Tom Wyatt and Will Beckconsoll (both pictured) have recently been starring in the Exeter team. Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images
"The weapon I have is selection."
Rob Baxter's post-match interviews are invariably candid and after 36-19 losing to modest Bath last month, the disappointment was palpable as it foreshadowed some changes.
The poor performance obviously hurt, and the Exeter Chiefs' hopes of reaching the Premier League playoffs hang in the balance. The impending exodus of Exeter's senior players from Sandy Park was also one of the highlights of the season. But the timing wasn't too bad for Baxter.
Exeter had won the Premier League Cup just a week earlier, winning after extra time to beat the London Irish in the Brentford final. True to his word, Baxter returned to the three young men who had taken part in the campaign. He was rewarded.
Over the next two weeks, Exeter went on to beat Montpellier in succession and then the Stormers, top 14 champions and then holders of the United Kingdom Rugby Championship. Despite the Chiefs enjoying good luck, namely a dubious red card for Zach Mercer and travel problems for the South African team, they reached the semi-finals of the Champions Cup.
Tom Wyatt, Will Beckonsall and Tom Cairns took their chances, in the process showing off the fertility of Exeter's service area, as well as how the minor leagues can polish people; elite academy graduates and late-developing rough diamonds.
Baxter said over the weekend that a 42-17 victory over the Stormers confirmed his belief that Exeter are «not a broken rugby club.» . Three young men will make him and many others in their young careers especially proud of themselves.
Tom Wyatt: Cheerful, tough and dedicated
Wyatt was the most attractive of these newcomers, in part because of how confident he seemed. Baxter himself admitted that the 23-year-old didn't cause him much "pain" is an inevitable consequence of the introduction of the players — for now.
The fascinating backstory, beautifully described by The Guardian, includes twists and turns. At 16, Bath told Wyatt that he was too small and had played for North Petherton at the eighth level before getting a chance at Exeter. command against the Royal Navy. Baxter was impressed.
After a successful stint with the Taunton Titans and following the onset of Covid, Wyatt signed a dual-registration deal with the Cornish Pirates. He has made 49 appearances for Penzance since making his debut off the bench in a famous victory over the Saracens three years ago. Gavin Kattle, The Pirates' joint head coach, not sure if Exeter will let Wyatt live to half a century.
Tom Wyatt is not the 'typical academy guy who spent months at the gym' Credit: Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images
"I'm so happy for him" Cattle talk about Wyatt. “He played different positions for us; at 13 years old, at high altitude, and then we experimented with it at 15 years old last year. Whatever position he played, he gave us this level of fitness — you saw this ability to beat the first man.
“He is very strong in contact and his level of dedication is one of the best I have ever seen and seeing what he has achieved in the last few weeks has been amazing.” He totally deserves it."
"Commitment" The word «cattle» may refer to Wyatt's sincere character on the field, which is paired with well-balanced running and instinctive timing. However, just getting to the Pirates required a certain amount of dedication from someone who grew up in Weaveliscombe.
«He's probably not your typical academy guy who spent months at the gym.» The cattle continues. “I'm not saying it doesn't matter and he's good at it, but he's pretty relaxed off the pitch. He had a hand in farming at home and had to leave it to come down to us.
"We only have an hour and a half. down the road, but farm life is a different breed. What I mean by commitment level is that it goes yards down the A30. He doesn't like meetings, but on match day he could always flip the switch, even with problems and injuries, showing the resilience you expect from your players.»
Exeter Chiefs stretch DHL Stormers to the limit for Tom Wyatt to open scoring 💫#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/H5SI1bibrL
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby ) April 8, 2023
Versatility and endurance bode well for Wyatt, who could be the centerpiece of Exeter's recovery. Cattle have no doubt that the second level is also important for his understanding of the game.
«I'll be biased, but what you see in the Championship is late players who had to fight it», he speaks. "I feel like you get longevity players with this. I have seen this many times.
"At the academy you can recruit special young men in whom talents have been noticed from a young age. Some of them have a smooth trajectory, although I would like to know the percentage. I see a lot of guys like Tommy getting into the system late. Then you get the characters that had to deal with it. Ultimately, every rugby team needs someone who is physically fit, who can get through hard yards and then, when things get tough, can roll up their sleeves and challenge.
"I gave him a little nickname: 'Tommy the Lion'. He's brave, like under a high ball, he gets stuck every week. In the championship, you will learn how to get your game back when it doesn't go your way. He made his own mistakes, but always positive ones, not those of effort.
