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Image source, Rex Features
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has scored five tries in two games for Exeter this season
ByBrent Pilnick
BBC Sport England
Exeter boss Rob Baxter says England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso can become The Prem's top try scorer this season.
The 22-year-old scored a hat-trick in the 38-15 win over Newcastle to add to the two tries he got in the 33-33 draw at Northampton last week.
The matches were Feyi-Waboso's first for Exeter this year after being ruled out with a shoulder injury shortly before Christmas.
"The reality is he's a world class player," Baxter told BBC Sport.
"A world class kind of change the game type player, and he'd be the first to admit he's not fully flying yet.
"He is nowhere near absolutely ready to fly and yet he still looks really, really good.
"But what is pleasing is we are giving him opportunities as well, and I think part of our issues last season were how few opportunities we gave some of our best players to be on the ball and influence the game."
Image source, Getty Images
Sam Simmonds set the single-season try-scoring record with Exeter in 2021
Baxter's side finished second-from-bottom of the Premiership last season and only bottom side Newcastle scored fewer points than the 403 Exeter managed over their 18 games.
But the Exeter boss feels there is a similar drive in his squad to get Feyi-Waboso to the top of the try-scoring charts as his team had in 2021 when Sam Simmonds broke the Premiership single-season try-scoring record.
The England and British and Irish Lions number eight managed 21 tries in 22 games as the Chiefs returned to the Premiership final a season after the league and Champions Cup double.
"He is going to be in and around scoring tries when we play well, that's the exciting thing for him.
"What's really pleasing is when the lads get together and go 'right, we've got the opportunity to have the top try scorer in the Premiership here let's make it happen'.
"We did that with Sam Simmonds, the forwards got together and went 'we've got the chance to make a forward [be] the top try scorer in the Premiership here', and they made him the top try scorer.
"They made sure he was on the ball and they got him over the line and that's the kind of thing you want to grow on your team."
