Baxter hails Fisilau's England debut as 'kick-off point' for Exeter back-rower

Greg Fisilau earned his first England cap off the bench in a 45-22 victory over Australia, and Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter believes the 23-year-old back-rower is only just getting started.

The Plymouth-born flanker replaced Ben Curry for the final 25 minutes of the Wallabies clash, capping a period of sustained consistency at club level that Baxter says has long merited international recognition.

“I am delighted for Greg. I think it’s a good reward for how hard he’s worked in the last few years since he came to us and how consistent a performer he’s been,” Baxter said.

Baxter was effusive about Fisilau’s reliability, noting that the back-rower rarely dips below his own standards even when the team around him struggles. “Greg’s been one of those guys who rarely has a bad game. Sometimes even when we probably feel we’re underperforming as a team, it’s rare that Greg has been part of that. He tends to be a consistent ball carrier, as his numbers stay very high and he gets on with things. He’s a very good natural rugby player.”

Fisilau began his career at Wasps before the Coventry club’s financial collapse forced him to seek a new home. He returned to the South West to join Exeter, with a loan spell at Birmingham Moseley along the way. He is the son of former Tonga centre Kenni Fisilau.

Baxter sees the Australia appearance as a catalyst rather than a destination. “Hopefully this is where you see him now. Gain that confidence of being international, ready to play, and he just goes from strength to strength for us. He’s still a very young man and has still got a lot of rugby, both physical and rugby development, to go. I see this as being like a kick-off point for Greg, and hopefully we’ll see him accelerate through to higher levels than he already is.”