For a man of that size, you imagine every pre-season is a tortuous existence but it sounds like the recent months preparing with the Chiefs have been right up the giant row’s street.
Round six of the Gallagher Premiership promises to deliver another thrilling weekend of action, with teams looking to solidify their positions ahead of a break before the Test rugby returns in November.
The Chiefs director of rugby was set to travel to Topham on a spying mission on Wednesday afternoon to watch Exeter University open their campaign against Loughborough Students.
For a man of that size, you imagine every pre-season is a tortuous existence but it sounds like the recent months preparing with the Chiefs have been right up the giant row’s street.
England flew out of South Africa last Saturday evening to Heathrow as the rightful champions, the consistency of their potent scrum and manipulative defence helping them to a deserved first title since 2016.
Ahead by a single point at the break after riding their luck at times during an edgy opening half, Mark Mapletoft’s dynamos took ample advantage of the yellow carding of Mathis Castro-Ferreira.
Mark Mapletoft’s side demonstrated their ability to squeeze teams in that last four success, holding the Irish scoreless in the second half to win 31-20 after leading 22-20 at the interval.
The reigning age-grade Six Nations champions completed their Pool C campaign with a gruelling 17-12 win over South Africa last Tuesday at Athlone.
The World Rugby U20 Championship Pool C fixture on the Cape Flats had been deadlocked since the 51st-minute and the Exeter lock had been looking on from the moment three minutes later when his number was called and Olamide Sodeke was sent into the gruelling contest.
Repeated infringing from the Junior Boks, which included the yellow carding of Divan Fuller, meant the match continued level until its 86th minute.