Hepher return 'important investment' in Exeter academy

Ali Hepher (left) and Rob Baxter guided Exeter to two top-flight titles and the 2020 European Champions Cup

Exeter boss Rob Baxter has said the return of former head coach Ali Hepher in an academy role will benefit the club.

Hepher left in May after 16 years following a poor season which culminated in his demotion from head coach and subsequent suspension as backs and attack coach after a record 79-17 loss at Gloucester in April.

The 50-year-old, who had been part of Baxter's coaching team since he took charge of Exeter in 2009, has returned in a performance coach role to develop players from the age of 16.

"We had an opportunity to add some quality coaching into the group, because without doubt we know going forward that we want to have as high a quality player coming out of our academy as possible," Baxter told BBC Radio Devon.

"Ali has got a hell of a lot of intellectual property when it comes to particularly around things like backs and attacking skills, but also around how the game can unfold and what young players need to be able to see and react within game situations, and also what it takes to be a genuine front-line professional rugby player."

Baxter brought in former Newcastle and Bristol coach Dave Walder to take over as backs coach in May, as Chiefs' director of rugby Baxter took on a more hands-on role with coaching the side.

He says Hepher has had great influence with some of Exeter's finest homegrown talents.

Exeter currently have a strong tie-up with the city's university, but Baxter says Hepher's role will focus on players at a younger age group to try to ensure they have the best coaching as young as possible.

He continued: "I can remember Ali working with Henry Slade when he was quite junior in the academy, working with his kicking and a lot of his technical skills, and you can see what he's gone on and achieved.

"It's been the same with Jack Nowell, the same with Joe Simmonds - there's a lot of these guys who've come through under Ali kind of transitioning them out of the academy, and that's very much what we wanted to do.

"We want him to take charge of bringing those guys as good as possible with as good foundations of skills and as good a foundation of professional rugby as soon as possible so it's not waiting until they get into that 18-19 age band.

"We want to start that from at least 16, maybe even earlier, and Ali can do that.

"He can help educate the coaches, he can help guide that and drive that, and for us I think it's a really important investment in our academy pathway."