Kane James impresses Exeter boss Baxter as back-row role remains flexible

Kane James has impressed Exeter boss Rob Baxter with his development, according to a BBC Sport report published on 8 October, after starting the Chiefs’ first two Premiership games of the season at openside flanker. Baxter said the 21-year-old Wales forward was improving and making an impact, while explaining that his position in the scrum reflects Exeter’s current back-row options rather than a settled change of role.

James had previously featured mainly at number eight. His two starts at openside therefore raise an obvious question about where Exeter see him playing. Baxter’s answer was that the coaches have selected their best available back-row combination and arranged those players in the scrum to suit their strengths. He said the number on James’s shirt does not fully describe what he does elsewhere on the field.

What Rob Baxter says has improved in Kane James’s game

Baxter told BBC Sport that James was following a route in which he was improving steadily and having a positive impact on games. He said James could be pleased with the direction of his game. The assessment follows a breakthrough period for a forward who made his senior Wales debut in July and has begun this club season in Exeter’s starting side.

The Exeter boss also pointed to James’s physical development. He said training, nutrition and the player’s diligence were helping him grow stronger and handle contact, describing him as explosive and quick. Those comments explain why Baxter is encouraged by James’s start, though they are his assessment of the player rather than a measure of how every part of his game has changed.

Why James has started at openside for Exeter

James has started both of Exeter’s first two Premiership matches this season at openside. Baxter said the club had been challenged among the players available for the back five of the scrum, prompting the coaches to pick the best three back-row starters and place them in the combination that worked for those players. The explanation concerns Exeter’s current selection, not a declared long-term assignment for James.

Baxter said Exeter would be comfortable picking James at number eight again if rotation, injuries or the preferred combination for a match called for it. He described James as a hybrid back-row player: outside the scrum, the forward gets on the ball and takes on lineout duties associated with number eight. In Baxter’s view, the shirt number is only one part of how James contributes during a game.

James has made a similar point about flexibility within the squad. In an interview published by Exeter on 28 September, he said the club’s back-rowers could cover one another’s roles, with most able to switch between six, seven and eight. That account provides context for Baxter’s selection explanation, while the first two league line-ups alone do not establish where James will start in later fixtures.

How James reached the Wales squad

James’s early club-season starts follow his first senior international appearance. The Welsh Rugby Union named him as an uncapped replacement for Wales’s Nations Championship match against Argentina in San Juan on 11 July. Wales head coach Steve Tandy called him powerful, quick and diligent when announcing the side. Exeter’s later interview says James entered the match in the 66th minute in place of Aaron Wainwright.

James told Exeter he received his first Wales call-up in June and phoned his family after hearing the news. He described the debut as special. The club’s interview also recounts his experience of learning from back-row teammates with different strengths, a relevant part of his development as Baxter assesses what James can offer in more than one position.