Townsend suffers injury blow

By Mark Stevens
17/12/18

Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter says it's likely Stu Townsend will be out for remainder of the season with a knee injury.

The scrum-half had only been on the pitch for five minutes in the recent Heineken Champions Cup clash at home to Gloucester, before he was forced off and replaced by Joe Simmonds, who had to act as an emergency number nine for the hosts in the latter stages.

The loss of Townsend is an untimely blow for Baxter, who has concerns over the fitness of Aussie international Nic White (foot) and Jack Maunder, the latter of whom needed repeated treatment on an ankle problem during last Friday's European win at Gloucester.

Baxter, though, remains hopeful that White and Maunder will pull through ahead of Saturday's sold-out Gallagher Premiership clash with league leaders Saracens at Sandy Park. If not, Sam Maunder - an unused replacement at Kingsholm - and Joe Snow could well be called upon.

"If Jack's ankle injury is a problem, then that could cause us an issue for next weekend," said Baxter. "Stu Townsend has got a pretty serious knee injury and is probably out for the rest of the season.

"Nic White's foot injury doesn't look at this stage as bad as the last injury he had there before and it is more like a stirring up of that problem, we are hoping it's just a couple of weeks.

"Henry Slade's shoulder injury doesn't look too bad, and we are hoping that, with intensive treatment, it will be weeks and not months before he is back."