Roots agrees switch to the Chiefs
By Mark Stevens
3/4/23
New Zealander Ethan Roots says he cannot wait to get his first taste of the Gallagher Premiership after sealing his move to the Exeter Chiefs.
The 25-year-old forward is Rob Baxter’s latest addition to his squad for the 2023/24 season and will join from United Rugby Championship outfit, Ospreys Rugby, this summer.
The all-action, back-rower joined the Welsh region in March 2021 from the Crusaders and has since gone on to establish himself as a physical on-field force.
The arrival of Roots will come some way to helping fill the void left by the departing Dave Ewers and Sam Simmonds, two men the newcomer admitted he has high praise for.
“Everyone knows there are some big names leaving the club, but for me that is part of the challenge, I want to try and help fill those big shoes,” said Roots.
“It’s an exciting move for me and my family and I’m looking forward to having a crack at the Premiership for the first time. Chatting with Rob, he outlined the vision for the future of the club and how he wants us as players to lay the foundations for the years to come.
“As I said, I like a challenge and I like the thought of us being underdogs with a real point to prove. Exeter are an established club, one with great history and tradition, and for me it’s a great move for me at this time in my career.”
Roots admits he was given a glowing endorsement of the club by a number of his current Ospreys team-mates, including the likes of Elvis Taione, Alex Cuthbert, Tomas Francis and Jack Walsh.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to only had good words to say about the place,” he added. “They’ve all said it’s a great environment, on and off the field, and that I will enjoy my time there. Having confirmed the move and once I finish here at the Ospreys, I’m keen to jump into that environment and get that first taste of English rugby.
“Back home, when you talk about the rugby over here, they all know it’s a high level and that it’s a lot more forward-orientated. As a forward, that’s kind of music to my ears, especially as there is a lot more emphasis on set-piece and the pack over here.”
One man delighted to welcome Roots to Devon is Baxter, the Chiefs Director of Rugby, who added: “We’ve obviously got some quality back-row forwards leaving with Dave and Simmo going, but equally we’ve got some great youngsters here as well with the likes of Richard Capstick, Greg Fisilau, Christ Tshiunza and Rus Tuima all coming through.
“If I’m honest, that’s not quite enough and Ethan, albeit still a young guy, comes having played a bit more senior rugby. I spend a lot of time looking at back-row forwards and he actually became the guy that I settled on who I felt would be the most selectable right here and now. His all-round game is high numbers, so he’s on the move, good clear-outs, good defence, good carrying game – and with bits of improvement and tweaks, I can see him making even more progress.
“Alongside settling on that we wanted him to come here, we did some physical testing on him and he stood up very well compared to nearly all our guys. When you talk about Sam Simmonds as being one of the most powerful back-row forwards because of his speed and his dynamism in the Premiership and Ethan’s not far off those levels despite being bigger and heavier.
“That really impressed me as it shows there is some growth there, both in terms of him physically and the way he plays, and again he ticks an awful lot of boxes for someone who hasn’t yet won anything at the senior game, but who wants to go out and be part of a team who wants to win trophies.
“We are going to talk a lot about that and how we create a team to win games and win things and the fun we can have along the way. Add in that he’s also EQP, so there are a lot of boxes he ticks that really helps us and I can see him playing an awful lot of rugby for us in the coming years.”