EXETER — Exeter forward Richard Capstick could miss much of this season after a recurrence of a shoulder injury, with his last appearance coming in a Prem Rugby Cup win over Gloucester in February. The 26-year-old, who missed the start of last season with a knee problem, has not played since February and had surgery on his shoulder earlier this year.
Capstick, who has played in the back row and second row for the Chiefs, has been a key part of the squad when fit. He featured heavily in the 2024-25 season to earn a call-up to the England 'A' squad and started Exeter's 2021 Prem final loss to Harlequins at Twickenham, but he made just eight appearances last season before requiring another operation on a shoulder he first hurt in late 2022. "The last operation failed, which obviously puts him in a difficult scenario because then it's difficult things you have to to work out," said Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter. "Do you have the operation redone? Do you try and see if there's something else you can do?"
"So he's kind of in that middle ground around what to have done and how to move forward, how to get things done and rehabbed," Baxter added. "They're long-ish term injuries anyway, and when one fails it just extends that injury time. He could be back this season but we'll have to see." Capstick's absence has meant Exeter have been given injury dispensation to sign Welsh forward Carwyn Tuipulotu.
The former England Under-20 player made his Exeter debut in a Prem Rugby Cup match in late 2018 and featured in his first Prem game the following February, going on to make 97 appearances and score nine tries, but he has had just one injury-free season in the last four. "He's had some very good games with us," Baxter said. "He was one of those guys who gave us, over quite a long period, a really good squad depth across the back five. Obviously being home grown and coming from the area, coming through the academy, that all really helped us as well." Baxter said the club had to act to protect depth: "I don't want to be in a scenario where in two or three months time we're looking and we feel a bit light in the back five of the scrum because we haven't taken the opportunity to strengthen the side now."