Alex Cuthbert has become used to the odd brickbat or two during his seven years in the Cardiff Blues and Wales teams, but his switch to Exeter Chiefs next season might mean a smoother ride in the future.
His three-year deal with the English Premiership champions will mean an end to his international career for the moment, because he is 13 caps short of the required 60-cap threshold to be considered from a club outside Wales, but the obvious benefit is working under Rob Baxter.
The Chiefs director of rugby has created an environment that has produced more international players in the past four years than possibly any other club and his teams have delivered plenty of silverware as well.
The 47-times capped wing, who helped Wales win the Grand Slam in 2012 and the Six Nations title in 2013, will arrive at Sandy Park with top notch credentials and talent having has scored 16 tries for his country and also notched one for the British & Irish Lions in Australia in 2013.
Baxter says: “He’s aware that he won’t be eligible for Wales, but that’s not the single most important thing for him at this moment. The most important thing is that he’s playing at the level he wants to be playing at – to his own capabilities – and he’s also aware that whatever happens after that kind of tends to happen.
“The cap situation may change down the line, who knows what will happen there, but what is important to him now is how he trains, how he plays and what he wants to achieve day by day.
“You look at his attributes. He’s a big guy, 6ft 6in, well over 100 kilos, he’s quick and he’s big. If you watch a number of his games, you can see some attributes in there that make him a very good and very dangerous player, and we actually think a lot of his top attributes will really work at Exeter Chiefs.
“What I like is that he wants to come here and prove a point or two. This move is a very exciting prospect for him and there is no doubt that when Alex is playing well, he is one of the most dangerous wingers in Europe, if not the world.
“Sitting down and talking with him, I like what he has to say about the new challenges he wants and the things he still wants to achieve in rugby. The fact we have seen attributes in his game we know will work well for us, made it a simple decision in the end for us to go out and sign Alex.
“He has told us he wants to come in and work extremely hard and look to develop his game and move it forward. He will be 28 when he comes to us in the summer and I know he is ready to go flat out in a new experience of Premiership rugby.
“We feel he will fit in very well and that he will thrive under the challenges we place on him. We’re also confident he is the kind of guy who is still very emotional about his rugby, he’s still enjoying playing and being an important part of a good team.
“He wants to achieve things both individually and collectively with the team, and those are the reasons we feel he will come in and work very hard. If he does that, then I’ve no doubt he will be a very good player for us because his best games have often come in his biggest games.”
Cuthbert will be hoping to go out on a high at the Blues with a European Challenge Cup title to chase and a potential place in the Pro14 play-offs. He is just five tries short of 50 for the Blues in 111 appearances to date.
“I feel I’m at a stage in my career where I have to try something different. The challenge of going to Exeter and trying to prove myself in a new environment is something that really appeals to me,” said Cuthbert.
“I still feel at my age I have a lot to offer and by moving to Exeter, hopefully, the coaches down there can help bring even more out in my game. It’s been a tough decision for me to make in terms of my future, but the time is right for me to try something new.”