Will Becconsoll: From Falmouth to Exeter University and then Chiefs p>Baxter revised his scrum half hierarchy by dropping Jack Maunder, while Stuart Townsend returns to form and selects fresher faces. Most recently, Beckconsoll started the game against the Stormers. The 20-year-old is an unassuming operator with a quick pass.
Stripping at the Cibelo Senatl at the weekend showed qualities that have been evident since he made his debut for Falmouth at the age of 17. Graeme Whitmore, who was director of rugby at Falmouth until 2021, coached 10-year-old Beckconsoll for the first time at Truro Preparatory School
«His father, Darren, coached the Falmouth [age group] team.» Whitmore says. “His grandfather played for Falmouth and Darren's brother, Harry, played for Leicester. Will is from a down to earth, supportive, strong athletic family. His sister Emily is also into sports. He had a super upbringing in terms of his modesty and approach to the sport.
"I was also director of rugby at Falmouth and when Will was 17 we appreciated him and thought that it is quite clear that at this age he had the qualities to play rugby among adults. He quickly made his first team debut against a very strong Kingsbridge team in the Western Counties League and has certainly made his mark.
“Will came off the bench as a substitute and within seconds of entering the field he made an amazing, very brave, life-saving tackle. This was his first senior rugby experience, and by the end of that season he had played two or three more times. The rest, I guess, is history."
From @Falmouth_Eagles to @ChampionsCup 🤝
Congratulations to Scrum-Half Will Beckconsoll on his first start in the Competition!#JointheJourney pic.twitter.com/vXG1go2kJd
— Exeter Chiefs (@ExeterChiefs) April 5, 2023
Backconsoll, a graduate of Truro College, has benefited from strong links between the University of Exeter and the Chiefs. Whitmore recalls «the true student of the game». with a «willingness to go the extra mile». Such determination excited others.
«That hard work ethic was a feature of his younger years and I think it came from his supportive parents and our training at his club and his school and at Truro College, the University of Exeter and the Exeter Chiefs.» ; Whitmore continues. “He had top-notch support from his coaches, as well as this natural leadership.
" His team, which went through the age groups at Falmouth, was talented and he was a natural leader. I think he inspired the rest of the group, which sparked curiosity from other players; the natural question of things, and they have become a very strong unity. A big part of why he was successful was his humility, which resonated with everyone he's played with so far.
“In my opinion, it was his superior decision making and service speed as a nine that gave him the chance to excel with the Chiefs this season. I'm so happy and everyone in the local community is too.» Tom Cairns: Strong, brave and «upper class». No. 9Cairns of Teignmouth RFC formed something of a double act with Becconsoll. They both attended the University of Exeter and it didn't take long for either of them to adopt a variation on what could also become the signature club hairstyle. Ryan Lamb, now head coach at Plymouth Albion, recalls being sent on loan as a teenage midfielder late last season when his team faced relegation from National One.
"His attitude was the first thing that struck me" says Lamb. “We were at the very bottom of the league, our squad didn’t have the maximum depth, so he could easily succeed and just played the last few games. Instead, he came and made a huge impact with his energy. His quality really showed. His decisions for nine years of his age were really good and acted as a catalyst to get our season back on track and ended up surviving pretty comfortably.
Tom Cairns has made four appearances for the Exeter Chiefs this year. Photo: David Davis/PA
“It happened thanks to the influence of Cairnsey. He has everything a top nine needs. He's fast, he's strong, he's really brave. He has great service and he reads the game really well. He always threatens to break. We moved it a bit because we were very small. Sometimes he defended on the wing, but he played at nine. That's how crazy it was.
Lamb is confident that Cairns has found «a standard that he obviously had to play to.» In the game against the Stormers, even in an 18-minute cameo, he showed noticeable psychological strength. After taking a hit from Marvin Ory, a Springboks lock to concede the try, Cairns immediately grabbed the unload from Ollie Woodburn and scored himself. Maybe the chaos at Plymouth helped.
"Sometimes we only had 16 or 17 players and six of them were first rowers" Lambs adds with a laugh. “We would have two front rowers on the bench and four in the group. It was a nightmare, but this year we are in a much better position. It could have been different.
"Cairnsey came in, played six games and made a huge impact. He is also a great guy, the best boy. He integrated well and you could see that he was always going to do great things because he fit into different environments. Fair play for him.
'It's okay to play Uni rugby against under 23s, but when you move into men's rugby it's a different game, more physically intense in contact. Some young guys are good at this. Other guys don't. Cairnsey walked over to the plate, immediately feeling comfortable. And now he owes me a pint!"
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