'Last year's defeat was the worst - I came away thinking I don't ever want to feel like that again'
An hour after the final whistle, Jack Nowell was still slumped in his changing spot in the home dressing room at Twickenham.
So often a victor at the home of English rugby, the Cornishman was slowly coming to terms with the lowest ebb of his career to date – Exeter’s 2018 Gallagher Premiership final loss to Saracens.
Having partied the night away 12 months earlier having helped the Exeter to a maiden Premiership crown, Nowell and his team-mates were now wiping away the tears having surrendered their title in the end-of-season showpiece.
This Saturday, the 26-year-old back returns to HQ with his fellow Chiefs for a fourth successive final appearance where reigning European and Premiership champions Saracens once again lie in wait.
A year on from the heartbreak of losing to the Londoners 27-10, the 2017 British and Irish Lion wants redemption after Rob Baxter’s side booked their place in the final with a dominant 42-12 win over Northampton Saints last weekend.
? "We've shown how to play against them this year" ?
Motivated by disappointment, can @ExeterChiefs avenge last season's #GallagherPrem Final defeat to @Saracens on Saturday ?@nowellsy15 believes crucial lessons have been learned ?
? ? https://t.co/eiDfgX67l7 pic.twitter.com/wlzpPHSsvf
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) May 29, 2019
“Losing last year, feeling the hurt and looking around the changing room and seeing all the boys upset, crying, I sat there and realised the year ahead was going to be a different one,” said Nowell. “We haven’t worked so hard to put ourselves in this position to go and lose it again.
“If we compare it to that first year in the final when we lost, all of us were just happy to be there. We then won it the following year, which was amazing, and then we lost again last year and that hurt a lot. Not just in my Chiefs career but playing rugby, that defeat was the worst and I came away thinking I don’t ever want to feel like that again.”
It’s a feeling that many others within the Chiefs ranks have expressed, particularly in recent weeks, and now they are ready to right the wrongs.
Saracens, however, are the acid test in terms of club rugby. As they demonstrated only a few weeks ago against Leinster in the final of the Champions Cup, they have the game plan, the personnel and the fight to go all the way to glory.
“They are the best in England, the best in Europe, it’s where we want to be and where we are trying to drives ourselves to,” added Nowell. “We felt we let ourselves down in the Champions Cup this year, but they are a team that has done it and put themselves up there. It would be special to do a job on them.
“Anyone who knows rugby and who watches them, they know what Sarries are all about. They are good in attack, good in defence, but at the same time so are we. It’s going to be a big arm-wrestle come the weekend, but hopefully we can come out on top.”
Who would you rather try and tackle, @bvunipola or @mattkvesic? ?
What will happen if one tackles the other? ??
Get your tickets to see them go head to head in the #GallagherPrem Final ?? https://t.co/j3ct83euSf pic.twitter.com/9pPuWnpodN
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) May 29, 2019
In what has now become a regular match-up between the two current heavyweights of English rugby, Nowell admits there is little that either side don’t know about their rivals.
“I think we’ve played each other enough now to know what both teams will bring to the game,” he continued. “We’ll look at them like we do any other side, but the most important thing is that we focus mainly on ourselves and what we want to bring to the game. If we do that, play well, then we give ourselves a great chance.”
WATCH: Episode three of Don’t Mess With Jim which includes a Champions Cup final review on Saracens
Comments on RugbyPass
This team does not beat the ABs sadly
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
54 Go to comments