“It’s going to be a nice fight. I have faced him a few times at international or club level, I know he is capable of doing everything. It is in these glowing terms that Sam Simmonds, third line of Exeter spoke of his French counterpart, Grégory Aldritt.
“I know the danger he can bring, he’s tall but he’s also fast, he’s good at clearing… He’s almost a complete player and I can’t wait to find him again. He is undoubtedly one of the best number 8s in Europe at the moment,” he also commented on the La Rochelle player five days before the Champions semi-final between La Rochelle and Exeter, Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
Regarding the La Rochelle collective, Simmonds also went there with his compliments: “It’s a physical team, which dominates a lot of their opponents. Their back line is full of internationals, talented players and they score great tries. It’s not just going to be a fight.”
He notably recalled that “La Rochelle is one of the best French teams”. “They have lots of stars, lots of internationals. They won it last year (the Champions Cup), they know how to do it. It will be a different challenge, but we are ready!” he shouted. Shock in perspective.