Thomas Waldrom: Exeter forward can lead Premiership try-scorers again says boss

Thomas Waldrom was born in New Zealand but qualifies to play for England through his grandmother

Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter says Thomas Waldrom is capable of being the Premiership's top try-scorer for a third successive season.

The forward, 33, is joint top-scorer with six tries this season.

The former England player crossed 16 times in 2014-15 and 13 last season.

"I would love to say he has a great opportunity to be top scorer for three seasons in a row because I'm hoping he stays playing very well and I hope the club plays very well," Baxter said.

"It would be fantastic to see that, but ultimately we just have to focus on the day-by-day to make the bigger picture happen.

"He puts himself in the positions to score tries, a lot of them are relatively close range, but that relies on the team getting us there and getting us close to the line," he added to BBC Sport.

Waldrom moved to Exeter from Leicester at the end of the 2013-14 season after four years at Welford Road, and has already beaten the number of tries he got in his entire career at the Tigers.

The number eight, who won five caps for England between 2012 and 2013, says he is not focusing on being top scorer at the moment.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for our team and whenever that opportunity comes you've got to try and take it, and for the last few seasons they've fallen my way," he told BBC Sport.

"It's a cliché, but I just take it a game at a time and if I get close to the five-metre line or a driving maul you just have to take the opportunity."