Van Heerden ticks a lot of boxes - Baxter

By Mark Stevens
13/6/22

Rob Baxter insists new signing Ruben van Heerden ticks a lot of boxes after he became the latest player to join Exeter Chiefs ahead of the 2022/23 season.

The strapping South African will move to Sandy Park this summer from the Sharks – and will further boost Baxter’s options in the second row having lost Jonny Hill, Sean Lonsdale and Sam Skinner at the end of the current campaign.

Van Heerden is Baxter’s fourth new signing, joining compatriot Aidon Davis, as well as the Irish duo of Jack Dunne and Rory O’Loughlin in the squad next term.

Commenting on his new arrival, who stands at 6ft 6in and tips the scales at almost 19 stone, Baxter said: “He’s big, he’s physical, but the thing for me is, he’s a guy who you can see loves being involved in games. I’ve watched him play quite a bit and when I broke down his game, he ticks a lot of boxes in what I’m looking for in a player.

“Obviously, we’ve talked and we’ve discussed how we see him fitting into the squad. What I liked from talking to him was that he talked a lot about our style and how he felt it work for him and his game. Like any player, we see there are areas in his game that we can develop, but we’ve seen enough in his game that the numbers really add up.”

Having seen his forward options decimated at times this season due to injuries and international call-ups, Baxter says the arrival of Davis, Dunne and now van Heerden will help supplement what is already a thriving and talent core of players at the club.

“I’ve never been one for bringing in big, set-piece forwards,” added Baxter. “I’ve never recruited like that because I want players who want to be involved in the game. Anyone who watches us regularly will know that we ask a lot of our players, so it’s only right that we try to recruit players who want to be in and around the ball all the time.

“Guys like Jacques [Vermeulen] and Jannes [Kirsten] are prime examples of that. Jacques was everywhere in the game against Harlequins recently, whilst Jannes has been our stand-out forward in what has been a difficult season. For him to be awarded the Players’ Player award shows how much input he’s had over the course of the season.

“People will look and say they are both South Africans and that Ruben is the same, but I would have signed Ruben had he been an Australian, a New Zealander or whoever….. I like what I see in him and I know from speaking to him recently, he’s already looking forward to getting over here for pre-season and getting stuck into training.”