Exeter back John agrees new contract
Exeter back Dan John has agreed a new contract with the Premiership club.The 23-year-old former Wales youth international has played 19 times for the Chiefs in all competitions.He has also spent time on dual registration at Championship side Cornish Pirates. Injuries have restricted John to just two appearances this season - one in the league and one in the Premiership Rugby Cup. "Dan really started to impress towards the tail end of last season," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport."When we've been looking to introduce him into the team and him having opportunities he's actually picked up a couple of niggling injuries over the course of the season."He's still a guy we see fitting into our back three, he gives us some strength in depth there going forward."He's a young player who we feel is still improving, so all of those things are good indicators for us that it would be good to keep him around,"I think he's becomes EQP (an English-qualified player) at some stage this season as well, which is obviously another benefit to us, so there's lots of reasons for us to keep working with him and for him to be an ambitious part of plans going forward."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Live Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks: Score and latest updates from Premiership semi-final
Latest updates 07 June 2025 3:03pm 3:03PM Ever-present 🦾 The #GallagherPrem Iron Man. Robert du Preez was the only player in the league to play every single minute of the season. An amazing effort from the @SaleSharksRugby 's centre 👏 — Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) June 7, 2025 3:00PM Hosts' welcome Prowlin' 🐅 @vocohotels — Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) June 7, 2025 2:57PM Premiership team of the season Four Sale representatives and one from Leicester: Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers) Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby) Thomas du Toit (Bath Rugby) Maro Itoje (Saracens) Joe Batley (Bristol Bears) Ted Hill (Bath Rugby) Ben Curry (Sale Sharks) Tom Willis (Saracens) Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby) George Ford (Sale Sharks) Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears) Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears) Robert du Preez (Sale Sharks) Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks) Santi Carreras (Gloucester Rugby) 2:54PM Sale's secret weapon is their 'theme' for every match Pete Richardson is not as recognisable as George Ford or either of the Curry twins. Even die-hard Sale Sharks supporters are unlikely to have heard of him. Even if the stars align for his club over the coming fortnight, he probably will not receive an official Premiership winners' medal. But the 36-year-old has been a significant, if largely unsung, figure in Sale's route to the play-offs. He refines Alex Sanderson's 'brain farts' by creating a visual for the theme of each game. These have encompassed box-office movies, sporting icons and more original ideas. 2:50PM Michael Cheika speaking to TNT Sports "My desire to win has not changed." Can Michael Cheika lead @LeicesterTigers to glory before he departs in the summer? #GallagherPrem | #LEIvSAL — Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) June 7, 2025 2:48PM Full list of award winners Gallagher Player of the Season: Tomos Williams (Gloucester) Breakthrough Player of the Season: Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints) Director of Rugby of the Season: Johann van Graan (Bath) Community Player of the Season: Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears) Gallagher Premiership Rugby Top Try Scorer: Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers) - 13 Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears) - 13 2:41PM Predictions from our experts Leicester Tigers 25 Sale 26 Michael Cheika has sparked a strong response from the Tigers, whose season appeared to be petering out after their loss to Saracens and an insipid performance up in Glasgow in the Champions Cup. Leicester's excellent second half against Sale, with Ollie Chessum immense, secured this home tie. Handré Pollard knows his way around knockout rounds and the Tigers wings, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Adam Radwan, have been brilliant. I just think Sharks can use their recent defeat as a sighter in a ferocious contest that will be shaped at the set-piece and on the gain-line. In my mind, Sale have enough toughness and a touch more subtlety. Which one of our writers think this will be the result today? Find out right here. 2:36PM Teams Leicester starting XV: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Solomone Kata, 12 Joseph Woodward, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Jack van Poortvliet; 1 Nicky Smith, 2 Julián Montoya (c), 3 Joe Heyes, 4 Cameron Henderson, 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 Olly Cracknell. Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 James Cronin, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Matt Rogerson, 20 Emeka Ilione, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Ben Volavola, 23 Izaia Perese. Sale starting XV: 15. Joe Carpenter, Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Rekeiti Ma'asi-White, 11. Arron Reed, 10. George Ford 9. Raffi Quirke, 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ernst van Rhyn, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Tom Curry, 7. Ben Curry (c), 8. JL du Preez. Replacements: 16. Tadgh McElroy, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. WillGriff John, 19. Ben Bamber, 20. Dan du Preez, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Luke James, 23. Tom O'Flaherty. 2:30PM A place in the final awaits Welford Road hosts the second of the two Gallagher Premiership semi-finals as Leicester Tigers host Sale Sharks. Just three points separated these sides in the regular season, with Leicester finishing in second to earn this home semi-final despite Sale winning more games (12) than Leicester did (11). These sides met on this ground just a matter of weeks ago. Sale looked in control at half-time, leading 26-16 at the break, but a fightback from Leicester in the second half earned them a 44-34 win, proving pivotal in the race for a home semi-final. Leicester finished the regular season with a 42-20 home win over Newcastle last Saturday. It is going to be an emotional day for Leicester as a couple of club legends play their final home games at Welford Road. Dan Cole and Ben Youngs have announced their retirements at the end of this season. Former England full-back Mike Brown is also retiring, while Julian Montoya and Handre Pollard are moving to pastures new this summer. Their head coach Michael Cheika is also leaving his post but is focused on the task at hand. 'Finishing has nothing to do with it,' Cheika said. 'Being part of a team means what happens to the team is for everybody and not for any one individual. I certainly do not feel like that. When you are in a team, playing in a competition like this, and you are the leader as a coach, your ambition and hunger is to get to the top. The only interest for me is for this team to be successful.' Sale sealed their play-off berth with a 30-26 victory at Exeter last weekend to finish third. They won six of their seven Premiership games to reach the semi-finals, with their only loss coming at Leicester last month. Sale are aiming to reach the final for the second time in three seasons and their director of rugby Alex Sanderson knows his side will have to deliver an 80-minute performance today to book their place in the final next weekend. 'I am expecting a big battle,' Sanderson said. 'They [Leicester] prioritise a lot of the things that we do around physicality and set-piece and we know it is going to be a really tough game in front of a partisan crowd. We have been talking about how we manage our mentality through the ups and downs of the game. 'At this stage of the season it is about being better at the basics and simplifying what we do. The gainline battle and the collisions on both side of the ball are going to be key, as well as the set-piece. When we played a few weeks back we got them in the first half but they beat us up in the second. A 60-minute performance this week will not do, it is going to have to be 80. We have earned the privilege of feeling the pressure at this stage of the season. We know there is nothing after this if we do not get the job done so we are ready.' In the other semi-final last night, Bath beat Bristol 34-20 at The Rec to book their place in the final. Who will be joining Bath in the final at Allianz Stadium next weekend? Kick-off from Welford Road is at 3.30pm.
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Spiritual home is Epsom for Princess Elizabeth winner
Stepping back up to a mile having run creditably on her return over seven furlongs at Lingfield, John and Thady Gosden's filly was sent off at 9-1 in a competitive field for the Group Three contest. After a furlong Havlin crossed over to the rail from his wide draw and coming around Tattenham Corner he stole a couple of lengths, before drawing further and further clear in the home straight to beat Bright Thunder by four and three-quarter lengths. John Gosden said: 'She loved it in front and got a bit of space around her which gave her plenty of confidence and she relaxed. 'Leah, who rides her every day, does a great job as she's a handful and she goes off funny little places on her own otherwise she's off. 'A mile is her trip and that was an easy mile, she ran well in the seven-furlong race at Lingfield. It was lovely to win a Group Three like that in good style and they gave it to her easy up front as they say. 'She's a good filly, but she sometimes worries about the others. The good thing is she got free there. 'She's got a Group Three now so we'll go and look at a Group Two somewhere and if she doesn't win she might be placed. There's one in France we've our eye on and we were just hoping to run well today and not go win like that. ' Spiritual storms home from the front in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes — Adam Morgan (@Adam_Morgs) June 7, 2025 Karl Burke's Bright Thunder finished second and the trainer said: 'She ran a brilliant race and I'm very happy with her. 'She loved the ground and probably could have done with it being a bit softer. I think that was probably a career best and we're very happy.' Meanwhile David Loughnane was buoyed by the performance of stable star Sparks Fly in third and is already looking forward to future efforts in this grade. Loughnane said: 'She ran a blinder, she just didn't get out in time. 'She's handled the ground fine and that's the first time she's gone and got black type with good in the going description, I'm thrilled with the run. 'It was a real blinder and it opens up a few more options for her now. I've always thought she was a Group Three horse and she's proved it there. 'I thought she was the best horse in the race, but just got held up and didn't get there in time.'
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Leicester v Sale: Premiership rugby union semi-final
Update: Date: 2025-06-07T13:36:06.000Z Title: How do you see Content: this one unfolding then readers? Drop me an email via the link at the top of the page. Update: Date: 2025-06-07T13:30:06.000Z Title: Preamble Content: We've seen this episode before. Back in 2023 Goerge Ford was described by Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson as 'a pocket of calm amid the chaos', as the fly-haf guided Sale Sharks past Leicester in the Premiership semi-final. A repeat today would be another feather in the cap of a fine year for Ford, who was named in Premiership team of the season earlier this week and probably should have been in the Lions squad heading for Australia. The clash with Leicester, who feature the league's second-highest points scorer in Handré Pollard, should produce tries. Across two league games already this season 142 points were shared, with one win apiece. The most recent of those was won last month by Leicester at Welford Road, where today's game is taking place, a factor that perhaps tips the scales in the Tigers' favour. Should they lose, this will be Ben Youngs and Dan Cole's final matches for Leicester. The retiring pair start on the bench as Jack van Poortvliet and Joe Heyes come in, while Adam Radwan will play on the wing in place of Josh Bassett. Former England international Mike Brown has not been named in Leicester's matchday squad and should his team lose his last minutes as a Tiger will have been against Newcastle Falcons in the last game of the regular season. For Sale it is positive news as they have Tom Roebuck and Tom Curry both available again. The England duo missed the final game of the regular season as the Sharks beat Exeter. Bath, another of Ford's former clubs, await the winners of this tie in the final at Twickenham after the regular season table-toppers held their nerve against Bristol on Friday night. Ford has tasted defeat in a Premiership final for all three of the teams left with a possibility of winning this season's showpiece fixture and would relish the chance to run the table against two of his former employers to ensure that this time he is not the one left standing when the music stops.
