Moon still shining bright for the Chiefs
By Mark Stevens
1/9/21
He may be one of the elder statesmen of this current Exeter Chiefs squad, but Ben Moon insists he’s as hungry as ever to be part of the club’s quest for success again this season.
Entering into what will be his 14th campaign with the Devonians, the popular prop is once again fine tuning himself for the rigours of the season ahead.
It’s certainly not new territory for the 32-year-old, who is now the only surviving member of Exeter’s promotion-winning squad that got elevated into the Premiership back in 2010.
Since then, Moon has been front and centre for the Chiefs as they have grown year on year from top-flight newcomers to that of both English and European champions.
“The years have just flown by,” said the eight-cap Moon, one of three props at the club to wear the Red Rose since their rise in the Premiership along with hooker, Luke Cowan-Dickie. “We have achieved great things during that time, but there is still more to do and I want to continue to be part of that.”
Indeed, as Moon continues to flog himself alongside the club’s rising stars during training sessions at both Sandy Park and Exmouth Beach, his burning desire to add to his 288 first team appearances shows no sign of diminishing just yet.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he says when asked about the start of the new season. “Pre-season is tough, it always is, but it’s where you get the hard work done and lay the foundations for the months ahead.
“Coming together like we do on the beach sessions, you have to work hard for one another. You dig deep, you challenge yourself and you just work hard. There is no substitute to getting that work done because you know later down the line, there will be times when you have to find that little bit extra.”
Certainly, Moon has endured his fair share of training sessions under the watchful eye of Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, who has made no secret of his own plans to go ‘back to basics’ in the wake of his side’s narrow loss to Harlequins in last season’s Premiership Rugby Final at Twickenham.
Moon was part and parcel of the match-day squad that day and even months on, says the hurt felt by him and his team-mates is still a sore point.
“Fair play to Quins, they gave it everything and we didn’t quite match them on the day,” added Moon, who made his debut for the Chiefs back in 2009 against Sedgley Park. “It still stings a bit and we have some things to put right in the new season. Ultimately, we didn’t quite defend what we had, but we have a strong squad and a lot to look forward to.”
With Sandy Park currently undergoing some major redevelopment to their East Stand, plus the prospect of full stadiums returning later this month, Moon says the match-day buzz is sure to bring the best out of him and his fellow Chiefs.
“It will be good to have grounds at full capacity again. The first time we played behind closed doors was eerie and gave you a really strange feeling,” he continued. “There promises to be a lot of noise and the players are buzzing about it. It will make a difference and it is going to be another competitive campaign.
“Saracens are back and have been a top team for a long time. Everyone has upped their game in the last couple of seasons and there are no easy rounds. You have to be on it every week and it has been good to have a proper pre-season again after the two-week turnaround last year.”
Moon is expected to be in situe for Exeter’s opening league fixture away to Leicester Tigers on Saturday, September 18, but before then he will be on active duty this Saturday when thousands are expected to descend on Sandy Park for his Testimonial Match (3pm).
British & Irish Lions duo Jack Nowell and Stuart Hogg head up a star-studded line-up who will be on show for the fixture, which is the showpiece event in Moon’s Testimonial calendar.
Such is Moon’s popularity within the club – and the game itself – that a wealth of star names are turning out to feature in this Saturday’s game,
Lining up for the Chiefs will be the likes of Gareth Steenson, Julian Salvi, Brett Sturgess, Ceri Sweeney, Haydn Thomas, Matt Jess, Mark Foster, Phil Dollman, Alan Miller, Kai Horstmann and Tom Johnson.
Whilst taking to the field for the opposition, including England international Delon Armitage and Tom Varndell, Scottish props Moray Low and Geoff Cross, Welshmen Aled Bew, Daffyd James and Rhodri McAtee, along with Westcountry favourites such as Ben Breeze, Alan Paver and Charlie Walker-Blair.
The prop is using his Testimonial match to raise money for two local charities, the Exeter Chiefs Foundation and the Beacon Centre at Musgrove Hospital in Taunton. Over the years the Foundation has helped to raise over £1.5 million for various charities and organisations around the region, whilst the centre provides specialist care for patients and raises funds for care when routine NHS funding is not available.
“The Foundation supports numerous causes in our local area and my father was at Musgrove Park Hospital when he was ill and they looked after him in his final days,” explained Moon. “A testimonial takes some organising and I am fortunate to have a superb committee who are setting up events for me in their own time.”