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Alex Cuthbert believes the time is right to “try something different” after deciding to turn his back on Wales in order to join the reigning Premiership champions Exeter Chiefs from the start of next season.
The 47-time capped wing does not meet the 60-cap requirement to play abroad and remain eligible for the national team, meaning that until the British and Irish Lions tourist returns to Wales, he will be ineligible for selection.
But his decision to leave the Cardiff Blues this summer comes after falling down the pecking order in Warren Gatland’s squad, with Liam Williams, Steff Evans, Josh Adams and Hallam Amos all currently ahead of Cuthbert following the Six Nations, and his chances of making the squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup already appeared to be slim at best.
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With the 27-year-old’s current contract with Cardiff due to expire in the summer, the Chiefs announced on Tuesday that he has agreed a three-year deal to move to Sandy Park until 2021, and the move could well represent a fresh start for Cuthbert after a fall from grace over the last few years, having featured in the Test side on the Lions’ 2013 tour of Australia.
“I’m very excited about the move,” said Cuthbert. “I’ve played all of my rugby in Wales and I’ve enjoyed some fantastic times over the years, but I feel I’m at a stage in my career where I have to try something different and the challenge of going to Exeter and trying to prove myself in a new environment at the Chiefs is something that really appeals to me.
“I still feel at my age I have a lot to offer and by moving to Exeter, hopefully the coaches down there can help bring even more out in my game.”
The powerful wing, who scored in the opening Test against the Wallabies for the Lions five years ago and has 16 tries for Wales to his name, was keen to stress the importance that director of rugby Rob Baxter and head coach Ali Hepher had in persuading him into the move, with the pair selling the Exeter Chiefs picture in a light that appealed to Cuthbert following their rise to the top of the English game and their plans to try and conquer Europe.
“Sitting down with Rob and Ali I liked what they had to say and where they said the club was looking to go in the future,” Cuthbert added. “Like a lot of people, I’ve watched how the Chiefs have not only developed into a force within the English game, but also in Europe as well over the last few years.
“They are champions of England at the moment, they are going very well again this season, and when you look at the squad they have down there, you can see it’s got a lot of talent within it and one which wants to really achieve things together.
“Speaking to people who know the club, they’ve all spoken positively about the place and the culture that exists amongst the players. As I said, it’s an exciting move for me, but also one in which I genuinely think I can get better with.”
Baxter revealed that Exeter have been monitoring Cuthbert for more than 12 months, and believes that his qualities will suit the Chiefs’ squad, with the Gloucester-born back set to battle with current wing options in Jack Nowell, Ollie Woodburn, James Short and fellow Welshman Tom O’Flaherty.
“We have actually been looking at Alex for a few years,” Baxter revealed. “Initially we looked at him when he was first breaking into top flight rugby, and he’s someone who we have been tracking for some time. At this stage, he is a player who is looking for a new challenge and that’s the important thing to us.
“You look at his attributes, he’s a big guy, 6ft 6in, well over 100 kilos, he’s quick and he’s big, and if you watch a number of his games, you can see some attributes in there that make him a very good and very dangerous player, and we actually think a lot of his top attributes will really work at Exeter Chiefs.
“Sitting down and talking with him, I like what he has to say about the new challenges he wants and the things he still wants to achieve in rugby. The fact we have seen attributes in his game we know will work well for us, made it a simple decision in the end for us to go out and sign Alex.”
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