Simmo’s now got the voice to match his skills – White
UNSUNG Exeter fly-half Joe Simmonds believes confidence gained from regular starts has improved his game massively – so much so that he is being backed by half-back partner Nic White to challenge England duo Owen Farrell and George Ford for their international places.
Simmonds, 22, came through Chiefs’ academy without fanfare two years ago but has now grasped the No.10 shirt ahead of Gareth Steenson.
He has no intention of stopping there, citing New Zealand’s Beauden Barrett as a role model in his quest for perfection and higher honours in the game.
Having finally gained the full trust of Exeter boss Rob Baxter, Simmonds told The
Rugby Paper: “It’s brilliant to get that backing. You need game time to realise your spatial awareness and game management and I’ve been able to do that now.
“Last year I missed out on playing a few games at the start of the season and was slow to get started, so the opportunity to finish last season well and then start these opening few games this year means I’ve really been able to push my game forward.
“I’m just looking forward to playing every week. It’s crazy to think that I’m playing with world-class guys around me like Nic White, Henry Slade, Jack Nowell, Alex Cuthbert and Stuart Hogg, but I’m leading them and gaining lots of confidence from it.”
Simmonds remains grateful for Steenson’s guidance, adding: “Working under Steeno has been brilliant for my development. The way he talks, his kicking game, the way he goes about things… everything is class.
“He’s still playing well and that shirt is never safe, but he’s been selfless in the way he’s helped the other 10s and our backs in general. He knows a huge amount about rugby and gives you a lot of confidence as someone you can go to for advice.
“I watch a lot of rugby as well and Beauden Barrett’s someone I watch quite a bit. He’s got everything in the way he runs the game and he’s one of the quickest players around, so I like to take little things away from different 10s to try and improve my game.
“At the same time though I like to be myself. I’m kicking well, I’m pretty quick as a 10 and feel like I’m playing well, so I don’t want to change too much.”
For his part, White believes Simmonds is now in the fight for an England place. Asked how far his colleague can go, the Aussie is unequivocal. “All the way,” he replies. “You’ve got Owen Farrell who’s a great No.10, but if Simmo keeps tracking as he is, he has all the leadership qualities as a playmaker to push through.
“He’s got a few more hairs on the cheeks and the voice is a bit deeper than when I first got here, but I could always see he had all the skills and he’s really taken the reins now.
“He’s well and truly a leader in this team and that’s the most exciting thing. He’s a loud voice now and that was all that was missing because he’s got all the skills – pass, kick, courage in defence and vision – it was just a matter of communicating his intent.”
White adds: “It takes a bit of time to get that confidence to boss the big boys and live or die by the sword, but Simmo’s got that now and barks out his orders, even at me.
“We have a few barneys but that’s the way it should be because 9s and 10s are the voice of a team. Simmo leads that and if Chiefs go well and he continues to progress, we’ll get more and more guys getting picked for that England team in future.”
With champions Saracens unlikely to make this season’s top four, Simmonds’ immediate priority is to lead Exeter into position to claim another title. He said: “I haven’t looked too much into the Saracens situation, I don’t think there’s any point in that.
“We have to win games ourselves and we’re not in the top four at the moment, so we’ve got a big job to do this year in a very competitive league.”