Davis out to make up for lost time

By Mark Stevens
25/11/22

Aidon Davis says he’s ready to put months of frustrations behind him and finally make his mark with the Exeter Chiefs.

As one of a handful of new faces brought to the club last summer by Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, the South African forward arrived in Devon relishing the chance to pen a new chapter in his rugby career.

Like his team-mates, the 28-year-old tore into the early stages of pre-season training. Keen to make his mark, Davis was front and centre as the Chiefs endured some intensive training, including a two-day stint with the Royal Marines at the nearby Lympstone Training Centre.

Sadly, a ruptured bicep just days later would curtail Davis’ early charge and since then he’s been largely restricted to the Sandy Park gymnasium, working alongside others in the ‘Team Rehab’ brotherhood.

Now, though, the former Cheetahs ace is fit and raring to go and he’s made no secret of the fact that he’s keen to make up for lost time, starting with two big performances against Bath and Gloucester this next fortnight in the Premiership Rugby Cup.

“It was not an ideal start for me coming to the Chiefs,” said Davis. “Getting injured so early was not what I wanted, but now I’m back and I can’t wait to start playing. This weekend is my first chance, so I’m super excited about the game and hopefully I can put in a big performance.”

In what will be his first-ever taste of English rugby, Davis hopes his watching brief of the season so far will give him a slights heads-up on what to expect against Bath this afternoon.

“It’s going to be my first game, my first chance to play here at Sandy Park and, hopefully, the weather holds up, but I’m not counting on it!”

As with any injury, the frustration of missing out on things does little to help the situation, but Davis hopes he can now go out and make his mark as the Chiefs attempt to book one of the four semi-final spots on offer.

“It wasn’t the ideal start for me, I wanted to come in and make my mark, but right off the bat I got a bicep tear and three months out.I’m not a great watcher at the best of times, I much prefer playing.

“It is what it is, but it’s allowed me to watch the games, see how the team performs and just get that feel for rugby here. It’s certainly more physical than I thought, the guys keep the ball well, much different to back home where we tend to struggle a bit in that area, and it’s a different type of game.

“Now I’m excited to just get out there this weekend and give it a go myself and see how things develop.”

Davis also praised the way his new team-mates, including those from back home, have helped him to settle to Westcountry life.

“It definitely helps having guys like Jacques, Jannes, Ruben, Pat and Dave around the place. They’ve super helpful and just having that kind of feeling of home within the changing room does help the settling in process. At the same time, it’s been good to mix with the other lads as well. The social side is strong here and I’ve also got to meet a lot of supporters, who love their rugby.”