As he speaks about the most successful season in his club's history and the vital part he played in it, the note of pride is ever-present in Joe Simmonds' voice. By his own admission, he still has not fully processed the accomplishment, 18 months on from his last-minute penalty which sealed victory in the European Champions Cup final.
"I grew up watching European finals – Jonny Wilkinson winning it all with Toulon," he told Mirror Sport . The 25-year-old referred to the French club's back-to-back successes in 2013 and 2014, in which the legendary England kicker had played a major role in the twilight years of his great career.
"Never in a million years did I think I'd have the opportunity to play in one. I think it will be when I finish my career that I will look back on it. Hopefully I will win more, but the first one.. definitely I'll be pinch myself and think: 'How the hell did we do that?'."
