Moon continues to shine on big stage
By Mark Stevens
12/12/19
Although the cast-list is dwindling for the ‘so-called originals’, those that remain on duty at Sandy Park continue to play a pivotal role in the rise and rise of Exeter Chiefs.
And one such man is long-serving prop Ben Moon, who continues to roll back the years and deliver for the Devon club on all fronts.
Since making his first-team debut on October 4, 2008 at home to Sedgley Park, the Tiverton-born forward has been very much part and parcel of the Chiefs success story, helping them move from Championship contenders to Premiership powerhouses.
This Sunday, the 30-year-old is poised to make his 250th appearance for the club, a sterling achievement for a player who, like a fine wine, is getting better with age.
Not only have his on-field performances helped the Chiefs to establish themselves as one of English rugby’s elite clubs, but in European they are fast becoming a growing force. His efforts have also been identified at international level, where Moon has now become an England international.
It’s little wonder than the man himself has been taken aback by what has happened, particularly the last year or so, where he now boasts eight Test caps to his name.
“It’s been a hell of a journey,” said Moon. “I’m one of the old buggers here now, but I still think I’ve got a few more years left in me yet. Being one of those originals who came out of the Premiership, it’s been brilliant to be part of what the club has achieved.
“There are been so many memories, so many highlights over the years, but hopefully there are plenty more to come. At first it was tough, especially when I was coming through. I remember plying my trade against some pretty grizzly boys, guys like John Andress, Dan Parkes, Chris Budgen and Brett Sturgess. I learnt a lot in those early days!”
Now, it’s Moon who is helping to mould Exeter’s latest prop idols, guys like Marcus Street, Alfie Petch, James Kenny, Billy Keast and Patrick Schickerling.
“Those guys have so much potential,” he added. “Like I was at their age, you want to be in and around that first-team mix, gaining game time, and just learning from those older guys. You can see with a few of them, they’ve had that first-team exposure and they are hungry for more. It certainly keeps guys like me on our toes in training each week!”
Moon, though, is a proven cornerstone of the much-vaunted Chiefs pack and he’s not a guy who will be willing to give up his spot in the match-day squad without a fight.
“As I said, I still feel I’ve got a lot to give to the team,” added Moon, who this season is celebrating his Testimonial Year. “If you look at the team and how we want to go about this season, we want to be fighting on all fronts. To do that, you have to have a strong squad, and that’s something I definitely think we have here.
“Over the last few years we’ve shown we are one of the top sides in the Premiership, but it’s in Europe where we’ve tended to let ourselves down a bit. This season, we’ve gone okay in the Premiership, but we’ve had a great start to Europe and we want that to continue.
“We’ve had three very good wins, two of them away from home, and now we’ve got to back that up again this weekend against Sale Sharks. We know from past experiences how tough they can be and they showed that last week, especially in the second half where they really came back at us.
“That said, if we can play like we have and work hard for one another, then we’ll give ourselves a great chance to not only get the win, but get ever closer to getting into those knock-out stages.”
And more club success could well lead to possibly more international exposure, an experience which even Moon believed had passed him by until Eddie Jones gave him his first cap against South Africa in 2018.
“I’ll be honest, I thought all that had passed me by,” conceded Moon. “When you’re younger it’s always your dream to play for you country at a packed Twickenham, but I didn’t think it was going to happen for me.
“Then, all of a sudden, things change, I got called into the training squad initially and then I was in a squad lining up, singing the national anthem. It’s tough to put into words how I felt, but it was amazing and something I will always remember.”
As ever, Moon is distinctly modest about all of his achievements, but you can bet your bottom dollar that inwardly he remains as driven as he was as a younger – and that he will happily lead from the front as the Chiefs look to conquer Europe and beyond this season.