Monday Round-Up
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Monday Round-Up
Chiefs snap up Holmes
Exeter have signed Queensland Reds' Australia prop Greg Holmes on a two-year contract from the summer of 2016.
The 32-year-old has spent his entire career at the Australian Super Rugby franchise, playing 132 times for the club in 10 years.
He has won 24 caps for his country, the last of them coming in October's World Cup final loss to New Zealand.
Holmes is the first new signing that Exeter have made for next season.
"We watched a lot of his games for Queensland and the games he featured for Australia in the Rugby World Cup and anyone who looked at Australia's scrum will see they were one of the most destructive units in the tournament and Greg played a large part in that," Exeter boss Rob Baxter said.
"Since then I have looked at a lot of his games and he looks like a guy who has a lot left in the tank and he's running around playing a lot of good rugby.
"We're big believers here at the club of developing young English players, but I've said before part of the way you develop those young players is with the people who they meet and the people they have time with.
"There is no doubt our other front-rowers will benefit from having Greg around, but at the same time he's very determined to be successful in his own right," Baxter added.
Cockerill backs Foley
For the second week in a row, Leicester boss Richard Cockerill has praised under pressure Anthony Foley, after Munster lost their 4th on the trot.
"That was harder (than the win at Thomond Park), because they played really well and came really hard at us," he said. "We were probably a little bit off tonight from where we'd like our standards to be. We made hard work of it at times, but it's a great win. Munster were really good and that shouldn't be unnoticed.
"Foley's had a lot of stick, as a young coach who's making his way. He's a Munster man through and through, his team played bloody well there and people should recognise that and give him a bit of that support, like the club have given me support, to allow Munster grow organically with the blokes that have played for Munster over many years and know what it's all about.
"That's important. Foley did a great job preparing them to come here and, if you look at the detail of the game, and don't just look at the result, Munster were very good tonight and probably unlucky not to get more out of it.
"It's difficult at times. Leicester are a good club, this puts us in a really good place now on 18 points with Treviso at home and Stade away.
"It puts us in a good position to qualify, we just have to do it now. Munster were good tonight, people should support Anthony Foley. You can build something good around good people."
