WHAT Sam Simmonds did this week in breaking the Premiership try-scoring record for a season is pretty exceptional. The Exeter Chiefs No.8’s hat-trick against London Irish not only took him to 19 tries, going past Christian Wade and Dominic Chapman on 17, but gave him the chance to increase his lead further with three regular-season games remaining.
In terms of overall career Premiership try totals it also took him closer to that other great try-scoring forward, my old England and Lions team-mate Neil Back. He finished his Leicester career with 61 touchdowns, whereas Simmonds has already s...