Eddie Jones praises Sam Simmonds performance for England

Making his Six Nations debut for England, Exeter Chiefs number 8 Sam Simmonds scored two tries as England thumped Italy in Rome.

Due to the absence of Billy Vunipola and Mark Hughes, Simmonds was given the chance to perform on the big stage, and it's fair to say he grasped the opportunity with both hands showing the nation his capabilities. 

Simmonds made an impressive 23 tackles in the game - the most by any England player. He also scored two tries and made the most metres. The 23 year-olds performance certainly caught the eye of Englands head coach Eddie Jones:

"When the game opened up he was in his element," said the England head coach. "He's got gas. He does all our speed work with the backs. He's a great discovery for us and gives us great options at No 8.

We can see where we're building towards in the future. We know we're off in certain areas. We know the progress we have to make. But we are making it. I think at least what people saw out there was a team being competitive, playing proper rugby with a lot more to come."

Simmonds Exeter teammate Jack Nowell, who recently returned from a long term ankle injury, scored a try too. Meanwhile, Alec Hepburn made his England debut and Harry Williams featured in the game along side him. 

With these rising stars playing for England, they will be unavailable to play for the Premiership Champions against Worcester on Saturday.