Feyi-Waboso cleared to face Northampton as Exeter Chiefs gain double injury boost

Exeter Chiefs will have Immanuel Feyi-Waboso available for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership final against Northampton Saints at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, head coach Rob Baxter confirmed, after England’s medical team cleared the winger following surgery on a facial fracture.

Feyi-Waboso missed last weekend’s semi-final win over Bath at the Rec after sustaining the injury during Exeter’s victory over Leicester Tigers at Welford Road in late May. Under the enhanced elite player squad contract arrangements in place since 2024, England’s medical staff hold the final say on the availability of centrally contracted players — a process Baxter said ran smoothly this time around.

“Manny has been declared fit. So he had a full training week, and we’ll make that call probably by the end of today. He’s an international-quality player,” Baxter said. “The more players you have fit and available at this stage of the season who’ve played in big games and had big influences on games — that can only be a very positive thing for us.”

Baxter was keen to stress he was not directly involved in the medical discussions. “It was our medical team, with the England medical team, and with Manny. So basically, all the information was put in front of him. It was a managed call. The call happened earlier in the week, and the decision was made. And we’ve gone from there.”

The outcome avoids a repeat of last season’s club-versus-country friction, when Exeter wanted Feyi-Waboso to undergo shoulder surgery while England preferred a rehabilitation-first approach before he eventually had the operation.

The Chiefs received a second boost with winger Campbell Ridl also being passed fit. Ridl took a blow to an already tender knee early in the Bath win and was withdrawn as a precaution, but scans have since revealed no serious damage.

“Campbell’s come through pretty well. He took another pretty bad bang and already had a bit of a banged-up knee,” Baxter explained. “We took him off to look after him a little bit and just make sure he didn’t have a worse injury. The scans show no major damage. So he’s been declared ready to go.”

Exeter face Northampton Saints in the Premiership final on Saturday, 20 June, with kick-off at 16:00.