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'I'd like to liken him to the next Ian Whitten': Exeter confirm signing of Sean O'Brien

(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Exeter boss Rob Baxter is hoping that his latest little known signing, the 23-year-old midfielder Sean O’Brien from Connacht, can go on and have a similar impact at the Chiefs as veteran Irishman Ian Whitten has had in the last decade. It was 2012 when Baxter recruited Whitten from Ulster and the soon-to-be 34-year-old centre went on to play an integral part in the Exeter title-winning campaign of recent vintage.

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Now O’Brien, who has arrived this week in Devon, has become the latest outside-the-frontline signing typical of the Chiefs’ style of recruitment and the Exeter boss has high hopes it will turn out a success.

“He looks to me like a very exciting young player, on the fringe of really breaking through to the Connacht team,” explained Baxter at his weekly media session ahead of this Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership clash with Northampton.  

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“Interestingly enough once we started talking to him about coming and he had agreed to come he broke into the Connacht first team with a couple of injuries and with Bundee Aki getting his ban and it has been really great to watch him play more than we have been able to watch him perform because he has performed really well, he has improved with more game time. 

“To me, he looks to have got a lot of really good attributes. We like the things that make him selectable and the things that make guys selectable first and foremost is that they work hard, they stay on their toes, they get involved in the game, they defend very well. 

“He ticks a lot of those boxes for us so we can see a lot of reasons to pick him and a lot of reasons for him to grow and develop over a number of seasons. I would like to liken him to the next Ian Whitten. If he does anything like Ian has done it will prove to be a great signing and I certainly think he has got that potential.”

O’Brien is Exeter’s second overseas signing ahead of the 2021/22 season following last month’s recruitment of 135kg Kiwi prop Josh Iosefa-Scott. Neither are household names but that is the way that Baxter likes it. “That is what you have to be like, you have to be prepared to look at an awful lot of players and keep your eyes open and not discount any possibility. 

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“We have never been a team that has only looked around and tried to look for international players or frontline players at other sides, frontline players in Super Rugby. We tended to pick up guys from probably outside front line squads quite a lot but that is just a little bit of a different way of us doing some of our recruitment. It has worked in the past. I don’t see any reason why it won’t continue to work in the future.”

  

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O
Oh no, not him again? 1 hour ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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