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Why 'split jury' last weekend has Exeter pleased with Sam Simmonds

(Photo by Bob Bradford/CameraSport via Getty Images)

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. 

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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. 

“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.”

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Oh no, not him again? 1 hour ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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