Ali Hepher praises ‘quality’ of Sam Simmonds
Exeter Chiefs assistant coach Ali Hepher was full of praise for the “quality” of his team’s returning British and Irish Lions representative Sam Simmonds’ after the number eight scored two tries in Saturday’s win over Worcester Warriors at Sandy Park.
Simmonds’ try-scoring heroics capped a memorable week for him – after the recent birth of his daughter Billie – and he left the field to rapturous applause after being replaced in the 70th minute of his team’s 42-5 triumph.
Happy to have Lions back
“Sam showed his quality throughout and it was good to see all our Lions back,” said Hepher. “We have to utilise them while we can because they will be joining up with their countries in a few weeks.”
Simmonds was joined in the Exeter pack by fellow Lions Luke Cowan-Dickie and second row Jonny Hill, who both needed treatment for cramp during the second half of a match in which both sides tried to make the running.
Exeter took 21 minutes to unpick a stubborn Worcester defence and they scored 21 points in each half for their second victory of the season following Sunday’s success at Sale.
“It is important to celebrate victories,” said Hepher. “The performance showed there are bits to work on.
“Our ball retention was not what it should have been and we tried to force too many off-loads, but the ambition of the players was right up there and we looked to play a fast game in space.
“We want to impose ourselves in matches and we did that for the most part. We did not take our chances in the first 20 minutes, but we stuck at it and were rewarded with six tries.”
It was Worcester’s third straight defeat after their opening-round victory over London Irish. They fielded their Lions Duhan van der Merwe and Rory Sutherland for the first time, but they both suffered injuries and an element of unfamiliarity proved costly against well-drilled opponents.
“We have had a number of new players this season, but we cannot be looking for excuses,” said Worcester’s head coach Jonathan Thomas.
“It will take time for combinations to click and there were times when we were a bit too individual, understandably, but when you come to a place like this you have to take your chances.
“We had four set-pieces in the red zone in the first 15 minutes and failed to get the ball beyond the first phase. It was our failure to execute that cost us, along with our discipline, but the effort was there.
“When you come here you know you have to keep the penalty count down, but as we came under pressure we committed offences and there is no better side at making you pay. Their first few tries came from penalties and we have a lot to work on.”
Steve Borthwick not getting carried away
Meanwhile, although Leicester Tigers’ 21-16 victory against London Irish mean they have made their best start to a season in more than 20 years, head coach Steve Borthwick said the club will not be getting carried away.
The Tigers are sitting pretty at the top of the Premiership table after winning all four their matches with Saturday’s triumph at the Exiles following wins over Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester and Saracens.
George Ford led the way with an 11-point haul against London Irish courtesy of a conversion and three penalties while Nick Dolly and Hanro Liebenberg crossed for tries.
They go back to the top of the Premiership table but Borthwick is won’t let his side’s historic achievement go to his head.