Exeter’s second row James Hanks is looking to prove to the Chiefs’ head coach, Rob Baxter that he is good enough to warrant a place in the side on his recovery from injury. Hanks has been out of much of this season with a knee injury, appearing just six times for the Chiefs so far. He is set to return to first team action in this weekend’s clash with Wasps in the LV=Cup.
Hanks has been hampered with problems in his knee throughout this season. He was injured in September’s game against Leicester but made a return to the side before Christmas, only to be injured again in Exeter’s victory over Worcester and he has not played since then.
In his absence Exeter have risen to sixth in the league and advanced to the quarter finals of the European Challenge Cup. This only goes to show the high standard of play they have achieved in recent months and it will take a couple of good LV=Cup performances for Hanks to persuade his coaches that he is fit enough and playing well enough to warrant a place when the Chiefs return to Aviva Premiership action next month.
Hanks has described the last few months as being “a pretty frustrating time” but is looking to seize his chance now and cement his place in the Exter side for the rest of the season as they look to push towards as high a position as they can in the league and a run to the later stages of the Amlin Challenge Cup. He sees the next two games, against Wasps and Bath as a chance for him and other fringe players to prove their worth to the West Country side. Since their promotion to the league they have progressed drastically and they will no doubt be aiming to continue to do so in the remainder of this season and in many years to come.