SIMMPLY THE BEST

Sam shows Chiefs fans what they’ve been missing

SAM SIMMONDS picked up where he left off in Europe to keep a promise he made to Exeter fans starved of live rugby.

Eight weeks after Chiefs won the Champions Cup and Simmonds was named player of the tournament, the turnstiles of Sandy Park reopened.

Supporters, who last saw Exeter play when they were neither kings of Europe nor Premiership champions, witnessed Chiefs launch their title defence with a six-try masterclass.

Try- scorer Simmonds was named man of the match and said: “We wanted to put on a performance for our fans who had hurt from not seeing us in the best year we’ve ever had.

“We didn’t want to be the team that just performed for one year and were happy with that.”

Exeter quickly twigged they needed to bring the fuel to start the fire rather than expect the crowd to light it for them.

Once they did, once Jannes Kirsten and Dave Ewers teamed up to dump a Warrior on his backside, it was business as usual.

The throaty roar which greeted the turnover was followed by a p pin-point kick to the cor corner by Henry Sla Slade, a line- out dri drive and try for Sim Simmonds.

N Now the place cr crackled with en e n e rg y. Tom O’ O’Flaherty cut a pe peach of a line, G Glasgow infringed at the breakdown, C Chiefs worked it in into the red zone a and Jonny Gray d dotted down.

Before Glasgow h had recovered f from one of their o old boys scoring against them it happened a second time, Slade and Olly Woodburn unpicking Warriors’ defence, Stuart Hogg doing the rest. There is a swagger about Exeter and they really need no help from the opposition but Glasgow tossed them a bone with Grant Stewart overthrowing a lineout for Jack Yeandle to bag the bonus point.

Chiefs’ fifth try saw Simmonds win a turnover, get up and make 20 metres. The ball came back to Ollie Devoto who dropped it onto his boot for Woodburn to score.

The winger was not done, exploding into the 13 channel to send Jonny Hill over.

It will be tougher in Toulouse next week where Simmonds concedes Exeter will arrive wearing a target.

“But starting the campaign like that sets down a good marker,” he said.

EXETER - Tries: S Simmonds, Gray, Hogg, Yeandle, Woodburn, Hill. Cons: J Simmonds 6.