Exeter Chiefs: Rob Baxter confirms major injury blow on eve of Premiership season
Exeter Chief's Jacques Vermeulen is tackled by Gloucester's Zach Mercer and Ruan Ackermann.
Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter has confirmed star flanker Jacques Vermeulen suffered a knee injury in their final pre-season clash with Ulster.
The South African flanker, who is also eligible to play for England from this month, has established himself as one of Exeter’s most important players since joining the club in 2019.
Twisted knee
Vermeulen got Exeter off to the perfect start in their 31-15 win over Ulster on Saturday, as he opened the scoring with a trademark pick-and-go; however he was later withdrawn early in the second-half and didn’t return to the pitch.
Speaking to Planet Rugby after the game, Baxter confirmed the back-rower had picked up a knock to his knee.
“Yeah he’s twisted his knee,” Baxter said. “We’re going to be assessing that and we’ll get him scanned.”
At the time of writing, a return date is currently unknown.
Injury struggles
Vermeulen has struggled with leg injuries in his time at Sandy Park. He missed a large chunk of the 2021/2022 season with a hamstring injury, and a year later also picked up a significant foot injury which put him on the physio table for some time.
Despite his struggles, though, he has become one of Exeter’s most important players since his arrival from the Sharks. He has made 83 appearances for the club since his arrival, and has also notched an impressive haul of 34 tries.
His form for Exeter has earned him high praise throughout the English game, and has even attracted the interest of Steve Borthwick as he becomes eligible for England this month on residency grounds; and this is something Vermeulen says he’s open to doing in the future should the Springboks not come calling.
‘”International rugby is always in the back of my mind,” Vermeulen told the Daily Mail.
“Normally in the summer I’d go out to South Africa and not do much; but this pre-season, with [England eligibility] in mind, I looked after myself and came back in good nick. First, I have to perform well enough to be selected. We’ll see what happens.”
His performances certainly warrant a Test call-up, but only time will tell if either England or South Africa get to him first.
READ NEXT: Exeter Chiefs: Five takeaways as ‘brutal’ Ross Vintcent shines in ‘gutsy’ pre-season win
