Vintcent relishing return to action following shoulder injury

It was a sight Exeter Chiefs supporters had been yearning for, Ross Vintcent back on a rugby pitch in Chiefs colours.

It took just four minutes of his return for the Italian back-rower to storm down the five-metre channel and set up a try a fortnight ago. He made his return to European action last weekend and is hoping to feature against Benetton in Italy on Sunday.

Vintcent said: “It’s been so good to join up with all these guys. They’ve been working really hard and it’s been tough to be on the sidelines for a longer period, but it’s been good to watch them thriving and just enjoying one another’s company. It’s been special to be back in among this group.”

The 23-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder in Italy’s Quilter Nations Series match against South Africa in Turin in November. Following surgery, he spent five months diligently rehabbing with the Chiefs medical team before earning his return to action against Sale Sharks in the Gallagher PREM three weeks ago.

He wasn’t the only front-line player missing from the Chiefs’ line-up as fellow internationals Tom Hooper and Christ Tshiunza have both delved back into action for the club in the past couple of weeks.

Vintcent said: “Being with some of your best mates in ‘the rehab dungeon’, as we call it, it’s nice to be able to hold each other accountable and push each other with that end goal in mind.

“It definitely helps having guys like them with you, even though you don’t want them to be in a position to be in there, it was a good boost. There’s a sense of camaraderie when you’re in there with your friends, you create a team atmosphere in that environment too.”

The work-rate and camaraderie certainly paid off for the trio, who have all featured on the teamsheet in the last month with Hooper even earning two back-to-back Player of the Match medals for his performances.

Director of rugby Rob Baxter spoke following the Newcastle result, saying he was taking joy from watching his players so comfortable around one another both on and off a pitch. Does Vintcent think a lot of the on-field success stems from the strength of bonds?

He said: “I think you've hit the nail on the head – this is a group of boys that enjoy playing for each other, that’s the main thing. The boys enjoy each other’s company, and that starts in the changing room. This is a very enjoyable place to be at the moment.

“To have everyone on the same page, everyone knowing their role, everyone giving 100% for the benefit of the team, that’s what produces performances like up at Newcastle.”

A big part of the changing room this season is the talent added to the mix by Chiefs’ summer signings. Centre Len Ikitau joined his Wallabies teammate Hooper in making the move to Devon, as did Vintcent’s Italian teammates Stephen Varney and Andrea Zambonin to name only three of Chiefs’ newest recruits.

Vintcent said: “It’s so refreshing. They’re all so different, but all so valuable to the group. They’re so authentic and they bring themselves to everything. It’s great energy to have fresh perspective and fresh personalities coming in and buying straight in to the team ethos. It’s paying off, they’re all going really well. It’s an enjoyable time to have all these faces in camp.”

The back row has always been a position of strength in depth for Exeter. International quality is melded in alongside the likes of Finn Worley Brady who has come to the forefront this season as one of Chiefs’ ones-to-watch for the future.
Does that intense competition for positions in the starting line-up drive Vintcent and his teammates further?

He said: “That jersey is never guaranteed, you’ve got to put your best foot forward every day and every time you get the opportunity to put the shirt on, you’ve got to do it again. Otherwise, the next person is coming for the shirt. I think it’s very healthy competition and it’s a good problem to have, having guys pushing each other to be the best versions of themselves.”

Last weekend’s round of 16 kicked off a second bout of knockout games for Chiefs this season after they progressed all the way to the final of the PREM Rugby Cup. With a top-four finish in the Gallagher Prem also still within grasp, what is this ongoing season truly like to be a part of as a player?

Vintcent said: “It has been very enjoyable, but I think that’s come from guys really buying into the Chiefs ethos, which is you work flipping hard on the field and enjoy your time off it. When you get both parts of that right, that’s when you create a culture that is enjoyable to be around. I think that’s what everyone has got right this season.”

This interview featured in the programme from last weekend’s game against Munster. Read the rest of the programme here.