Baxter Backs Feyi-Waboso to Shine for England
Rob Baxter has opened the Immanuel Feyi-Waboso England World Cup conversation early, backing his Exeter Chiefs winger to become a real presence for his country if he can stay fit through the season. Feyi-Waboso spent much of last year in and out of the treatment room, but Baxter believes a settled run of matches now could turn him into one of England’s leading threats by the time the tournament arrives.
The Chiefs boss made his verdict clear after Feyi-Waboso featured in Exeter’s pre-season friendly win over Cardiff, adding fresh minutes to a recovery from two separate injury setbacks last season. Baxter’s message was simple. Talent has never been the question. Fitness is.
Exeter fans have watched Feyi-Waboso in flashes rather than a full campaign. Baxter’s comments suggest that if those flashes become a consistent run, England will notice.
Rob Baxter Transcript: Game Time and World Cup Ambitions
Speaking after Exeter’s friendly programme, as detailed in the BBC Sport report, Baxter set out exactly why he rates Feyi-Waboso so highly heading into the autumn internationals and the World Cup year.
I think if he can really put a run of games together he could be quite a force come World Cup time because he is an exceptional player
Baxter went further, explaining that certain parts of Feyi-Waboso’s game only develop through regular minutes on the pitch rather than training alone.
There are areas of his game where game time without doubt improves some of those elements.
Asked directly about the international picture, Baxter linked club form to the wider Immanuel Feyi-Waboso England World Cup story that supporters are already following closely.
If he can put a good run together I think it’d be quite exciting what England might see from him both in the autumn and in the World Cup later in the year.
Baxter’s underlying point was about consistency rather than a single big performance.
I think just a good consistent season for him would do him the world of good, because that’s what he really needs to do, he needs to play, and the more he plays, the better he gets
Opposition Verdict: Preparing for International Sharpness
Feyi-Waboso’s most recent outing came in Exeter’s 33-28 friendly victory over Cardiff, a game he finished by scoring the Chiefs’ final try. Baxter pointed to that display as proof that sharpness returns quickly once the winger is back on the field.
That gives him real match fitness and real match sharpness.
Reflecting on the Cardiff performance itself, Baxter praised the same qualities that have always marked Feyi-Waboso out at this level.
I thought he was pretty good against Cardiff, he came up with those good moments that he always does and he’s got fantastic pace and ability to beat people.
Baxter also confirmed his intention to keep building that platform with further appearances in the coming days.
We’re obviously looking forward to him playing again this week with more game time under his belt because he certainly improves with game time.
Feyi-Waboso played 28 games for club and country last season, a heavy workload that Baxter now wants converted into uninterrupted rhythm rather than another stop-start campaign.
Injury History and Rulebook Context for Exeter Winger
Feyi-Waboso’s last twelve months have been shaped by two separate injuries rather than any lack of form. He missed the Six Nations after suffering a hamstring injury in early February, ruling him out of England’s championship campaign at its peak.
A second blow followed in late May. A jaw fracture picked up against Leicester cost him Exeter’s final regular season fixture and the play-off semi-final against Bath, a cruel end to a season that had already been disrupted once.
We tracked his recovery through that period in our earlier report, and the picture now is far more positive. For Exeter, the Immanuel Feyi-Waboso England World Cup equation has become simple: keep him on the pitch, and the rest tends to follow.
Baxter’s assessment carries weight because he has seen this pattern before with other Exeter players who needed only rhythm, not raw ability, to kick on. With the autumn internationals approaching, every additional appearance for Feyi-Waboso now doubles as a World Cup audition.
