Dave Ewers was chosen in the England Saxons squad in January, nine years after he arrived with his family from Zimbabwe where they had been forced to flee their farm. Born in Harare, he would have long qualified for England on the grounds of residency, the country where his parents were born, but the Exeter flanker questions moves by World Rugby to extend the period players have to live in a country before they are eligible.
Brett Gosper, World Rugby’s chief executive, said this month that the three-year residency rule should be looked at now that clubs in both hemispheres are attracting players at a young age with the lure of playing international rugby for a tier-one nation, but Ewers feels three years is adequate.
“I had not heard that they were considering extending the period for qualifying on residency,” he said. “I think it is fair as it is. You need to have pride in the shirt that you want to pull on and I am not sure that how long you need to qualify to wear it makes a difference in that.”
Ewers made his debut for Exeter in 2010, the year they won promotion to the Premiership for the first time. They were not expected to stay for more than a season, but they have thrived rather than survived to the point where they are contesting for a place in the play-offs. Victory over Saracens at Allianz Park on Sunday would probably take them back into the top four with a home match against Sale to follow in the final round of the regular season.
“Saracens is a cup final for us,” said Ewers. “If we lose, we can probably forget about the play-offs. Finishing in the top four would be a massive step for the club. We had a disappointing defeat at Wasps in the last round, nowhere near our best while they played really well, but before that we had beaten Northampton at home and we have to draw on the confidence we gained from that performance.
“Saracens are a very good side who always play with intensity and a high work-rate. We will have to match that, but we have beaten them once this season. They have an artificial pitch, but it should not make much difference at this stage of the season when surfaces are harder anyway. It is different in the middle of winter when you are used to playing in muddy conditions.
“We know we have to win and we will be giving it everything. It is an afternoon when only our best will do and we have had some notable victories away this season. We have to reproduce the form we showed at home to Northampton last month, a day when everything went to plan. A top-four finish would be fitting because, other than a blip either side of the new year, we have played consistently well.”
Ewers has only missed one Premiership match this season, forging a strong partnership with Thomas Waldrom in the back row. The 24 -year-old’s strength and work-rate earned him the Saxons call-up and he is in line to be named next week in England’s extended squad to prepare for the World Cup.
“It would be a massive privilege to be involved with England in the World Cup, but I am not holding out too much hope,” he said. “The back row is a very competitive area and those in the squad this season have all played well. My focus is on Exeter and making sure that we extend our season. When a team is playing well, international calls tend to follow.
“The club has come on hugely since I joined. We are getting players capped by England and we are attracting them from other Premiership cubs. Thomas Waldrom has had a huge year since joining from Leicester and Geoff Parling, a Lion, will be here next season. We are a pretty grounded lot and take things as they come, but we have an opportunity against Saracens to go where we have never been before. If we get it right, we can beat anyone.”
