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'A golden period...': Exeter's post-Lions view of new dad Simmonds
Sam Simmonds is back in the mix at Exeter following his Lions tour but the only conversations his coach Rob Baxter is having with the back-rower at the moment is about fatherhood after the soon-to-be 27-year-old became a dad to a new-born girl last weekend. Lions players have been filtering into Gallagher Premiership action in recent weeks following the tour to South Africa.
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Exeter started Stuart Hogg at full-back in their win at Sale last Sunday and the expectation is that Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jonny Hill and Simmonds, the club’s other three Lions, will be considered for next Saturday’s match at home to Worcester.
Simmonds, though, has been very busy on the home-front ahead of that potential matchday return where he will be looking to build on last season’s record-breaking campaign. The No8 scored 21 tries in 23 Premiership outings, shattering the previous record mark of 17.
That strike rate caught the eye of Warren Gatland, who included Simmonds in the Lions squad even though he hadn’t played Test rugby for England since March 2018. He had since been included in the England squad, attending a mini-training camp in London last week.
At the time of the Simmonds recall, Eddie Jones explained: “We asked him to go away and look at his game and he has been progressing well. He did that last season and therefore he has got an opportunity to put his best foot forward. He has improved parts of his game, particularly how hard he is over the ball. He has improved that aspect of his game and he is also finding the ball a bit more in unstructured play. There has been some nice development in his game.”
"He was very emotional, very upset by what happened…"
– Last Sunday was the first time Dave Ewers was seen in action since his cruel ban robbed him of Exeter playoff appearances and a long-awaited England call #Exeter #PremRugby #SALvEXEhttps://t.co/NK8Cec4NtU
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 6, 2021
It is at Exeter in the coming weeks where Simmonds will now get the chance to polish these developments ahead of the autumn internationals, but it is not as if he has arrived back for work at Sandy Park and sat down for long reflective chats with coach Baxter about a Lions tour where his involvement in the three-game Test series was restricted coming off the bench in the deciding third Test, a match where the result tipped the way of the Springboks.
“The only conversation I have had with Sam has been about his little girl that was just born at the weekend and how he has been getting on with being a dad,” said Baxter. “That is what is important here and now, how his time is going there. How is everything going at home, is he feeling ready to play? That is the conversation we had.
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“We don’t spend hours and hours and hours dwelling stuff outside the club, that is away from what is very important to us. I don’t need to sit down and analyse his Lions situation with him. I have spoken to him about it and he said he enjoyed the experience.
“It was a shame it was pretty much a lockdown bubble because one of the things other than playing and winning games and Test matches which is kind of what it is about the other part of it is being a part of a genuine Lions tour. That is probably the defining thing you remember as much as anything else in your career when you look back so he was unfortunate he missed out on that part of it.
“He was disappointed with that but on the whole, he had a good last year. It led to the Lions call-up, it led to him being named in this provisional 45-man (England) EPS squad. Everything that has happened is all on an upward trajectory for Sam and that is what we are going to keep discussing with him. He is on the way up, he is having a golden period and he has got to keep driving that for as long as he can.
“He is gaining experience in everything all the time, playing in bigger and bigger games all the time. He has been involved in different squads which, if used in the right way, you can learn a lot from them good and bad and sifting through that is very important.
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“And also it gains confidence in your overall ability and your overall standing in the game and the things you can achieve. Everything I have seen with Sam is just positive on positive and that is all we are focused on. We are focused on where we can keep driving the positives in his game.”
It was 16 weeks ago against Sale when Stuart Hogg's fortunes at Exeter encountered a dip, but he was restored to the No15 shirt last Sunday versus the same opposition and the Chiefs' verdict on how he did is now in…#Exeter #Lions #Scotland #SALvEXE
https://t.co/GnEgUnIhnG— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
54 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
54 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
54 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to comments