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Aussie Mitch Lees leaving Exeter for stint in French Top 14

10 Jul 2019

Mitch Lees won't be applauded the Exeter fans post-match any more as he has decided to switch to Brive for next season (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Mitch Lees is leaving Exeter Chiefs and for newly promoted French Top 14 side Brive ahead of the new 2019/20 season.

The 30-year-old Australian departs having spent the past five years at Sandy Park where he has amassed 113 appearances, scoring eight tries in the process.

Brought to the club during the summer of 2014 from London Welsh, Lees quickly established himself as a prominent figure in the Chiefs pack.

His on-field form was rewarded at the end of the 2015/16 season when he was part of the England Saxons squad for their summer tour to South Africa, while he has featured in three of Exeter’s four Premiership final appearances, including in 2017 when the club won the competition for the first time.

Last season, however, injuries and form meant Lees was restricted to just 14 appearances in all competitions, the last of which came against Bath in the Gallagher Premiership back in March.

?- @ExeterChiefs can confirm that @MLees88 is to leave the club with immediate effect to take up new challenge with @CABriveRugby – a great servant to the club over the five years he has been with us. All the Best Mitch ??https://t.co/zTdlAOfWPO pic.twitter.com/bvDyOIlgRL
— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) July 10, 2019

Commenting on the move, Chiefs’ director of rugby Rob Baxter, said: “Mitch didn’t get a lot of game time last season due to injuries and the form of others. We sat down with him recently and discussed looking at all options for the new season.

“Brive have shown an interest in Mitch, he has been over there, he has talked to them, carried out a medical and between the various parties, we have all agreed to release Mitch from his contract with immediate effect.

“Obviously, Mitch goes with our very best wishes and we thank him for all his efforts over the years. He has played a large part in our recent successes – and he’s been very much part of a club who have developed into one of the top sides in English rugby.”

Lees added: “I’ve really enjoyed my time at Exeter over the last five seasons. My family and I have made some life-long friends and we’ll miss the club and the community.

84 matchs joués en Premiership Rugby, Champion d'Angleterre 2017, joueur cadre des Chiefs d'Exeter ces cinq dernières années, bienvenue à Mitch Lees, nouvelle recrue en deuxième-ligne ! Plus d'infos ici : https://t.co/zEhsrF2TFA #WEARECAB ???? pic.twitter.com/GUTnRJ60h3
— CA Brive Rugby (@CABCLRUGBY) July 10, 2019

“I wish the whole team the best success for the upcoming season. They are a special group of lads who deserve to continue to be one of the best teams in the Premiership.”

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As I said above, an interesting angle to have to factor in, but you aren’t truthful about trying to give an accurate reflection.

Your whole article is the premise that size isn’t a problem because of the huge gap in weight between top an bottom. In this sort of exercise Median would most certainly be the only way you could evaluate that topic. (not saying it goes to change anything mind you but say for instance thos 3 small guys you name were the only ones near those weights, then of course it would)

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JW 44 minutes ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

What about the guy who played in the midfield?

Well that’s an interesting point that, because it is exactly the angle I was talking about.

Take the France V New Zealand match, we have;

Gros 112

Tatafu 140

Flament 116

Meafou 142

This is typically the way France plays, if it’s not Tatafu or Meafou it’s Atonio or Taofefenua and not much changes. How deep does that go?

Quickly as an aside, in my opinion this is much more of the problem you/that guy are trying to highlight though;

Williams 140

Loamx 129

Barrett 119

Vaa’i 118

Now you might look at that an match Williams up to the others, but he is really a freak, doesn’t look to have any fat (other than big cheeks) and has the explosive power/speed of the rest that make him extremely dangerous. Should he be changed? The good thing is that improvements in substitutions probably don’t affect an outlier (even more than thos french ones) like him.

Now on topic I’m highlighting New Zealand as that shows the 7-1 is largely irrelevant in the problem that exists. Does it make it worse? Obviously, it will probably get worse as a result, but the issue was already their with Barrett and Vaa’i being physical specimens that can hurt and go 80 in todays game.

Apologies if you article was supposed to be about something else I’ve not heard of.

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Not sure how the Blues had 0 line breaks according to the stats? Three tries, at the very least the one by the replacement halfback (Nock) was clearly a line break!

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Did they?

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SadersMan 55 minutes ago

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Did they?

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SadersMan 56 minutes ago

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JW 1 hour ago

How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

Yes, well, not because it is the goal though. That sort of rugby would be the result though yeah (were only talking slight degrees of changes of course, but enough to sway who wins a game say).

Don’t blame me for bringing it up!

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Of course, have been for decades. Since the amateur area it has been a cause of changes. Seems like his typical random argument though, what were the weights of the pack?

But we don’t ban skydiving or hang gliding, or crossing the road.

Again, of course they do. Those industries and activities would be far more heavily affected by red tap that scrummaging.

Normally I really enjoy your posts Flankly, but this article appears to thrown you off completely. I didn’t even get out of your post what your take is on it?

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