Jonny Gray: Exeter move can turn forward into Lions player, says Chiefs boss

Jonny Gray could become a British and Irish Lion after his move to Exeter, according to Chiefs boss Rob Baxter.

The Scotland lock, 25, will move to Sandy Park from Glasgow in the summer.

Baxter says playing in the Premiership could see Gray improve enough to be selected for the Lions in 2021.

"One of the reasons he's committed to us is he really wants to put himself in the shop window for further international selection and potentially the Lions," Baxter said.

"We've got to help him develop those parts of his game that will potentially allow him to really feature there.

"One of those is he plays on a regular basis against front-line international locks and back-five forwards.

"The best thing about him playing in the Premiership is he can go from one week playing against Maro Itoje and George Kruis, the next week he could be playing against Courtney Lawes and the following week he could be playing against Joe Launchbury.

"That's how it can go and those are some of the things that can really help you develop and can really put you out there as an absolute front-line back-five forward."

'This is the best place'

Stuart Hogg and Jonny Gray were team-mates for seven years at Pro14 side Glasgow Warriors

Since first being promoted to the Premiership in 2010, Exeter have grown to become one of the big forces in English club rugby.

They have reached each of the last four Premiership finals, winning in 2017 and losing the past two to Saracens.

Exeter had their first-ever home-grown Lion when Jack Nowell was picked to tour New Zealand in 2017 and had three players in the England squad that made last year's World Cup final.

Having spent his entire career at Scotstoun, Gray follows compatriot Stuart Hogg to Devon, after the Scotland and Lions full-back joined the current Premiership leaders last summer.

"I had a couple of conversations with him and he was telling me how excited he was to come down here," two-time Lion Hogg told BBC Sport before Exeter's Champions Cup trip to Gray's Glasgow on Saturday.

"I'm having some fun, learning a lot and ultimately want to be in the position to be the best I can possibly be, and I said to Jonny that this is the best place for me and he's decided to jump on board as well."