Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter is optimistic that star recruit Len Ikitau could make his debut in next weekend\u2019s PREM clash against Harlequins, following his arrival at Sandy Park.<\/p>\n
The Wallabies ace arrived in the English South West earlier this week after the conclusion of the Rugby Championship, with fellow Aussie Tom Hooper expected to follow in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
He becomes the latest Australian star to call Exeter his home, joining the likes of current star Scott Sio and club icons Nic White and Dean Mumm on the list.<\/p>\n
\u2018But it\u2019s great to have him here fit and ready to go\u2019<\/p>\n
Ikitau was a notable yet very explainable absentee in the Chiefs\u2019 match-day squad to face Bristol Bears<\/a> this weekend, but it seems we won\u2019t have to wait too long to see him don a jersey at Sandy Park.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not expecting too much from him in the first day or two while he gets over the jetlag and the travel stresses,\u201d said Baxter. \u201cBut it\u2019s great to have him here fit and ready to go. It bodes well for an involvement next week.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not going to involve him this weekend (against Bristol), I don\u2019t mind saying that. He\u2019s only just arrived, so he needs to get to know the lads. He\u2019ll have a bit of a runaround to flush out the journey, and we don\u2019t want to risk injury when he\u2019s just turned up.\u201d<\/p>\n Ikitau<\/a> was already regarded as one of the signings of the season after confirmation of his signature with the two-time PREM winners, but that has only increased following his performances for Australia over the summer.<\/p>\n The centre was among the Wallabies\u2019 best players during the Rugby Championship, often leading the way for carries alongside fellow Chiefs recruit Hooper, and he also impressed during the British and Irish Lions Test series, too, albeit in a losing cause.<\/p>\n Len Ikitau arrives: The frightening Exeter Chiefs backline Rob Baxter could deploy as \u2018stuff of dreams\u2019 partnership realised<\/a><\/p>\n Wallabies star makes surprising R360 admission amid Test unions\u2019 crackdowns<\/a><\/p>\n This form ahead of his arrival in the PREM already has fans salivating at the thought of seeing him in action, and Baxter is keen to get him as heavily involved as possible across the year.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a little bit to learn around calls and structures,\u201d said the Chiefs<\/a> boss. \u201cBut with good players, you often find that rugby is still rugby.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s an X-factor player, but with a solidity you need week-in-week-out in the PREM. He\u2019s got that ability to score tries in different ways. He can beat guys one-on-one, but he also suits us down to the ground and gets stuck into the pick and goes and wants to get involved and get on the ball.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the key for us, to get him on the ball. We\u2019re seeing that with Paul Brown-Bampoe and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso\u2019s hands more and more, and that\u2019s what we want to do (with Ikitau). We want to create opportunities for players to show the best of what they can do.\u201d<\/p>\n