Exeter Coach Denies ‘Agenda’ Against Joe Hawkins Amid Wales Return Speculation

Joe Hawkins, who is currently ineligible to play for Wales under existing selection criteria, has been instructed to compete for his spot at Exeter Chiefs amidst discussions regarding a potential return to Welsh rugby. The Welsh international player was excluded from the Chiefs’ 23-member matchday roster for the third consecutive fixture on Saturday. With Hawkins’ contract set to expire at the conclusion of the season, Wales head coach Warren Gatland has alluded to a potential comeback to a Welsh region for the former Ospreys player. However, Exeter’s head coach, Rob Baxter, asserted that there is no “agenda” targeting the 22-year-old centre, despite his omission from the squad for the Premiership away game against Bath. “We’ve not got an agenda that we’re leaving him out because we’ve heard he’s moving on or that a Welsh region want to bring him back,” Baxter stated. He continued, “I haven’t been involved in any speculation. We’ve not had talks right now about a contract extension but we also haven’t said that we’re not going to.” Baxter added, “The only thing I’m looking for from everyone is to show that they deserve to be in the team, fight to get us moving forward.” Hawkins participated in 21 matches during his inaugural year at Sandy Park, a transfer that concluded his Wales career under the 25-cap eligibility rule. He commenced the initial five fixtures of the current season, yet was substituted in every one of those games—each resulting in a loss—and has subsequently experienced a significant decline in the Chiefs’ midfield hierarchy. “It probably has been tough for him and I don’t mind admitting that,” Baxter commented. He continued, “He’s been good about it, not had any tantrums, and got on with it. He’s aware there are things we’ve asked of him and right now we just feel Will Rigg gives us more go forward.” Gatland selected Hawkins for all but one fixture during the 2023 Six Nations tournament, prior to the player’s exit from Ospreys amidst significant cost-reduction measures across the regions. The Wales coach has indicated his willingness to see Hawkins return as a potential candidate for the challenging number ten position. However, Baxter has cautioned Hawkins that his prospects of playing in that specific position for the Chiefs are minimal. “I understand why some people may think [fly-half] is his best position,” he further stated. “I’ve considered Joe at 10 but we didn’t have the opportunity early on as we juggled our resources due to limited options in midfield,” he explained. He concluded, “It will be hard now to rotate and give him a bash at 10 because we’re in a pressure situation and we need to win games.”