Rob Baxter to discuss Immanuel Feyi-Waboso surgery delay with England hierarchy

Exeter boss Rob Baxter is to hold talks with England after revealing that Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s shoulder surgery was delayed because there were no Rugby Football Union medics on duty over Christmas.

Feyi-Waboso is in danger of missing the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia after only undergoing the operation last week even though he had dislocated his shoulder against Sale on December 21.

The 22-year-old wing is one of 17 players to have signed enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts, giving the RFU final say over medical matters under the terms of the new Professional Game Partnership (PGP).

Baxter is disappointed at the time it took for Feyi-Waboso to go under the knife and will seek answers from England head coach Steve Borthwick and Conor O’Shea, the RFU’s executive director of performance rugby, after the the Six Nations.

“You don’t need me to tell you that if someone gets injured before Christmas and has only had an operation now, something has gone wrong somewhere in the process,” Baxter said.

“It’s something we have to find a better way to do in the future. The frustration is that if things had moved more swiftly in the first 10 or 11 days – we had an operation booked for him about day 10, which would have made him fit now.

“I’m very comfortable putting my hand up and saying this was a difficult first one. Right from the outset, when the surgeon first looked at it he said this is a 50-50 – you can go the operative route or you can try rehab.

“After about two or three days, it was assessed again and the operative route was selected by the player, by England and by us.

“My biggest frustration and England’s was that it took a while for this process to get going because of the Christmas period. At that stage, England didn’t really have any involvement.

“Initially there was not anyone available and that would be my argument – the first person who should see Manny is the RFU. That would be my interpretation of what the PGP means.

“I met Steve Borthwick and Conor a few weeks ago and there are clearly some things that are not quite aligned, particularly at the start of the process. Let’s discuss this post the Six Nations, not mid-Six Nations.”