Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, the electric winger for Exeter Chiefs, faces a race against time to recover from a jaw injury sustained in a round 17 triumph over Leicester Tigers. Despite undergoing surgery last week, the England international's presence in the upcoming PREM Rugby semi-final against Bath remains uncertain. However, there's a glimmer of hope for his return in the final, should Exeter advance.
“After extensive monitoring by the Chiefs medical team and investigative scans, a decision has been made in partnership with England Rugby for Feyi-Waboso to undergo surgery,” a club statement disclosed. Currently, he is with England's squad, unable to participate in regular training but focusing on rehabilitation. Rob Baxter, Exeter’s Director of Rugby, provided an update, noting, "It’s an assessment on a weekly basis. Right here and now, he’s not available this weekend, but we’ll look at the start of next week to do an assessment; that’s how these things go."
“He knew he’d picked up a bang, but he thought he’d just loosened a tooth at the time. It was only when he had the X-rays done to assess his tooth that it came out. He’s a physical player and when you run quickly, you run into things hard. But with this injury, he’s just been unfortunate; it’s just one of those rugby things where hard parts of bodies hit each other and something breaks.”
The dilemma of rushing Feyi-Waboso back into play is not lost on Baxter, who emphasized the importance of the player's long-term health over immediate gains. “He will not be rushed back into any match situation,” Baxter stated firmly. The final decision on Feyi-Waboso’s return will be made by England Rugby, in consultation with the medical team that performed the surgery.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs also face concerns about Ethan Roots, who suffered a head injury in their recent 32-12 victory over Saracens. “Ethan took a heavy blow and was removed under head injury protocols,” Baxter explained, underscoring the rigorous evaluations ahead.
There’s potentially good news regarding Greg Fisilau, sidelined with a facial injury after the same match. Baxter shared an optimistic outlook: “Greg isn’t too bad. He’s one we’re monitoring, and hopefully, he has the opportunity to be back. It was just a bang around his eye socket... but everything looks fine. We’ll try and progress that through quickly.”
The resilience and depth of the squad will be tested as Exeter prepares for the critical showdown at the Rec. Their ability to adapt and overcome these challenges not only speaks to their competitive spirit but also highlights the rigorous demands and physicality inherent in rugby at this level.