Sam Simmonds (rugby union)

Samuel David Simmonds (born 10 November 1994)[3] is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a back row forward for Top 14 side Montpellier. After graduating through their academy, Simmonds made his Exeter Chiefs debut in November 2012.[1]

Sam Simmonds
Birth nameSamuel David Simmonds
Date of birth (1994-11-10) 10 November 1994
Place of birthTorquay, Devon, England[1]
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight108 kg (17 st 0 lb; 238 lb)[1]
SchoolIvybridge Community College[1][2]
Notable relative(s)Joe Simmonds (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Number 8, Flanker
Current team Montpellier
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012–2023
2014–2015
2015–2017
2023–		 Exeter Chiefs
→ Plymouth Albion
→ Cornish Pirates
Montpellier		 131
11
28
0		 (425)
(5)
(30)
(0)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2017–2022
2021		 England
British & Irish Lions		 16
1		 (10)
(0)
Correct as of 17 September 2023

Early life

Simmonds was born in Torquay and grew up in Teignmouth, Devon playing for local club Teignmouth RFC in his youth.[4] His father and uncle are both in the fishing industry.[4][5] As a child, he wanted to be a footballer, but after earning selection to play rugby for Devon aged fourteen, he switched his focus to it.[5]

His younger brother, Joe Simmonds, also plays rugby union for Exeter Chiefs and has represented England at youth levels as a fly-half.[2]

At age 18 Simmonds weighed about 85 kg.[6]

Club career

Simmonds came through the Exeter Chiefs academy, making his debut for the senior side in an Anglo-Welsh Cup game against London Welsh in November 2012.[1] In February 2017, Simmonds played his first Premiership match for Exeter Chiefs against Wasps, earning the player of the Match award.[4] In the 2017 Premiership semi-final against Saracens, Simmonds came on as a replacement when Chiefs were down three points towards the end of the game, scoring the winning try from a driving maul.[4][7] He then featured again as a replacement in the final as Exeter defeated Wasps to be crowned champions of England for the first time in their history.[8]

Simmonds scored a try in the 2020 European Rugby Champions Cup Final as Exeter defeated Racing to become champions of Europe for the first time.[9] The following weekend saw Exeter overcome Wasps in the Premiership final to complete a league and European double.[10] At the end of this season Simmonds was named European Player of the Year.[11] He became the seventh Englishman to receive the 'Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy’, following in the footsteps of Jonny Wilkinson (2013), Steffon Armitage (2014), Nick Abendanon (2015), Maro Itoje (2016), Owen Farrell (2018) and Alex Goode (2019).[11]

On 20 November 2020 Exeter opened the new Premiership season away at Harlequins, winning 33–3, with Simmonds scoring three tries – including an outstanding long-range effort – and taking the ‘man-of-the-match’ award.[12] In doing so, he took his try tally in the Premiership to 34 in 49 games – and 47 in 70 games for Chiefs overall. By the end of 2020, Simmonds had scored eight tries in the four Premiership games Chiefs had played, and also scored a try in the Champions Cup game against Glasgow Warriors. During the Chiefs' match against London Irish on 18 May, Simmonds scored his 17th try of the season to draw level with the Premiership try-scoring record, before scoring his 18th and 19th tries of the season.[6][13]

Simmonds left Exeter at the end of the 2022–23 season to join French Top14 side Montpellier.[14]

International career

England

In October 2017 Simmonds received his first call-up to the senior England squad by coach Eddie Jones for the 2017 Autumn Internationals.[15] On 11 November 2017 Simmonds made his debut against Argentina in 21–8 win at Twickenham.[3][16] Later in the autumn series he made his first start against Samoa.[17]

With Billy Vunipola and Nathan Hughes, Eddie Jones' first and second choice at No.8, unavailable through injury, Simmonds was called up to the England squad for the 2018 Six Nations Championship. He started in England's first match of the tournament against Italy, and scored two tries to help England to a 46–15 victory in Rome.[18] In September 2021 after more than three years without playing for England Simmonds was recalled for the autumn International Series.[19] He came off the bench in victories over Australia and South Africa.[20][21]

British and Irish Lions

On 6 May 2021, Simmonds was named in the squad for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.[22] His one Test appearance came as a second-half replacement for Jack Conan in the final game of the series as the Lions suffered a narrow defeat.[19][23]

International tries
As of 7 July 2019[3]
TryOpponentLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1  Italy Rome, Italy Stadio Olimpico 2018 Six Nations 4 February 2018 Win 46 – 15[18]
2

Honours

Exeter

Individual

References
  1. "Exeter Chiefs player list". Exeter Chiefs. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  2. Dymock, Alan (9 May 2018). "My Day Off: Joe and Sam Simmonds of Exeter Chiefs". Rugby World. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  3. "Sam Simmonds". ESPN. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  4. Pearey, Alan (5 February 2018). "The fairytale continues for Sam Simmonds". Rugby World. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  5. Squires, Neil (16 December 2017). "Sam Simmonds is making waves with the Exeter Chiefs". Daily Express. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  6. Lowe, Alex (19 May 2021). "History and a hat-trick for Exeter Chief's Sam Simmonds". The Times. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  7. Pilnick, Brent (20 May 2017). "Premiership semi-final: Exeter Chiefs 18-16 Saracens". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  8. Law, James (27 May 2017). "Premiership final: Wasps 20–23 Exeter Chiefs (aet)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  9. Henson, Mike (17 October 2020). "Champions Cup: Exeter beat Racing 92 31–27 to lift first Champions Cup title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  10. Pilnick, Brent (24 October 2020). "Premiership Final: Exeter beat Wasps 19–13 to secure historic double". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  11. "European player of the year: Exeter number eight Sam Simmonds wins award". BBC Sport. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  12. Williams, Adam (20 November 2020). "Premiership: Harlequins 3-33 Exeter Chiefs - Simmonds hat-trick helps champions win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  13. Pilnick, Brent (18 May 2021). "London Irish 12-31 Exeter Chiefs - Sam Simmonds sets try-scoring record". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  14. "Sam Simmonds: England and Exeter Chiefs number eight to join Montpellier for 2023-24". BBC Sport. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  15. "Autumn internationals: James Haskell left out of England squad". BBC Sport. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  16. de Menezes, Jack (9 November 2017). "Sam Simmonds to win first England cap this weekend against Argentina as Eddie Jones names his team". The Independent. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  17. Jones, Chris (21 November 2017). "England: Sam Simmonds set for first international start against Samoa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  18. Meagher, Gerard (4 February 2018). "Sam Simmonds sets pulse racing but England miss chance to be bolder". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  19. Coles, Ben (23 September 2021). "Size isn't everything: How Sam Simmonds changed Eddie Jones' mind and won his England recall". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  20. Henson, Mike (13 November 2021). "England 32-15 Australia: First-half showing sets hosts on path to victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  21. Henson, Mike (20 November 2021). "England clinch dramatic 27-26 win over South Africa at Twickenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  22. "British and Irish Lions 2021: Sam Simmonds in 37-man squad but Billy Vunipola misses out". BBC Sport. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  23. Grey, Becky (7 August 2021). "South Africa 19-16 British and Irish Lions: Morne Steyn's late penalty wins series". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
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