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Major plot twist in Sam Simmonds club tug-of-war

Sam Simmonds of Exeter Chiefs looks on prior to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Exeter Chiefs and Bristol Bears at Sandy Park on April 22, 2023 in Exeter, England. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)

Lyon are ready to throw a spanner in Pau’s plans to reunite former England No.8. Sam Simmonds with his younger brother Joe at the Stade du Hameau next season.

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Simmonds looks set to leave Montpelier when his contract runs out at the end of the season following the arrival of 2019 World Cup runner-up Billy Vunipola from Saracens in the summer.

Montpellier, who are again struggling in the Top 14 this season after losing four of their opening six games, also need to reduce the number of non-Jiff players on their books.

Simmonds, 29, is in the second and final year of his contract with Montpellier but is believed to have an option for a third season which is looking increasingly unlikely to be taken up.

Pau were keen on signing the former England and Lions star earlier this summer before Montpellier won their battle against relegation, and it is understood he would jump at the chance to join his sibling.

The pair were part of the Exeter Chiefs Premiership and Champions Cup double-winning side in 2020, and Joe has already signed a three-year extension to his contract this season.

Simmonds broke the Premiership record for tries in a season in 2021, scoring 83 tries in 123 appearances for the Chiefs, but hasn’t been able to cross the whitewash as freely since he moved to the Top 14.

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He is waiting for his first try in the four appearances that he has made this season and only scored four last season, including one in a Challenge Cup victory against Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park.

Lyon, who are fourth in the Top 14 table, are ready to make Simmonds, the Premiership Player of the Season four years ago, an offer as they look to tempt him into thinking twice about a switch to Pau.

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H
Hellhound 55 minutes ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Very good article and no, you are definitely not the only one. You hit the nail on the head with both teams. England will fall back to the WC semi ta tics, whereas the Boks will run it. They mean to destroy, not only with their forwards but with their backs too.


There is immense speed in that backline. England need a miracle. The Boks have the best defence and attack this year. This Bok team is different from the one from the semi. Most the same players, but way different tactics from last year.


Manie Libbok has a lot to prove and with Sacha basically making the 10 his own with exceptional games this year, I'm sure he will be out to showcase just how dangerous he is. No one in the team except a few is absolutely certain of their places. The rest is going to go hard at the English to prove why they should be considered every time.


These Boks targeted the English game as the toughest of the Autumn nations series. This is the game they want to win. They want to prove that the WC semi result was a fluke. They want to show just why they are the current Kings of rugby.


It's hard to stop a team who has lost only 2 Tests this year, both by a point. It could've been 11/11. What makes it scarier is that in each and every Test, they swapped many players and still came away with wins. The ability to muscle and grind out wins is this team's best attribute.


They believe in their coaches and each and every team mate. They are full in. Playing on the day or not. This is going to be a slaughter. Before the teams was named, I had the Boks by a winning margin of 12-15 points, but after it was named, I changed it to 20+.


The English is going to give the Boks the ball and the Boks is going to run them ragged. This team wasn't chosen to play the same boring strategy of the WC semi.

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