Baxter confirms Exeter pursuit of Pumas lock Goedhals but warns deal is not yet done

Exeter Chiefs are in talks to sign Pumas lock André Goedhals, but head coach Rob Baxter has cautioned that the deal remains unresolved while the South African franchise weighs its options. The 21-year-old, who holds a British passport having been born in Devon, has emerged as Exeter’s primary target to cover the long-term absence of Italian lock Andrea Zambonin.

Baxter revealed he has been searching for second-row reinforcements since learning over the summer that Zambonin would miss a significant portion of the season following shoulder surgery. Goedhals caught his attention after an impressive Currie Cup campaign with the Pumas, including an appearance in last month’s final, which the Mbombela side lost 23-16 to the Griquas in Kimberley.

“All I can say is we’ve been actively looking for a lock replacement for Andre Zambonin since we knew he’d miss a significant part of the season, and we may be close to getting that done with Andrew,” Baxter said. “But I can’t say that everything’s signed, sealed, and delivered because that would be disrespectful to the Pumas — they’re still making some decisions, and the ball is still in their court.”

Baxter was keen to stress that the public nature of the interest was not an attempt to pressure the South African side into a swift resolution. “It seems a little disrespectful to the Pumas. This isn’t trying to push things through and make things happen any quicker. We’re waiting for the proper process to happen in South Africa,” he added.

Goedhals grew up in Riversdale in the Western Cape and attended Oakdale Agricultural High School before earning Springbok under-20 honours. He moved to the Pumas after struggling to break through at the Stormers, and his form in this season’s Currie Cup has now attracted interest from the Premiership club.

His English qualification — stemming from his Devon birthplace during the period his parents lived and worked in England — would make him a straightforward addition from a squad-registration perspective for Exeter, who are looking to shore up a depleted forward pack as the Premiership season progresses.