Simmonds sends defiant message to Eddie Jones with try and celebration
Rugby NewsFriday, 20 November 2020 at 20:35
Brothers Joe and Sam Simmonds brushed off their England snubs by combining for a wonderful try for Exeter Chiefs as the Gallagher Premiership returns.
The wonderful try from the number 8 was followed up with a celebration that some fans speculated was directed at Eddie Jones.
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An alternative England XV: Players who were unlucky to miss out…
15. Mike Brown (Harlequins)
The veteran fullback has said on many occasions that he's determined to add to his 72 England caps, but this latest omission must surely signal the end of the road for the 35-year-old.
DID YOU KNOW? Brown married long term partner, fashion designer Eliza Scarlett Woodcock, the daughter of former England international footballer Tony Woodcock, in summer 2016
14. Ruaridh McConnochie (Bath Rugby)
A former England sevens star, McConnochie switched to 15-a-side rugby for the 2018/19 season and was Jones wildcard selection for the 2019 World Cup. Despite stellar club form with Bath, he was left out of the initial training squad and looks unlikely to be recalled at this stage.
13. Sam James (Sale Sharks)
One of the most underrated players in the Premiership. The 26-year-old, who made his England debut against the Barbarians, was selected in the BT Sport Dream Team for the 2019-20 Gallagher Premiership season, in which BT Sport pundits choose their team of the season. Very unlucky not to get a look in.
DID YOU KNOW? James toured South Africa with England Saxons in the summer of 2016
12. Cameron Redpath (Bath Rugby)
What a player. For someone so young it is as though the 20-year-old has been around for a decade. He is not a lad who switches off or loses concentration, and is completely comfortable in his skill-set and punches way above his weight for someone who is not physically huge. An England star in the making.
11. Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish)
Hassell-Collins has been proving himself in the senior squad, scoring an impressive 11 tries in under 30 appearances for the club. The 21-year-old isa very exciting talent.
10. Joe Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
The fly-half was man of the match in Exeter’s Champions Cup victory over Racing 96 and had another perfect day with the boot in Saturday’s Premiership final win over Wasps. Not sure how much more he has to do to be called up.
9. Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
His outstanding form for Bath Rugby since joining the club from Saracens in summer was too good to ignore most pundits and fans believed. But England head coach Eddie Jones dances to his own beat and once again has overlooked the 28-year-old when naming his squad to prepare for the Autumn internationals.
1. Ross Harrison (Sale Sharks)
A legend at Sale in the making has made over 200 appearances for the club. He’s been invited to train with England a few times but is yet to make it into a squad. The powerhouse lays the platform for his team with some excellent work at the scrum while tackling anything that moves in defence.
2. Harry Thacker (Bristol Bears)
A skilful dynamo of a hooker, Thacker would have brought something different to the party. He would be in contention for All Blacks selection if he were a New Zealander, according to his boss Pat Lam.
3. Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Failed to make the squad after his mauling at the hands of the Springboks in the Rugby World Cup final last year. He is still a reliable hand but his questionable form with Tigers and the fact he’s probably past his peak means Jones will now look to introduce younger faces at tighthead moving forward.
4. Nick Isiekwe (Northampton Saints)
Nick Isiekwe of Northampton Saints is Gallagher Man of the Match during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Match between London Irish and Northampton Saints at The Stoop on 22 Aug. Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK/Gallagher.
The 6’7”, 119kg forward already has over 50 Gallagher Premiership appearances under his belt for Saracens, as well as appearing in the 2019 Heineken Champions Cup final. It was a major shock that he wasn't called up ahead of the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup.
DID YOU KNOW? He was trialed at many positions in his youth; including Prop, Number 8, Flanker and Centre,
5. Josh McNally (Bath Rugby)
A towering presence at 6 ft 7, McNally makes his mark through his stopping power in defence, and ability to make a dent in the opposition with his ball carries. With so many players out injured, the 30-year-old can count himself unlucky not to get the call.
DID YOU KNOW? He is also a Royal Air Force weapons technician and has been in the RAF since 2009
6. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Making a first outing for the England XV side in 2019, he crossed the whitewash twice in a Man of the Match performance where his powerful ball carrying and deft off-loading skills were on show. Plenty of fans were baffled why the 23-year-old was omitted from Jones latest squad.
DID YOU KNOW? He played for Wales under 20s in the 2017 Six Nations
7. Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Curry broke into the first team with twin brother Tom in 2016 – and both made an impressive impact in senior rugby. Ben would have made his senior England debut against the Barbarians in May 2017, but for an injury in the week before the game. That presented Tom with his chance – and he won the man-of-the match award. Ben has been in the shadow since.
8. Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
Older of the two Simmonds brothers at Sandy Park, Sam has come through the Academy ranks at the Chiefs to establish himself as a rising star within the game. Another player whose omittance caused an outcry on social media.
DID YOU KNOW? As a child, he wanted to be a footballer, but after earning selection to play rugby for Devon aged 14, he switched his focus to it
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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