Feyi-Waboso eyes more after 'best year of my life'

A twelvemonth agone Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was surviving successful halls of residence hoping to break into nan Exeter University rugby national team, but 12 months connected he has go 1 of nan hottest properties successful nan English game.

The 21-year-old is preparing for his 2nd play successful nan Premiership aft a meteoric rise successful which he became an England regular and scored a effort successful some Tests against nan All Blacks successful New Zealand successful July.

"This has been nan champion twelvemonth of my life, truthful far," says Feyi-Waboso, who is still juggling top-flight rugby pinch a aesculapian degree.

"Everything's conscionable seeming to spell successful nan correct direction, I'm conscionable frightened for a driblet now."

Having moved to Exeter Chiefs from Wasps aft their financial demise successful 2022 nan Cardiff-born winger had a play to retrieve arsenic he scored 15 tries successful 28 matches for nine and state - having picked England complete Wales earlier nan commencement of nan Six Nations.

"The first due pinch myself infinitesimal was evidently my first start, and I deliberation it was my first benignant of group of starts, I was like, 'Oh, I've benignant of established myself successful this Exeter team,'" he says.

"Then nan adjacent 1 was decidedly speaking to Steve [Borthwick, nan England caput coach,] connected nan phone. I was like, 'Oh wow, he's really speaking to me,' and past it was getting called up to England.

"All of nan small benchmarks I deed this twelvemonth were crazy. To triumph immoderate awards astatine nan extremity of nan twelvemonth arsenic well, it's conscionable travel each astatine erstwhile it feels like."

Feyi-Waboso is retired of halls of residence aft passing his first twelvemonth aesculapian exams and is moving into a location pinch his relative and a assemblage friend.

And while nan dreams of becoming a expert continue, really overmuch much betterment tin he do arsenic a winger aft specified a breakout campaign?

"I don't know," he says. "Hopefully a batch more, but I consciousness for illustration you ne'er know.

"I started past play being like, 'I want to play successful nan uni team, past play successful nan Premiership Cup teams and past nan Premiership teams'.

"It's conscionable milestone aft milestone, I'm conscionable trying to deed those.

"There are a batch of work-ons, definitely. Do I want to stock them? Not really. But I cognize what they are."

He adds: "But things person changed successful position of connected nan transportation and worldly for illustration that.

"Speaking to coaches I consciousness a batch much comfortable.

"Speaking to nan boys connected nan transportation it feels for illustration games slow down a bit, it's a small little frantic successful my head, I guess.

"Off nan transportation I conscionable consciousness for illustration my life's conscionable a spot much comfortable now.

"I consciousness a spot much stableness and worldly for illustration that truthful it intends I tin push on."

Exeter vanished nan past Premiership play successful seventh place, six points disconnected nan play-offs and 10 points down top-placed Northampton Saints arsenic nan play went down to nan last game.

Feyi-Waboso was portion of a new-look broadside pinch young players specified arsenic Tommy Wyatt, Josh Hodge, Joe Hawkins and Greg Fisilau each establishing themselves aft a summertime successful which nan likes of Jack Nowell, Sam Simmonds and Stuart Hogg each departed.

"We're besides expecting much of ourselves. We want to beryllium amended connected and disconnected nan section this year," says nan England winger.

"I deliberation we person precocious expectations arsenic well, obviously, we're a spot much accustomed to nan Premiership.

"We're still new, but hopefully this clip we'll do better.

"It is simply a really good, close-knit group, we're each learning things from each other."