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'It's hard to put into words...': Jonny Hill quits Exeter for Sale
Exeter have lost a second Test level lock this Monday, England second row Jonny Hill revealing that he has signed for Sale for the 2022/23 season just hours after it was confirmed that Scotland lock Sam Skinner, Hill’s engine room club colleague at Sandy Park, would leave next summer for Edinburgh. The transfer of the 27-year-old Hill was described as a long-term deal without Sale specifying the length of the contract agreed that will take the 2021 Lions tourist north to Manchester from Devon.
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Sale CEO Sid Sutton said on his club’s website: “We are really pleased to be bringing in a player of Jonny’s class to help push the club forwards and achieve great things. We are a club with aspirations and to sign someone of Jonny’s class demonstrates that.
“I had a really good chat with him and discussed the culture, our values and the journey the club are on and his personality fits perfectly. I spoke to Tom Curry about the potential of signing Jonny and he was full of praise for not only his ability on the pitch but what a good bloke he is off it.”
Hill, who debuted for Exeter in January 2016 having made his breakthrough at Hartpury College and Gloucester, said on the Chiefs website: “It’s hard to put into words how I feel right now. The journey that I have been on with the Chiefs has been unbelievable.
“The player that arrived all those years ago to the player that will leave at the end of the season are two completely different things. Since the moment I arrived, everyone at the club, the supporters, the city itself, they have all made me feel so welcome. To decide to move on has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but sometimes good things have to come to an end.
TRANSFER: The Premiership salary cap reduction at Exeter has left them losing one of their own, Sam Skinner…#Exeter #GallagherPrem #Edinburgh #URC #Scotlandhttps://t.co/VS0WyHXhrd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 20, 2021
“I am extremely thankful to Tony Rowe, Rob Baxter and everyone associated with the club for making my time here so enjoyable. The memories we have made, winning the double, playing in big European and Premiership games, it’s hard to sum up what all that means to me. I’m grateful that my future has now been sorted but between now and the time I leave, I know I will be fighting to the end and giving everything I can to the club.”
Sale boss Alex Sanderson, who last month announced the signing of out-half George Ford for next season, said: “I’m really excited to be bringing Jonny to Sale. He is a player who knows how to win and what it takes to grind out those big games and that sort of experience is invaluable.
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“His on-field qualities speak for themselves but what sets him apart for me is that he is a genuinely good bloke and will no doubt add to the environment and culture that we have here. Having spoken to Jonny on a couple of occasions, I was really impressed with his appetite to improve and it is exciting that he wants to do that at Sale.
“It tells me that we have a player of international class who believes in the club’s ambition, the culture that we are building and wants to be a part of it, for me that’s mega. We are thrilled to be bringing Jonny on board for next season and can’t wait to welcome him to Manchester.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The movement of quality players back to SA is remarkable.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article, Nic. Am enjoying seeing the Rebels doing well, partly just to spite those who are working to wipe them off the face of the Australian rugby planet. But it is also good to see a team with somany good players beginning fire. LSL has benefitted so much from his move up to Northampton for the one year. I wonder why he did not stay on for another year. Does he now looks north and see his teammates of last year now doing so well, and have some regrets.
44 Go to comments“Over 80% of the World Cup squad are over 30” No it isn’t lol
2 Go to commentsTyrel Lomax the best AB prop since Carl Hayman. Absolutely destroyed the Boks in RWC Final and is monstering allcomers in Super this season. Should be a monster battle vs touring Poms, always deliver a power pack.
1 Go to commentsEye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
44 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
44 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
44 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to comments