Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter has addressed the challenge the club might face to keep hold of man-of-the-moment Christ Tshiunza amid the £5 million salary cap in the English game.
The former Gallagher Premiership champions are waving goodbye to England and Lions forward Sam Simmonds next season, with the back-rower joining Montpellier and some seeing his exit as further evidence of financial fragility in the English top flight.
Attention has now started to turn to Tshiunza, whose displays this season have elevated his stock significantly, with Sunday’s extraordinary effort against Harlequins featuring two tries and 124 metres made from 11 carries — an average gain of 11.3 metres, the most by any forward to make 10+ carries in a Gallagher Premiership rugby match since 2010, according to the stats firm Opta. The company also says Tshiunza is the only player to have made more than 25 ruck arrivals in England’s top tier this term and have a hundred percent effectiveness rate (63/63).
