Rejuvenated Joe Simmonds ready to give life to Exeter’ Heineken Champions Cup aspirations
Exclusive: The young Chiefs fly-half knows how tough their task is to reach the quarter-finals, but rediscovering his form he is back in the starting line-up to try click Exeter into top gear
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Joe Simmonds has been given the starring role as Exeter Chiefs look to rescue a European Champions Cup campaign which looked dead and buried less than a month ago.
The 22-year-old fly-half, who emerged as one of English rugby’s brightest talents last year, has been a bit-part figure this season at Sandy Park after being given a rugby education by Owen Farrell in his side’s Premiership final defeat by Saracens.
A mixed pre-season, allied to veteran fly-half Gareth Steenson’s return to form, have seen Simmonds’ game time severely restricted this season, with the majority of the 389 minutes he has played coming from full-back or off the bench.
But the younger brother of England and Chiefs star Sam was outstanding as a second-half replacement for Steenson in an otherwise dire Gallagher Premiership encounter with Bristol last Saturday and starts at fly-half against Castres as Rob Baxter’s men look to secure the bonus-point win which would keep their European campaign alive.
“The good thing about this club is that if you’re playing well you’ll get picked and that’s fair enough,” Simmonds said.
“It’s been the same for me this year. I obviously had a good end to last season but haven’t played as much as I’d have wanted to this season at 10. But it gives me time to think and work on things I need to improve on. Then when I get the chance I need to make sure I take it.
“There’s so much competition here it’s tough to really nail down the shirt. That’s good. It brings out the best in players.
“I’ve quite enjoyed it at full-back. I just want to be playing. I don’t want to be known as that guy who can only play 10. To get the opportunity to put a couple of shifts in at full-back has been great. It helps me out attacking a bit more and going to the line a bit more. When I move back to 10 I can feel more comfortable.”
Simmonds has been given his chance at Sandy Park as Chiefs look to resurrect a campaign they have managed to keep alive despite being nowhere near top gear and only claiming a solitary win so far.
Fit-again Jack Nowell returns at full-back while Ollie Devoto partners Henry Slade in an exciting Chiefs midfield.
After losing away to Castres and at home to Gloucester, Chiefs beat the Cherry and Whites at Kingsholm with other results in the most competitive of pools handing them a lifeline.
“It’s a massive game against Castres,” Simmonds said. “Especially at home. We’ve tried not to think too much about how big a game it is or trying to get a result at the end of it. We’ve tried to focus on getting a big training week in and then going out there and being ourselves.
“Nothing really changes. Although it’s a knock-out game we still need to go out and enjoy ourselves and play the Chiefs way.
“There’s about two points difference in the pool. It’s a great opportunity for us to nail these last two games down. We know what threats Castres will bring. They’re a big physical team and we know we’re going to have to be on it on the weekend.”
After making his debut in 2016, Simmonds enjoyed a breakthrough season last year as he pulled the strings for Chiefs in their run in to the Premiership final before fluffing his lines, along with several of his team-mates, on the big stage at Twickenham.
His footballing calibre is beyond doubt while he possesses pace, an eye for a gap and a fine goal-kicking record. If he can spark Chiefs into life against Castres on Sunday, it could be the catalyst for the west-countrymen’s season.
Slade, who has acted as Simmonds mentor this season after enjoying a similarly lauded start to his career before injury and loss of form set him back, will feature at outside centre on Sunday.
“It’s brilliant to play alongside Henry but also have him as a mentor,” Simmonds added. “He helps me through things. I learn from him and he can learn from me. We play differently but it’s good to have him around.
With Slade and Simmonds in a back-line dripping with international calibre, Chiefs will look to put far more width on the ball than they achieved in last Saturday’s soporific scrum-dominated win over local rivals Bristol.
A bonus-point win would set up a fascinating encounter away to two-time winners Munster six days later.
Somehow, there is life left in Exeter’s European campaign.
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