Japanese visitor's insight into Chiefs

Much of modern day rugby is all about analysing data, crunching numbers and reviewing performance - and the role of club analysts has become increasingly vital in the success of any professional club.

Here at Sandy Park it's no different for the Exeter Chiefs as Performance Analyst Simon 'Chucky' Norris heads up the club's department in that very field.

Video content, statistical spreadsheets, opposition trends and player analysis are just some of the areas that Simon and his dedicated team look to maximise during their working week.

The information collected - and then provided to the club's coaching staff and players - is part of a vital cog in helping the Chiefs to prepare for their latest on-field battle.

This week, however, eyes from further afield have been closely scrutinising the work of the Exeter analysts.

Koyanagi Ryuta - better known as 'Johnny' - is the Head Analyst for Japanese club side, the Honda Heat, and he's taking in numerous clubs around England and Wales to help broaden his own knowledge.

Alongside the Chiefs, the Far East visitor will be stopping off at Newcastle Falcons, Gloucester and Cardiff Blues to get a detailed insight into the analysis work being carried out at clubs in the Northern Hemisphere.

"It was great to have Johnny come over and visit us," said Simon. "Obviously the way clubs go about their analysis work is different throughout the world, but we were able to exchange a number of ideas and talk about what we would look for in each other's work."

As well as teaming up with the Honda Heat, Simon has also been speaking to MLS Soccer Side, the Houston Dynamos, about them setting up a new analysis team.