Low blow for Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter says it’s unlikely Scottish international Moray Low will play for the club again this season.

The 30-year-old tight-head was forced off during last weekend’s European Challenge Cup victory over Newcastle Falcons at Sandy Park with a a hamstring injury.

Scans this week have since revealed that Low - who was signed from Glasgow Warriors last summer - has caused significant damage and will now sit out the remaining weeks of the campaign.

It’s an untimely blow for Baxter, whose side this weekend play host to league leaders Northampton Saints in the Aviva Premiership before then tackling Gloucester in their first-ever European semi-final a week later.

“We’ve had the results of the scan back on Moray and he has got quite a significant hamstring injury. It's going to be unlikely that he'll feature again this season, which is very unfortunate for Moray.

"He'll start on his rehab programme and we'll work very hard on that and get him fit and running around as soon as possible.”

Low has been jostling for a starting spot in the Exeter front-row this season alongside Tomas Francis and Alex Brown - and he was called up by Scotland to be part of their training squad for the recent Six Nations campaign.

Baxter added:  "You want everybody fit and to be able to pick from as strong a squad as possible. I doubt many people are selecting from a fully fit squad, so we're completely happy with the squad we've got here and you have to make allowances that players will get injured and it creates opportunities for some players and that's what it'll do."