Roots looking to find his old form

ETHAN Roots started 2024 with a bang, man of the match in Italy on his England debut, but his year ended with more of a splutter.

- PAUL REES

The Exeter flanker found himself out of the England squad in the autumn and caught up in an unexpected relegation battle with the Chiefs finding themselves at the bottom of the table over Christmas having lost to Newcastle at the end of October.

“My form has been up and down this season,” said the 27-year old Roots, who joined Exeter from the Ospreys last year. “It was a rocky start and I only saw glimpses of myself from earlier in the year.

“I am starting to find my rhythm again and I am keen to get back into the England set-up. I have had talks with Steve (Borthwick) and the other England coaches and we agreed that the guy they saw against Italy has not quite got back to that.

“I am pushing to get back to no one needing to see the name on my back to know that it is me. I am not sure why I have not been able to replicate my performances from earlier in the year.

“Perhaps I have been overcomplicating things and trying a bit too hard. When I first joined Exeter, I had a meteoric rise but it has become a little messier, trials and tribulations. I have, though, learned quite a bit about myself.”