1
'I was being lineout-lifted in the bar for about three hours after'
England international Jack Nowell has told all about his epic stag party last weekend in Ireland which resulted in him getting hilariously caught out by the live TV cameras wearing a Munster jersey during their Heineken Champions Cup match with Exeter. The recently turned 29-year-old is currently unavailable for his English club due to the broken arm sustained in last month’s Guinness Six Nations loss to France in Paris.
ADVERTISEMENT
Nowell spoke at length to RugbyPass in January about how he had given up the booze to boost his Exeter form and get back in an England Test jersey for the first time since October 2019, but that abstinence is now well and truly over following the trip to Ireland that he had no idea about.
Nowell is one of four Lions players currently injured at Exeter, as Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jonny Hill and Sam Simmonds are also unavailable to Rob Baxter, and he got the shock off his life when he turned up at Cowan-Dickie’s house on Friday on the pretence that his teammate needed a hand setting up a barbecue.
This wasn’t the case at all and what instead unfolded was a raucous few days in Ireland that started and finished in Dublin on either side of watching Exeter play Munster on Saturday in their round-of-16 second leg Champions Cup tie in Limerick.
Having now just about recovered from the escapade, Nowell has reflected on his unexpected weekend away during a guest appearance on the latest BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast. “I had not drunk since the first game of the season. I went from nothing to two days of straight Guinness and vodka,” he explained.
Lovely place for a stagdo Limerick ??
Jack Nowell having a great time with some of his Exeter mates ?#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/wvvSgTZaPO
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) April 16, 2022
“I’d gone cold turkey, I’d cut it out completely so I’d not had a drop but my wedding is next week so I said that might be the first time I’d have a couple of beers but then I turned up at Luke’s house and there was already Coronas and everything there and I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m not drinking this weekend’.”
Nowell explained how he had been caught out by his family, friends and Exeter teammates. “I’d no clue about this on Friday,” he said. “On Friday, I got in from training and then Cowan-Dickie was saying, ‘Jack, come over and help me set up my barbecue’. I turned up at his house and it was my dad, my brothers, a couple of my best mates from back home and they said, ‘Here’s your passport, we’re going over to Dublin’.
ADVERTISEMENT
“They had known about it for months. The whole team knew about it as well, which made me very angry because normally I’m the guy that likes to organise stuff and be in on the joke. To have the joke on me now was a bit gutting, but it was an unbelievable weekend.
“We stayed in Dublin, travelled (to Limerick) and back on the train. The train was unbelievable because we were with all the Munster fans going down. I rocked up in this extra, extra, extra small rugby top – it must have been kids. Four XL shorts, full kit, full socks, everything and I was just like, ‘Oh God’. Everyone laughing.
“They [the Munster fans] are actually unbelievable. I was being lineout-lifted in the little bar for about three hours after around the back of the stadium. Everyone sees the funny side of it, but a few people are saying it’s pretty disgraceful. A lot of people see the funny side of it and it was an unbelievable weekend. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget it.”
Asked about getting shown on the big screen at Thomond Park during the match wearing a Munster jersey, Nowell added: “I spoke to Tom O’Flaherty after (the game). He was on the pitch and he just started laughing. There was a stoppage in play.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Ian Whitten looked across at him and said, ‘What the hell are you laughing at? We’re losing, we’re in a big game’. They both turned around, looked up at the big screen and I’m there necking a beer in a Munster top. Both of them just shook their heads.
“I couldn’t tell you the score. I know that we lost but honestly you wouldn’t have thought it the way the boys were buzzing to see me after, and the bus journey back to Dublin was like we had just won the Heineken Cup. But it has hit home a little bit now the fact that we are out, but even if we did lose it’s was a weekend that I will never forget personally.”
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments