Baxter says 'more to come' from O'Flaherty
By Mark Stevens
27/4/20
Rob Baxter believes Tom O’Flaherty will get ‘even better’ over the course of his next contract with current Gallagher Premiership leaders Exeter Chiefs.
The 25-year-old winger recently joined a growing number of Chiefs who have committed their long-term futures to the Devon club.
Signed in the summer of 2017 from the Ospreys, O’Flaherty initially had to bide his time at Sandy Park before the Chiefs coaches threw him into the heat of battle, both in the Premiership and in the Heineken Champions Cup.
Handed his opportunity to shine on the big stage, the affable Londoner has not looked back since, establishing himself as a popular member of the Chiefs make-up, on and off the pitch, as well as scoring 15 tries in just 39 appearances.
“With all those base attributes, I thought if he gets good direction from us and he gets involved in games, there’s enough there to fit in with what we want to do. Since then, watching how hard he has worked to be involved in games, how hard he’s be prepared to work in training, it’s great that he is now fulfilling that promise we could see him a few years ago.”
The belief the Chiefs coaches have been willing to show in O’Flaherty has been evident, not just this season where he picked up the Premiership’s Player of the Month prize for November, but also last season where he played a key role in helping Exeter to reach a fourth successive Premiership final at Twickenham.
“At times he’s had to be patient,” explained Baxter. “However, he has believed when I’ve said to him that when I say he deserves to play, we will pick him in the side. There was a period last season where he got involved and stay in for some pretty big games, especially towards the end of the season. I think that bit of confidence from being selected and the way he performed, when those things align together like they did, it’s given him the belief to keep thriving and developing like he has.”
Director of Rugby Baxter, though, believes the speedster has even more in his make-up to unlock, saying: “Based on Flats’ age and his experience, I still think that his best years are still to come. If you look at how he’s gone over the last couple of seasons, he’s taken an opportunity with us, worked hard to achieve what he has, but he can be even better. He’s far from the finished product and that’s what excites us as coaches.”
With competition for places across the Chiefs squad red hot at the best of time, on the wing that battle is amongst the most fierce with the likes of Alex Cuthbert, Jack Nowell, Olly Woodburn, James Short and even Ian Whitten all in the mix.
Baxter acknowledges, however, that O’Flaherty has been willing to listen to those around him in a bid to raise his own standards.
“Flats has been one of these guys who, when you bring a guy in and you see them develop and start to perform, it really make you smile,” added Baxter. “When I talk about Flats, not only is he a real popular player amongst the squad, but we’re really seeing true growth and development in him.
“I remember when we were watching him play for the Ospreys, I looked at him and thought this lad has something pretty special. He’s got an ability to get on the front foot, despite his size he fights his way in contact and comes out the other side, he knocks people around and stops them, and he chases kicks flat out.
