By PAUL REES

A YEAR after captaining Exeter to the Premiership and Champions Cups double, Joe Simmonds found himself on the bench and reflecting on what had gone wrong.
The 25-year-old started the Chiefs’ opening two Premiership matches, which both ended in defeat, and was then a replacement for six of the next seven games. The one he was recalled for was the home loss to London Irish.
It was only last month, against Saracens at Sandy Park, that Exeter won a match he had been involved in from the opening minute.
“I was not performing at the level I needed to and did not need Rob ...