The Simmonds brothers leading Exeter to the top of Europe symbolised what the historic day was all about
The sheer joy on Joe Simmonds’s face as he skipped over the line having made a stunning break off the back of a clever penalty turnover from older brother Sam was the moment not just Exeter rugby, but the whole English game needed.
Considering the dire financial situation Premiership clubs and the Rugby Football Union are facing, with the prospect of no fans allowed in grounds for the next six months, the sport needs heroes more than ever. The Exeter squad, who have made the Champions Cup final for the first time after a muscular yet canny performance against Toulouse, who were after their fifth European title, will be all hailed as heroes in Devon, but there was something particularly poignant about the shift put in by the Simmonds brothers.
When Exeter captain and fly-half Joe, 23 embraced 25-year-old Sam, the No 8 and man of the match, having worked together to score that dazzling 70th-minute try, it symbolised what the historic day for Exeter was all about – composed and savvy back play built on ruthless and relentless work from the forwards.
The hosts, however, had to battle in the opening quarter as Toulouse went ahead via two penalties from full-back Thomas Ramos. But as the half wore on it was clear that the French side were starting to look fatigued, such was the bruising energy from the Exeter forwards, who were suitably rewarded when England prop Harry Williams crashed over at the half-hour mark. A try from Toulouse forward Alban Placines made the hosts even hungrier and Sam Simmonds scored from a pick and go just before the interval to give his side a psychological boost.
And of course the Simmonds subplot represents a home-grown story, with the brothers coming through the academy, having grown up in the fishing port of Teignmouth, where their father Dave was a lobster and crab fisherman.
Just as his calm at the kicking tee showed maturity beyond his 23 years, Joe spoke after the win with the air of a player who has been around longer. He is emphatic that Exeter can win on both domestic and European fronts.
“We want to win every trophy we’re in. That’s the great thing about this team. We’re so passionate to win trophies,” he said. “We’ve had a few hurts in the last couple of years, losing finals, but we showed with the performance out there that everyone’s hungry. It was brilliant.”
When it came to his own moment of magic Joe was more modest.
“The gap just opened up. Luckily I had the legs to run it in,” he said. “I was pretty tired at the time. Fair play to [centre] Henry Slade, he opened up the gap for me.”
If they were to beat Racing next month, the Exeter players and Simmonds brothers’ stars would all rise considerably. The relatable twist is that the siblings were still living at home with mother Nicola until relatively recently. The closeness between the pair is often demonstrated by an intense sibling rivalry when they talk about each other and it was no different on Saturday as Joe jokingly tried to play down his older brother’s contributions.
“He does all right. I wouldn’t say it to his face but, yeah, he does well and he gets the team going forward,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s nice having him in the team. We never talk about it too much, but when we finish playing and look back it’s going to be a proud moment.”
Joe Simmonds proudly reflected on how not just he and his brother but a decent portion of the squad were Exeter academy products. “I saw a tweet saying there’s eight or 10 in the 23 that have come through the academy – that’s brilliant,” he said. “The way the coaches read the players is brilliant. For me to captain such a great team is brilliant.”
There were no scores in the second half until the hour mark when Williams went over for a second and, with the fly-half’s conversion, it took the game to 21-11 before the younger Simmonds’ 70th-minute try created a 17-point gap. But Toulouse showed their gumption as replacement Matthis Lebel’s try made it a 10-point game with four minutes left.
Joe Simmonds admitted there was some anxiety after the late score. “Still with five minutes to go I was a bit nervous and they came right back and scored another try, but 78-79 minutes it sunk in a little bit,” he said.
“We’re really excited. We’ve never been in this position before and it’s a massive opportunity for not just the players, but the club and Exeter as a city as well.”
