Simmonds targeting big season ahead
By Mark Stevens
03/10/19
Joe Simmonds is confident there will be no hangover for the Exeter Chiefs this season, this despite narrowly missing out on Gallagher Premiership glory to Saracens back in June.
In what was a fourth successive outing for the Devonians at Twickenham, Rob Baxter’s side were undone for a third time in four years by the Londoners, who produced a powerful last quarter display to add the English title to that of their European Champions Cup crown.
It was a tough pill for Simmonds and his fellow Chiefs to swallow, but the gifted fly-half is already looking to the future and is determined to drive the Devonians forward on all fronts this season.
“It was disappointing, of course, but I’ve not tended to look too much at last year, just because it’s been and gone now,” he said. “For me, it’s all about this year and looking to kick on again. We’ve got three competitions to go after – and we want to try and win all three.”
The first of those three competitions is the Premiership Rugby Cup, which continues tomorrow night for the Chiefs when they travel to rivals Worcester Warriors (7:45pm).
Having kicked off their campaign with a 28-14 win at home to Bath, Baxter’s young side were brought back down to earth last Friday when they went down 27-7 to Leicester Tigers.
Simmonds did not feature in either of those games, but the 22-year-old playmaker is one of 14 changes the visitors have made to their starting XV for the trip to Sixways.
“I’m very excited about playing,” he added. “Pre-season has been long, but it’s been good for us to let last year go and focus on what we have ahead of us this year.
“I think for a lot of us playing this week, we’re all looking forward to getting back out and playing again.”
Baxter has used the opening two weeks to get some much-needed game time into many of his younger players, but tomorrow night’s squad has a much senior feel to it.
“The great thing about this competition is that you can chop and change who plays – and that you can try out different partnerships. The guys who have played the first two weeks have put in two massive shifts and now it’s up to the rest of us to do the same.
“I know from my own experience, it’s a great competition for young players to play in, and it’s not one that we ever take lightly. Whether you’re a young player or a senior player, it’s a good competition to be involved in.”
And these days, despite his tender years, Simmonds is seen as one who can drive the standards of the Chiefs moving forward.
“I suppose I know what is coming and what to expect,” added Simmonds. “When you are younger, you’re not quite sure to what to expect, but I definitely feel a lot more comfortable these days. That said, I know I still need to focus on my game and make sure I do what I have to do for the team.”