England prop in new Chiefs deal
NEWS: Exeter Chiefs prop Harry Williams has put pen to paper on a new long-term deal with the current Gallagher Premiership leaders.
The England international joined the Devon club from Championship outfit Jersey Reds in 2015 before establishing himself as an integral part of the Chiefs forward pack.
Williams, 28, played an integral part in the club’s Premiership-winning side of 2017 and has made close to 100 first-team appearances, scoring ten tries.
He said: “It was an easy decision to make. I’ve been here five years now and I’m very happy down here. Ever since I came to the club, it’s been awesome and I’ve loved pretty much every minute of it.
“I knew when I left Jersey that I was moving to an ambitious club, who would bring the best out of me and challenge me in a testing environment. That’s been the case from day one, but I still feel there is still more to come from me.”
The Chiefs have been dominating the Premiership while also reaching prominancy on the European stage, and Williams believes a bright future lies ahead for himself, his team-mates, and the club.
“I think for everyone at the club, we’re not happy sitting on our laurels and just accepting that we’re going do this and that,” Williams said.
“As a professional, you always feel you can kick on and get more out of yourselves. Here at Exeter, everything is laid out for us and the club give us a great foundation from which to build.
“I’ll admit, when I first came here I didn’t really have any so-called affiliation with the club or the city. Now, it’s pretty much home for me and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
Since joining the Chiefs, Williams has become one of several England internationals at the club, winning 18 Test caps under coach Eddie Jones.
Williams was omitted from last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, but this season he has been included in England’s training squad for the Six Nations Championship.
Williams has however helped his club to the top of the Premiership and the last eight of the Heineken Champions Cup this season.
He added: “I don’t tend to dwell too much on the negatives, I much prefer to look at the positives. If I’m playing well for Exeter, then other things hopefully follow. As I said earlier, I like to test myself because that’s often what brings the best out in you.”
