Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Scott Sio started for Australia in the 2015 Rugby World Cup final
ByBrent PilnickBBC Sport England- Published1 hour ago
Scott Sio is hoping for a "fairytale finish" to his Exeter career as the Chiefs aim for the Prem play-offs.
The 34-year-old prop will leave Exeter after four years this summer to move to Cardiff in the United Rugby Championship.
The Samoa international, who played for Australia in their 2015 World Cup final loss to New Zealand, has been a mainstay of the Chiefs pack since joining in 2022.
Fourth-placed Exeter are aiming to claim a place in the play-offs for the first time since 2021 - but they must navigate a trip to third-placed Leicester before hosting fifth-placed Saracens in their final two regular-season matches.
"You always want to achieve great things at clubs and and win trophies," Sio told BBC Sport.
"We understand there's obviously a process to that, but I'd be ecstatic if we could push forward and have a big win at Twickenham in three weeks' time."
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Sio has played 82 times for Exeter since joining from Canberra-based Super Rugby side Brumbies in the autumn of 2022.
He has been one of the experienced heads in an Exeter side that has, at times, struggled during his stay at the club - they finished a worst-ever ninth place in the Prem last season after two seventh places in his first two campaigns.
It makes this final season - and the chance of a first play-off campaign in five years - all the more exciting for the forward.
"I came over in October 2022 with an open mind to just improve as a player and a person and I definitely feel I've done that here," he said.
"The club have really just given me a great environment to do that and [given me] opportunities to express myself as a player in a new competition.
"So much has happened to me, not just on the field - I'm getting married in July to my fiancée Nara, and I've had a little one, my son - so it's just been blessings on blessings coming over here."
Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Scott Sio has scored 10 tries during his time at Exeter
Sio's presence in Exeter's front row has been one of the constants in an evolving Chiefs squad since he joined.
His director of rugby Rob Baxter is thankful for the contribution Sio has made - and is hopeful he can have the end to his time at the club Baxter feels he deserves.
"Scotty's been fantastic - he's been one of our key and consistent performers through a pretty challenging time," he told BBC Sport.
"I actually said to Scotty 'I really do hope this season has a lot of positives for you' because he's worked extremely hard and been a very good player at a challenging time for the club.
"I said 'I'd love it if you were here at a time when you feel like we've had a really successful season and you've been a part of it' - that's how I would like him to sign off his time here."
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Scott Sio made his Samoa debut in November having switched allegiance from Australia after a three-year spell out of international rugby
And Sio also has a fresh focus away from cub rugby - Samoa.
Despite being born and raised in Australia - and winning 74 caps for the Wallabies - he has changed his allegiance to the country of his family's origin.
His father David played for what was then Western Samoa in the 1991 Rugby World Cup, while Sio's sister Ana-Lise featured in all three of Samoa's pool games at last summer's Women's Rugby World Cup.
Sio won his first two caps for Samoa last November as they triumphed in the Final Qualification Tournament for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
"It's quite funny the World Cup is in Australia as well," the Sydney native said with a smile.
"I'm very proud - we did it the hard way over in Dubai against a very spirited Belgium side.
"My dad played for Samoa, my sister played in the recent Women's World Cup for Samoa over here, my fiancée, she's Samoan and obviously my son too.
"There's a lot of pride involved in that, and we as a team, as a nation, understand we've got a lot of improvement within our team and combinations before the World Cup, but I think there'll be good steady growth heading into it."
