Try-happy Sam working for all round excellence
FRESH from smashing Thomas ‘Tank’ Waldrom’s club try-scoring record, Exeter back row Sam Simmonds says continuing that fine form allied to improvements in his defence will give him the best chance of earning an England recall. Simmonds, capped seven times in 2017/18 but overlooked since, has turned disappointment into delight by taking his Premiership try tally to 42 in just 57 games, eclipsing Waldrom’s 41-try mark and becoming Europe’s player of the year along the way.
The double-winning No.8 is on track to usurp England legend Neil Back’s long-standing league try-scoring record for a forward of 59 tries in 128 games, having already added a remarkable 11 tries in nine matches before this weekend.
Simmonds, 26, below, told The Rugby Paper: “Week-to-week it’s nice to keep racking up tries but I never really knew how close I was to Thomas, so it was cool to come off the pitch last week and be told I’d beaten his club record.
“I took a lot from his game and tried to add it to mine. I always looked at how he imposed himself on games with his options to carry.
“He had so many involvements and was an unbelievable finisher. People talk about wingers being out-andout finishers but he was a five-metre poacher and good at it. For me it doesn’t matter if it’s five or 50 metres, they all count.”
Simmonds added: “I’m hungry for it and I want to be involved. There’ve been games in the past where I haven’t put my hands up to carry or been in position to do so and games can just pass you by, but I’m getting into them early now.
“The systems we play at Exeter help us get on the ball, but it’s also down to individuals to score tries and be effective there. I played in the backs when I was younger and scoring tries was always the best thing, so I really enjoy it now.”
With the clamour growing for Simmonds to be called into the England squad, along with his brother Joe, Sam said: “It’s always a disappointment and Joe will probably say the same, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of playing for Exeter. “I’ve been lucky enough in the past to play for England and that’s still a goal of mine, but if I’m not selected the next best thing is playing here.
“I’m constantly working on my game, trying to increase my involvements, and I feel I’ve added a lot to my defence. I’m not just a wide ball-carrier or a finisher who just does the flash stuff, I’m doing far more for the team defensively.”
As well as well as closing in fast on the seasonal Premiership scoring record of 17 jointly held by Dominic Chapman and Christian Wade, Simmonds’ rate of scoring could see him eclipse Back’s overall record in double-quick time.
He added: “That’s still a little way away but I’ll just try to keep doing what I’m doing and make a positive impact for the team. “We really want to keep pushing each other on now to see how well we can do and Rob Baxter’s been saying recently that no matter how well we did last year, you can’t dwell on the past and just say you want to emulate that. “We’ve got to be even better and if that ends with me getting a few more try-scoring records, it’ll just add to what we’re doing.”