Exeter hopeful Phil Dollman will be fit for start of season after knee injury

Aviva Premiership champions Exeter are hoping Phil Dollman will be fit by the start of the season after the full-back suffered a knee injury.

Dollman was hurt during the Premiership final at Twickenham on May 27. He scored a try as Exeter beat Wasps 23-20 to win the title, but his injury then ended hopes of him touring with Wales after he was called into their squad for Tests against Tonga and Samoa.

Uncapped Dollman, who has torn a knee ligament, was replaced in the Wales squad by Scarlets back Rhys Patchell.

“I saw Phil at the club on Monday, and he was working with the physios on rehab,” Exeter head coach Rob Baxter told the club’s official website. “It is one of those really annoying knee injuries where he will probably be fit by the start of the season, but he needs to be fit now.

“It is really unfortunate for Phil. I am really pleased that he ended up playing in a winning Premiership final, so at least he had the satisfaction of winning that game before being ruled out. I know he was desperately looking forward to going on tour, and it meant an awful lot to him.

“It is a real shame, as it would have been a really nice thing to achieve at the end of the season, but he has been very unfortunate. I know what Phil is like, though. He will work very hard to maximise the scenario he is in now.

“It is not anything that requires an operation, just a length of rehab. It is a certain level of tear. It is one of those ones which needs conservative management and time to heal.”