Simmonds targets home success

By Nigel Walrond
17/7/2016

Exeter Chiefs face their first competitive action of the season when they host one of the legs of the Singha Premiership Sevens at Sandy Park on Saturday (3pm).

The Devon club will be taking on Aviva Premiership rivals Bath, Wasps and newly-promoted Bristol in what promises to be an excellent curtain-raiser to the new 2016/17 campaign.

It is the first time Exeter have been given the opportunity to stage one of the qualifying rounds of the sevens, and they are hoping for a big crowd to mark the event.

One player who is looking forward to the action is young Exeter back rower Sam Simmonds, who is no stranger to the competition, having helped the Chiefs win the Plate final in 2015 with a 26-19 victory over Sale Sharks at the Twickenham Stoop, and he would love to see them go one better and triumph in the main cup final.

"Having the event down at Sandy Park is probably more of an incentive to really go for it," said 21-year-old Torquay-born Simmonds (pictured). "We had a couple of new guys in the squad last year, and hopefully they will be in the squad for this year, so we will be a bit more experienced than 12 months ago, and if we can go for the cup, then that’s what we want to do."

The players who are selected to represent the club are able to use the sevens tournament as a way of impressing the Exeter selectors ahead of the 15-a-side season, and Simmonds sees that as being the same goal again this time around.

"The boys have always stepped up in this tournament. We have always had a young group of guys playing against some older guys, such as the Wasps team last year, but we have always had the same age group taking to the pitch but have always performed quite well, and we have shown what Exeter is about and took the chance to perform in front of the coaches, and it puts us in good stead for the season," said Simmonds.

"It might not be the biggest competition we take part in as a club each season, but if you can get one up on your opponent, it really sets the tone for the season ahead. You want to beat the local sides in your group, like Bath and Bristol, so we will see how it goes next weekend."

Simmonds believes competing in front of their own fans for the first time in the competition will give the Chiefs an advantage over their rivals.

"Playing in front of 13,000 at Kingsholm last year just spurred the Gloucester team on, and their fans were even cheering for us when we played Bath, and you could really hear it, and hopefully we will get a packed-out Sandy Park, and that will really give us that extra edge.’

For the second year running, Simmonds will be playing alongside his younger brother, 19-year-old Joe (pictured), who has signed on loan for Plymouth Albion for the forthcoming season.

"Last year was his first experience of men’s rugby really, and I think he did well. He will be a bit more mature this year, having played quite a few ‘A’ League games last season, so we will see how it goes," said Sam.

Looking ahead to the new season, Simmonds – who is set to be dual-registered once again with Greene King IPA Championship side Cornish Pirates this season – said: ‘Going down to the Pirates is key for me, and for other boys as well, just to get that Championship game time.

"We are not going to play every game at Exeter, and it is good to have that link with the Pirates, but a few of us now are really trying to push on and make that impression on the pitch and see how it goes after the sevens.

"It is a stepping stone that every Academy guy, even Jack Nowell and Henry Slade, have had to go through, and it is the same for us, we just have to work hard when we are down there, and when we get the opportunities up here at Exeter, to really take them."

The opening game of Saturday’s action will see Exeter take on Bristol (3pm), followed by Wasps v Bath at 3.25pm. Next up is Wasps against Bristol at 3.55 pm, and Exeter versus Bath at 4.20pm. The final two games see Bristol tackle Bath at 4.50pm, and Wasps play Exeter at 5.15pm

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Tickets for next Saturday's Singha Premiership Rugby 7s at Sandy Park are available by clicking here