Exeter Chiefs measure of success in PWR last season, losing a high-scoring semi-final to eventual champions Saracens, he can find himself at a club with three strikers inside RugbyPass‘ The 50 best women’s players in the world.
One of that trio is DeLeaka Menin (ranked 13), recently nominated for the World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year award after a string of outstanding performances for Canada.
Menin, 31, was man of the match for Canada both in the draw against England at Sandy Park and then in Canada’s first of two wins over England this fall in Toronto. And while Menin has plenty of talent, to topple the Red Roses will require excellent scoring, as noted by her Exeter coach, Olly Bishop.
“England’s scrum has to be the most dominant in the world, and there was parity throughout the game, which is huge,” explains Bishop. “For Canada to be able to neutralize England’s fight, that’s a big part of where they’re going to have success against that team. So she’s a big part of that.”
Menina’s excellence in that area is no accident, as she has worked to improve her tackling in recent years with Canadian coaches and Steve Salvino in Exeter. Those set-up strides have made Menin a more complete player, paired with her open-play excellence and positional versatility.
“She offers so much on the court,” adds Bishop. “She can play loose and tight, which is a feat in itself and she’s done that at international level. Again, she played No.8 at the end of the season last year for us. She’s one of the best breakers when it comes to front row and meters made in the game. She’s a phenomenal athlete who also has tremendous skiing ability in the game.
“She’s had a brilliant season, but she’s probably been an unsung hero for a few seasons before that. She’s a long-range roaming prop, which there aren’t many of on the world stage. She’s probably one of the best at it.”
Helping Exeter dominate the battle is Men’s Hope Rogers (ranked 19), the USA’s all-time capped player who seems to be getting better with age now in her early thirties.
A veteran of four Women’s Rugby World Cups, Rogers finished Exeter’s final Women’s Rugby Premiership season with 10 tries.
“She’s probably one of the best in the world at five meters, which isn’t always glamorous, but when she suddenly makes you one of the two best shooters in the league, as well as the world, it’s something that’s incredible along with the rest of her game,” Bishop noted.
Rogers’ goal-scoring prowess is far from restricted to club level. She is now just four points away from becoming the USA’s all-time top goalscorer, breaking Patty Jervey’s record, after scoring her 34th Test in the recent loss to England in New Jersey.
That power at close range is thanks to Rogers’ power, a combination of natural strength and hard graft in the gym. Bishop remembers the first time he watched Rogers practice.
“The first time we did some one-on-one stuff, just the amount of explosive power that Hope had, it blew me away,” he recalls. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, here’s a phenomenal athlete.’ That standard she set was huge.
“Nada would be highly ranked on any team in the world. She’s one of the most physical girls you’ll ever see. She’s extremely good in all lifts and I think S&C are very proud of what they’ve done with her over the years and what she’s achieved.”
Setting those standards for others to follow, combined with all of her experience, makes Rogers an outstanding yet subtle leader within the Exeter team.
“I think she’s very humble about the amount she’s accomplished, and she always wants to be better,” adds Bishop. “That’s the kind of thing you see. I’d say there’s someone who leads in a softer way than a lot of others.”
Which leaves Maddie Feaunati (ranked 21), still early in her career at 24, but already a woman Rugby World Cup and multiple Grand Slam winner with England.
One break against Scotland, setting up a try for Ellie Kildunne, stands out as an example of Feaunati’s power and management ability.
“Maddie is definitely a pro in how she sees the game, where she wants to go and is really motivated to become the best player she can be,” added Bishop.
“She’s very set on goals she wants to achieve and she’s determined to achieve them. She’s doing extremely well with the country and extremely well with us, hitting huge amounts of runs for us and England, she’s a dominant threat in those wide channels. She’s athletically gifted but also makes great decisions when she’s on the ball.”
As one of the best players in this year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations, with Bishop noting that she is probably athletic enough to play in the centres, there is excitement in Exeter wondering where Feaunati could be a player in the next four years.
“England’s back row, they are embarrassed by the amount of wealth they have there and there are some extremely quality players and when you look at how young Maddy is as a player, there is so much room for growth,” he explains.
“It’s not that she’s not achieving incredible levels of rugby at the moment – I think that’s something exciting with Maddie Feaunati. We haven’t seen the best of her yet, which is something great to see.”
“I think she’s 21 years old RugbyPass list we’re talking about, and she’s in her early twenties. What will we see when Maddie hits her 20’s, where will she be? Because I think the sky’s the limit in that case.”
With the excellent trio of Menin, Rodgers and Feaunati at their disposal, Exeter will be able to challenge all rivals in the PWR this season.
