NEW Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Hunter is backing Greg Fisilau to be part of England’s summer tour to Argentina.

The all-action No.8 has been in sparkling form this season, including claiming his side’s last-gasp, match-winning score in their 17-15 Gallagher Premiership victory against Newcastle Falcons last Saturday.

A near ever-present for the Devonians throughout the current campaign, Fisilau has also featured for England’s A side in their victories over Australia and Ireland.

Hunter, who has worked closely with the 21-year-old since his arrival from Wasps back in 2022, believes the players has all the attributes to make the step up to full Test match level.

“Greg plays well enough most weeks to be on that tour,” said Hunter. “Obviously he has to fit into whoever is coaching of whoever is selecting that group, but I am sure he will. They seem to be in regular contact, they will be watching him, he’s been along to various A camps, everyone knows he’s a good player.

“He’s probably a player who is a bit different to what they’ve got. He’s great on the ball, he’s a very natural rugby player, so I am sure at some point they’ll get to him. He is, however, still a young lad. At what point they introduce him, I don’t know, but it’s a when, not if, scenario.”

Hunter admitted it will also depend who from the current England squad will travel to Australia as part of the British & Irish Lions squad as to who will head to Argentina for the two-game tour in July.

“There are some great back-rowers about the place right now,” added Hunter. “Who goes on the Lions will affect who goes on the England tour. I’ve no doubt, though, that if Greg got that opportunity, he will be fantastic.”

Having recently agreed terms on a new three-year deal with the Chiefs, Hunter ‘100%’ believes he is a player that the club can build their future around.

“I am going to pick up on that, just because we’re not rebuilding anymore,” added Hunter. “We’ve actually got quite a good squad and, as I said the other day, the important thing for us now is not to keep referring to them as a young group.

“Greg has got 33 games, Tom Cairns 57 games, so they’re not just kids running out. Our expectations has to be way, way more of ourselves, then being in that rebuild. That was the process we had to do that meant we couldn’t focus on other things. But, we’ve been through that now, now our absolute focus is to grow.”

Meanwhile, reports within the rugby media have linked Exeter Chiefs with scrum-half Charlie Chapman from Premiership rivals Gloucester Rugby.

Chiefs have moved for Chapman, who has been out of favour at Kingsholm since the arrival of Welsh international Tomos Williams last summer.

Gloucester-born Chapman, 26, a former Scotland A international, has slipped down the pecking order at his hometown club after former London Irish scrum-half Caolan Englefield emerged as Williams’ understudy.

Chapman even came off the bench for Hartpury in a win over Cambridge in October and has made 10 appearances for George Skivington’s side this season, the last coming in the Premiership Rugby Cup quarter-final defeat at Newcastle Falcons.

He has made 101 appearances for the club, but will join his former Gloucester team-mate, Stephen Varney, at Sandy Park when his contract runs out at the end of the season.