"He’s getting thicker, that will happen with quality training, making sure he gets his nutrition and all this kind of stuff," Baxter explained, highlighting the visible changes in the player’s frame. The Exeter boss suggests that this physical evolution is far from over. "He’s such a diligent guy he is going to maximise his strength and his growth, but he is going to get bigger for quite some time, I would say with Kane."
This added bulk is not merely for show; it serves a vital functional purpose on the pitch. In the collision-heavy world of the Premiership, the ability to "ride the contact"—to absorb an opponent’s impact and maintain forward momentum—is crucial. Baxter believes that James’s increasing physicality, combined with his natural attributes, makes him a formidable opponent in the loose. "That obviously is helping him ride the contact, he’s explosive and very quick," the coach added.
However, with youth and enthusiasm often comes a degree of raw unpredictability. Baxter acknowledged that while James’s work rate is exemplary, there are still areas of his game that require refinement. The "individual bits and pieces," as Baxter calls them, involve tempering that high-octane energy with the clinical accuracy required at the elite level.
"Kane’s had a really, really good start to the season, we’ve got to just keep working on these little individual bits and pieces—sometimes in his determination to fly around, a little bit of accuracy trips, but that’s the way you want it," Baxter said. "You want these lads enthusiastic to run around and get in the game and I think there’s a lot more still to come from Kane."
One of the most intriguing aspects of James’s development this season has been his positional flexibility. Historically, the youngster has featured primarily as a number eight, a role that allows a player to utilize their carrying power and vision from the base of the scrum. However, in the opening matches of the current Premiership campaign, James has been deployed at openside flanker.
In the traditional hierarchy of rugby positions, the move from number eight to the number seven shirt often implies a significant change in responsibilities, particularly regarding breakdown work and defensive positioning. Yet, Baxter was quick to clarify that this shift is less about a permanent change in James’s identity as a player and more about the pragmatic realities of squad management and maximizing the talent available to the Chiefs at any given time.
The Exeter squad has faced some early-season "challenges" in the back five of the scrum—the collective unit consisting of the two locks and the three back-rowers. Consequently, Baxter and his coaching staff have focused on selecting the three best available back-rowers and fitting them into a scrummaging configuration that suits their individual physical strengths.
