Ethan Roots

Blindside flanker is a role for players who relish physical confrontation, and Ethan Roots fits the mould. Born in November 1997, the powerful back-rower has earned international recognition with England on the back of the qualities he shows week to week for Exeter Chiefs: robust ball-carrying, hard-hitting defence and a relentless presence at the breakdown. Roots is a direct, front-foot forward who thrives on go-forward ball, taking the contact and getting his side over the gain line while anchoring the defensive line with his tackling. At the Chiefs he provides the kind of physical edge and work rate that underpins the pack's efforts, equally comfortable doing the heavy lifting in the tight or chasing across the field. His combination of size, aggression and stamina makes him a key figure in the back row, and a forward whose impact is felt in the collisions that decide tight matches. Whether carrying off the base of a ruck, clearing out at the breakdown or filling in across the defensive line, Roots brings the abrasive physical edge that Premiership packs are built around. For Exeter he is a dependable source of go-forward and defensive resistance, a back-rower the coaches can rely on to set the tone in the tight exchanges and to keep working long after the contest has been decided.