Mike Simmonds named European Player from the Year

Exeter forward Sam Simmonds continues to be named European Player of the Calendar year.

The Chiefs’ Britain international No 8 scored a go as Exeter won the Euro Champions Cup for the first time by defeating Racing 92 31-27 at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

He finished as the competition’s best try-scorer, collecting eight touchdowns.

Simmonds, 25, was amongst five nominations for the European Expert Club Rugby award, along with his team-mate Stuart Hogg, Bristol centre Partially Radradra, and the Racing pair of Finn Russell and Virimi Vakatawa.

His award comes simply hours after his brother, May well Simmonds, was named man from the match in the victory over Race.

Simmonds is the 4th English player in five yrs to receive the Anthony Foley Funeral Trophy, after Saracens trio Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell and Alex Goode.

Mike Simmonds (left) hands the man-of-the-match award to his brother Later on following their Champions Cup triumph

Other prior winners of the accolade include Jonny Wilkinson, Rob Kearney and Leone Nakarawa.

Exeter crowned champions of European countries

Ten years right after climbing out of the Championship, Exeter Chiefs were crowned kings of European countries on Saturday when they beat Race 92 31-27 in a superb Winners Cup final full of tries plus amazing defensive intensity.

The Chiefs conquered Europe in just their 10th season as a top-flight team, ultimately flooring the French giants at Ashton Gate through a mixture of forward power and ruthless completing.

But a grasping game saw the teams industry blow after blow, with 8 touchdowns in total before Exeter won through scores by hooker Lomaz Cowan-Dickie, No 8 Sam Simmonds, prop Harry Williams and center Henry Slade, with captain May well Simmonds kicking four conversions and also a last-gasp penalty after prop Tomas Francis had been sin-binned.

Read the full go with report right here .