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'A new challenge' - Scotland international departs Exeter Chiefs for URC

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne

Former Scotland nine Sam Hidalgo-Clyne is set to leave Exeter Chiefs at the end of the season, the club have confirmed.

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The 28-year-old has signed a three-year deal with Italian United Rugby Championship side Benetton Rugby.

Hidalgo-Clyne arrived at Sandy Park in 2020 from French side Lyon and went on to make 29 appearances, scoring four tries in a two-year spell at Sandy Park.

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      “I’ve had an incredible time here,” he told the Exeter Chiefs’ website. “Coming in at the start of Covid, nobody really knew what was happening, so I was kind of thrown in at the deep end. That said, to come away from that first season with the double was just amazing. Equally, I’ve had lots of other fantastic memories, both personally and with my family, so I am very appreciative to all the support I have received.”

      “It’s a new challenge for me, certainly something different. Obviously, I am going back into the United Rugby Championship, so I know about that league and what comes with it. Equally, I will miss playing in the Premiership, which offers such a challenge every week.

      “Right now, I’ve got a few months left here at Exeter and my sole focus is on helping the team achieve everything they can. When I spoke to Rob [Baxter] to tell him of my decision, the first thing I said was that I just wanted to put my best foot forward and help do everything I can to make this season a success.

      “Like every player here, I have that hunger to win silverware and I want to do everything I can to achieve that. The bond we have as a squad is fantastic and being part of the Chiefs these last few years has been an amazing part of my career. I’ll miss quite a bit of this place, especially those bus trips home, so I want to make sure I finish on a high note.”

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      Hidalgo-Clyne gave a special mention to skills coach Ricky Pellow.

      “Ricky is just terrific,” he added. “There are not many clubs you go to and you have your own specialist scrum-half coach, but the work he does above and beyond for all of the nines here is just brilliant. He, along with all the coaches, have really helped to develop my game and I can’t thank them enough.”

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      M
      MS 10 minutes ago
      Why Blair Kinghorn should be nailed on as the Lions starting 15

      I can see arguments for both Kinghorn, and Keenan starting for the Lions. But I’m less convinced by some of the claims (clearly partisan) supporters are using to argue the merits of one over the other.


      For example, a number of Ireland supporters have suggested Kinghorn is ‘defensively weak’. That’s patently false - or at least on the evidence of this 6N, he’s certainly no weaker there than Keenan is, who is presumably the comparative standard they’re using. Keenan was both shrugged off in contact, and beaten on the edge for pace, a number of times during this competition.


      Equally, Scotland supporters arguing Kinghorn is the more capable ‘rugby player’ seem to have overlooked the (frankly sizeable) body of evidence demonstrating that Keenan is an excellent ball in hand distributor and decision maker. So that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny either.


      I don’t think there’s all that much to choose between them, and either would be a strong choice. I think it would be really interesting from a pure rugby perspective to see Keenan playing a ‘Scotland-esque’ style of high tempo attacking rugby. Either coming into the line more routinely as first receiver, or being swung as a pendulum and getting the ball on the edge against a stretched defence.


      That’s assuming Andy Farrell goes that route, of course. He may well just opt for his Ireland system instead, and populate it with the likes of Henshaw, Ringrose, Lowe and Keenan. I’m sure that would win the series. Quite what effect it might have on a Lions audience who were expecting something other than ‘Ireland on tour, but wearing red’ would remain to be seen.


      As for the debate at FB, the only ‘eye test’ difference I feel exists is in the pace of rugby Kinghorn (Toulouse? Scotland?) tends to play. His passing/offload game feels crisper and higher tempo than Keenan’s - and as we saw in Paris, his pace and eye for a gap from deep are superior.


      But again, that will only prove a decisive factor if Andy Farrell wants to play that way. If all he wants from his FB is to sit deep, field high balls, and mop up then there’s little between these two equally excellent players.

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