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Sam Simmonds' Montpellier replacement a blow for Wallabies – report
By Liam Heagney
Former England back-rower Sam Simmonds will reportedly be replaced at Montpellier next season by a current Wallabies international. With Simmonds set to join Lyon for the 2025/26 Top 14, the 2022 champions have been searching for a successor for the player they signed from Exeter Chiefs... and their search has apparently ended in Sydney.
Langi Gleeson has been forging his reputation at the Waratahs since a 2022 Super Rugby Pacific debut and fresh from involvement off the bench in all four of Australia’s recent Autumn Nations Series matches, it has been claimed that the 23-year-old now will put his 14-cap Test career on hold for a switch to France.
A report by rugbyrama.fr read: “There will be changes in the back row at Montpellier during the next off-season. According to our information, Joan Caudullo and his staff should be able to count on the services of Langi Gleeson during the 2025/2026 season.
“The player who currently wears the colours of the Waratahs has given his agreement to give a new boost to his career and discover the French championship. Montpellier were looking for a number eight to replace Sam Simmonds in the squad, who will join Lyon.
“Despite being just 23 years old, Gleeson has 14 selections with Australia. Last November, he faced England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland with the Wallabies. In all four games, Gleeson wore the number 20 jersey.”
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Latest Comments
If Pollock is in the squad, who gets left out?
"I think the Eddie Jones style development player approach is whats called for"
(i) Why?
(ii) The churn of players under Eddie Jones was generally considered to be quite a bad thing. Do you want Guy Pepper, Ted Hill, Ben Curry, etc. to give up and go to France like Marchant did?
(iii) England already have a really young squad, and especially a young back row. If they do badly in the six nations Borthwick will probably lose his job, so shouldn't they prioritise winning in the short term and developing the players already in the squad, rather than bringing in newer, younger, guys?
(iv) England have a development tour in June. If you really want Pollock to be in the squad prior to graduating the u20s, why not wait until the summer?
Go to commentsWhen England's defence was able to get into shape it could be dominant though (especially in the game against NZ). Is the number of tackles really the main issue?
I get that making loads of tackles is tiring, but so is building multi-phase attacks. I'm just worried England would get tired out from attacking, then struggle to get set when they're subjected to counter attacks.
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