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Why 'split jury' last weekend has Exeter pleased with Sam Simmonds
Exeter boss Rob Baxter has backed the winter form of Sam Simmonds – even though the No8 isn’t enjoying a repeat of the record-breaking try-scoring run that earned him selection for the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa and levered him back into the England squad. The 27-year-old scored a whopping 21 tries in 23 Gallagher Premiership appearances last season.
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That extraordinary strike rate generated giddy media headlines demanding that the back-rower be recalled to an England set-up where he had last been capped in March 2018. Before Eddie Jones took a shine to him, though, Warren Gatland wanted a piece of the action, selecting Simmonds to tour South Africa and introducing him as a third Test replacement versus the Springboks.
It was only November when Simmonds finally bridged the yawning gap back to his last match with England, the forward getting chosen as a replacement in the wins over Australia and South Africa.
In the meantime, Simmonds has scored four tries in eight Premiership outings with Exeter and while that strike rate is down on what he produced in the league last year and the man of the match awards have become less frequent, Chiefs boss Baxter has claimed his player is actually more influential in numerous other areas of his game this season than he was when creating last season’s try-scoring headlines.
Asked by RugbyPass to rate how Simmonds has been performing now that the headlines that accompanied him all last season are not as frequent, Baxter said: “It has been tough, it has been a challenge but challenging seasons are often the season that makes you the best player you can be,” he reasoned.
Rob Baxter has outlined his "common sense approach" to put an end to European chaos#HeinekenChampionsCup #ChallengeCup #Exeterhttps://t.co/y9wlXO0rYS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 12, 2022
“Last season we played as a team and the way the games went, the last couple of seasons we have had a very focused, available group of players that have given platforms for Sam. Sam is always the first guy to say he has had a great platform to work from, which led to a lot of tries and the tries themselves it’s actually the scoring of the tries that have led to a lot of the headlines.
“In a lot of ways, this season he has actually had more influence for us in a lot of ways but because the outcome hasn’t been the number of tries but we haven’t scored the number of tries that we traditionally do so because the outcome hasn’t been tries he has been getting the headlines.
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“I actually thought he had a very good game last week against Harlequins. He probably had more influence on the game than Alex Dombrandt did if you actually break the game down. If you consider we played the second half with 14 men, the ground he had to cover and the work he had to get through in other elements, so I don’t think anyone could say he has not performed.
“The guy who had been getting the headlines – and rightly so – was Alex Dombrandt but if you watched the game last week, the jury would be split over who had the more influential game. That probably shows you where he is.”
Is Simmonds aware that he is wielding this greater influence in other parts of his game as it is happening on the field of play or is it something that has to be pointed out to the player when Exeter do their post-game video review? “I think he is (aware of it). He is someone who is trying to progress all areas of his game beyond just try-scoring.
“He isn’t someone who comes off and thinks he has had a bad game if he hasn’t scored a try because he is intelligent enough to know the game breaks in a certain way, so there is going to be certain opportunities that was can create around what he does.
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“At the moment we have not been creating enough opportunities for him for some elements of his game, but that doesn’t mean he has not been getting on with the other parts. There is a lot of good stuff he is doing and I haven’t got any qualms at all about the quality of his play or the form he is in because he is going along very well.”
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments