Exeter Chiefs sign lock Lewis Stevenson as injuries start to grip

The Exeter Chiefs have bolstered their second-row options with the signing of lock forward Lewis Stevenson from Ulster.

The 31-year-old has signed a deal until the end of the season to return to the club he represented in 2008 and 2009, making a total of 62 appearances.

Larne-born Stevenson, who left the Chiefs for Aviva Premiership rivals Harlequins before joining Ulster, will give Exeter some much-needed depth with Damian Welch (pectoral) and Mitch Lees (bicep) facing extended spells on the sidelines.

Baxter hinted at making at least one addition to his squad in the wake of the stunning 33-17 win over Ospreys on Sunday, a victory that saw the Chiefs reach the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup for the first time in their history.

And he is pleased to have Stevenson back in his squad, as he told the club's official website: "I think everyone is aware of the injuries we have picked up recently, particularly involving those guys who play in the second row.

"Initially when Damian went down we thought we would be able to ride through the situation with what we had.

"However, once Mitch got injured we had to re-assess things, not just in terms of getting people to play, but also to ensure we had enough bodies for training.

"Over the last few weeks we've really cranked up the training we're doing and for us to keep progressing, I want us to have real quality in our sessions when it comes to training.

"Having played here before, Lewis knows the club and we know him. We're very aware of the qualities he can bring to the squad and what kind of character he is, so he ticks a lot of boxes for us.

"Now he's here, we'll look to get him up to speed as quickly as we can and get him involved and ready for what we know is going to be a big period of games for the club."