‘The world is our oyster’ Exeter Chiefs prop Ehren Painter says when asked what this new-look side can do.
The 25-year-old tighthead has been one of the star turns as ‘Exeter 2.0’ have gone top of the Premiership after almost a quarter of the new season.
He has got two tries in Exeter’s opening four league matches and has established himself in the number three shirt as the new-look Chiefs adapt to life after the departure of many of the stars that took them to a European Champions Cup title in 2020 and six consecutive Premiership finals.
“It’s unique in the way that we don’t have any expectations, but we play like we’re absolutely desperate,” he tells BBC Sport.
“We’re desperate because not a lot of us have had lots of game time in the past and we’re desperate to take this opportunity.
“But we don’t have last season compare our performances with because it’s such a new team and there’s new challenges.
“It’s just a very healthy way of looking at your rugby, and the way that Rob (Baxter, Exeter director of rugby) gives us goals and the way he speaks to us and the fact that he asks for us to come of the pitch proud.
“That’s easy to say and difficult to do, but it’s those small things that have really made a big impact on me playing when there’s a little bit more perceived pressure in the Premiership.”
Painter moved to Exeter from Northampton in March, but had to wait until the summer to make his debut after injuring his bicep shortly after the switch.
Since that debut he has established himself as one of the league’s top performing forwards in the early part of the season, something Exeter boss Rob Baxter puts down in part to simplifying his game.
“When I spoke to him I said ‘we want you to come and we want you to focus on your scrummaging first’,” Baxter tells BBC Sport.
“That’s kind of allowed him to just be himself, but that’s also allowing the other guys to get behind him, it’s allowing the other guys to understand what an important part of the team our tighthead props are and our whole front row are.
“I watch Ehren play now, and I did talk to him a bit about things that were happening around the field when he played for Northampton, and I just said there were a few simple things we want him to concentrate on, and he’s doing those.”
‘We need to be tested properly’
With stars like Sam Simmonds, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jack Nowell, Stuart Hogg and Dave Ewers all plying their trade elsewhere this season, the time has come for Exeter’s new generation of players to step forward.
Painter has joined the likes of Ethan Roots, Greg Fisilau, Tommy Wyatt, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Rus Tuima and Tom Cairns in establishing themselves early in this part of the season in an Exeter side that ran in 11 tries against arch rivals Saracens on the opening day and thrashed Sale at home a fortnight later.
But can they go on to establish a side like the Exeter team that went on to be a dominant force in the Premiership?
“We need to be tested properly first,” Painter says.
“It’s still early days and I’d love to say that’s absolutely what’s going to happen.
“But there’s still a lot more trials and tribulations to come first before we’re going to say we’re as good as that group because they were such a special group.
“Hopefully we’re on the right direction. It’d be absolutely amazing if we can do what they did and it’s everyone’s dream.
“I was there for the end of season farewells and I was listening to Harry Williams and Luke Cowan-Dickie thinking these boys have done everything you can possibly do in a rugby shirt from club level to international to Lions, and they did it off the back of those fantastic seasons.
“It’s every player’s dream right there, and this club knows how to do it and it’s really special and it gives me great confidence to think that we can replicate it.”