Tuima: I have to move up the ladder

EVEN by his own expectations, it's been quite the year for Exeter Chiefs forward Rusi Tuima.

- MARK STEVENS

Handed his chance to shine by Director of Rugby Rob Baxter, the 24-year-old did just that, producing a more number of eye-catching performance for the Devonians.

Switched from his accustomed ball-carrying role in the back row, Tuima has added to that facet of his game with a new and dynamic approach in the heart of the Exeter engine room.

"One of my goals at the start of last season I was just to be more of an established starter in the first team," he said. "With the way the season went, how the boys performed as a team, it just managed to help boost me as a player and move me up the ladder.

"Switching from the back-row into the second-row, it kind of came out of nowhere, but it's helped transform me and my game. People mentioned it previously when I was like 18 or 19, but I kind of batted it away at that stage, I just wanted to play in the back-row.

Then, Rob came to me at the start of the season and said it was kind of what I needed to do if I wanted to play more.