10. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs/England)
Saracens coach Mark McCall called it one of the “greatest kicks of all time” – but Henry Slade’s 60-metre touch finder in last season’s Premiership Rugby semi-final merely underlined the talent that the Exeter Chiefs playmaker has within his skill-set.
With over 100 appearances for the Devon club already accrued, a bright future lies ahead for Slade both for club and country after he formed a formidable midfield partnership with Manu Tuilagi during the Six Nations..
9. Alex Day (Saracens)
Dropping down a division has helped Day establish himself and it was announced last week that Saracens have signed the Cornish Pirates scrum-half. The move strengthens his chance of an international call while the length of his contract with Sarries has not been disclosed.
1.Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs/England)
A hugely popular member of the Exeter Chiefs squad, both on and off the field, Alec Hepburn arrived at Sandy Park ahead of the 2014/15 season. His fine form was rewarded in February 2018 when he was called into the England senior squad for the first time and made his Six Nations debut against Italy in Rome.
2. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs/England)
Introduced to rugby – alongside Jack Nowell – through the Penzance-Newlyn (Pirates) Minis section, the Cornishman is another huge success story of the Exeter Chiefs Academy set-up.
On the international scene, the talented hooker helped England to win the Grand Slam in 2016, whilst he was also a member of their tour party for the hugely successful summer tour to Australia.
3. Scott Wilson (Newcastle Falcons)
The powerhouse was forced to retire from rugby at the age of 24 because of a neck injury in August 2018. Wilson suffered the injury in Falcons’ Premiership semi-final loss to Exeter last May and was told to retire by a doctor. He made 80 appearances for Newcastle after coming through their academy and was 18 when he made his debut.