How a season in France and Aaron Smith's Instagram tips forged Exeter's Player of the Year

Stephen Varney has been the standout scrum-half in the Gallagher Premiership this season, and the 25-year-old is in no doubt about where his transformation began — on the training pitches of Brittany and, years earlier, in a direct-message exchange with All Black legend Aaron Smith.

The Carmarthen-born half-back picked up the Players’ Player of the Year award in his first season at Exeter last week before underlining his form with a brilliant solo try in a 32-12 win over Saracens that secured the Chiefs a play-off berth. No player in the Premiership has passed or kicked the ball more than Varney this campaign, and his half-back partnership with Harvey Skinner has been one of the division’s genuine success stories.

Varney spent last season on loan with Vannes in the Top 14, and the experience reshaped how he sees the scrum-half role. “The nine is almost the leader on the pitch — he runs the pack, he runs the backline,” he said at Tuesday’s media briefing. “So, bringing that to the Premiership, where the 10 runs the show a bit more, it probably helps the pack out, as well as the 10.”

His time in France also hardened him physically. Sharing a dressing room with New Zealand-born nine Michael Ruru pushed Varney to add an edge he felt was missing during his time at Gloucester. “When I was at Gloucester I probably wasn’t as physical as I’d have liked to be,” he admitted.

The influence of Aaron Smith runs even deeper. Varney revealed that at 16, during his first year at Hartpury, he sent the All Blacks legend a video of himself passing on Instagram and asked for tips. Smith replied. “Aaron Smith was my idol growing up — just the way he passed the ball, it’s next level, and he was such an energy around that All Black team,” Varney said. “I have learnt a lot from just watching him play.”

Despite the individual accolades, Varney is measured about his own progress. “I would say I am playing quite well, but I don’t really look at it like that,” he said. “I just want to get better every year, and never be complacent.” He missed a significant portion of the Six Nations with a torn abductor muscle, which adds context to how quickly he has rediscovered top form.

Exeter’s rise from ninth place to third across the course of the season has been built on exactly the kind of front-foot platform Varney thrives on. “Playing behind a strong forward pack is brilliant,” he said. “The boys buy into how we play, and that makes my job a lot easier.”

Next up is a Premiership play-off semi-final against Bath at The Rec on Saturday, a fixture Varney is relishing despite his admiration for opposite number Ben Spencer. He is calling it “a great battle” — and on current form, he arrives as one of the most dangerous nines in the competition.