Wales caps to his name, he will not be eligible to play for his country under the new Senior Player Selection Policy (SPSP).

Cuthbert has fallen down the pecking order under Warren Gatland, and the move to Exeter could signal the end of his career, saving for a comeback in his thirties.

Cuthbert took up rugby at Hartpury College at the age of 16 after previously spending his time playing football and show jumping.

According to the Cardiff Blues website he was first spotted by Wales playing for a Marauders Sevens team in the Middlesex Sevens and would go on to play for Wales on the World Rugby Sevens circuit.

Cuthbert became a key figure for Cardiff Blues since his try-scoring debut against Benetton Treviso in 2011. A matter of months after his regional debut, the wing would make his bow on the international scene, as a replacement against Australia.

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Cuthbert was named Cardiff Blues’ Player of the Season in 2013.

A prolific try scorer, Cuthbert scored the Six Nations clinching tries in Wales’ 2012 and 2013 campaigns, and was awarded with a place in the British and Irish Lions squad for the 2013 tour of Australia, where he would score a try in the first try.

Cuthbert has made 112 appearances and has scored 45 tries for the Blues.

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f
fl 2 hours ago
What is the future of rugby in 2025?

Smith generally isn't well connected to his forward pods; doesn't do a great job of distributing to those around him; and has inferior positional and contestable kicking games than Ford and Fin.


When England have had success over the past few years, its been either through (i) defensive rugby backed up with smart tactical kicking or (ii) high possession attacking phase play based on quick ruck ball. George Ford was key to the implementation of (i) in the RWC, and in the 6N win over Wales, and to the implementation of (ii) in the 6N games against Ireland and France. Smith did great at (ii) when running at tired defenders at the end of the Ireland match, but has never successfully implemented that gameplan from the start of a test because he doesn't distribute or support his forwards enough to create consistent fast ball and build attacks over multiple phases. Instead, his introduction to the starting side has resulted in much more playmaking responsibilities being forced onto whoever plays 9. Alex Mitchell copes ok with that, but I think he looks better with a more involved playmaking 10 outside him, and it really isn't a gameplan that works for JVP or Spencer. As a result of that the outside backs and centres have barely touched the ball when Smith has been at 10.


This might not have been too much of a disaster, as England have seemed to be moving slightly towards the sort of attacking gameplan that France played under Labit and Quins play (I think this was especially their approach when they won the league a few years ago - but its still a part of their play now), which is based on kicking to create broken field rugby. This is (i) a sharp departure from the gameplans that have worked for England in the past few seasons; (ii) bears very little relation to the tactical approaches of the non-Quins players in the England team; and (iii) is an absolute disaster for the blitz defence, which is weak in transition. Unsurprisingly, it has coincided with a sharp decline in England's results.

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