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The Top 14-bound Jack Nowell has named his Ultimate Exeter XV
Jack Nowell has named his Ultimate Exeter XV nearly four weeks after bringing the curtain down on his stellar 12-year career playing in Rob Baxter’s first team. It was 2011/12 when the now 30-year-old debuted and he featured in the Chiefs’ April 30 Heineken Champions Cup exit to La Rochelle, the French club that he is set to join for the 2023/24 season.
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He will now sign off at Sandy Park with a sevens event on June 3, a tournament with quite a difference as Nowell and Henry Slade, with whom he is sharing a testimonial, have crafted a series of intriguing attack-minded law tweaks for the eight-team competition organised by Red Bull.
Nowell earlier this week revealed that he will not link up with the England training squad to challenge for a place in Steve Borthwick’s Rugby World Cup squad, explaining instead that his priority will be to get his family moved to France in the summer so that they are settled by the time the new Top 14 season starts.
In the meantime, he has given an exclusive interview to RugbyPass that will be published this Sunday, a bubbly chat over Zoom from his sunny back garden that wrapped up with Nowell being asked to name his Ultimate Exeter XV.
It’s the sort of question that can take players ages to answer but Nowell rattled off his XV in just over a minute and his choices illustrated the calibre of people that have represented Exeter on their remarkable journey from the 2010 Championship title to clinching a Gallagher Premiership/Champions Cup double in 2020.
?????? https://t.co/wY8thNMhL3
— Jack Nowell (@nowellsy15) May 16, 2023
“Off the top of my head? I’ll probably miss out on a few boys doing it off the top my head,” he pleaded with a chuckle before getting stuck into naming his selection of all-time Exeter greats. “I’ll leave myself out for this one. I’m going to go number one Alec Hepburn, two Cowan-Dickie, three Hoani Tui. Second rows, I’ll have to go Damian Welch. No, I’ll go Dean Mumm, Geoff Parling. Back row, I’ll go Sam Simmonds, Thomas Waldrom and Dave Ewers all in there.
“Scrum-half Nic White. Fly-half Gareth Steenson. Twelve Jason Shoemark. Thirteen, see I have got to have Sladey [Slade] in there. I’d have 12 Sladey, 13 Sireli Naqelevuki. Eleven? Nenani Nadolo, 15, Phil Dollman and 14 Matt Jess or Santiago Carreras.”
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Pick one, Jack? “I can’t… Okay, Matt Jess, he’s a legend.” Sure is.
Jack Nowell’s Ultimate Exeter XV: 15. Phil Dollman; 14. Matt Jess, 13. Sireli Naqelevuki, 12. Henry Slade, 11. Nemani Nadolo; 10. Gareth Steenson, 9. Nic White; 1. Alec Hepburn, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Hoani Tui, 4. Dean Mumm, 5. Geoff Parling, 6. Thomas Waldrom, 7. Dave Ewers, 8. Sam Simmonds.
- Click here to purchase Red Bull Elevate tickets for the June 3 Nowell/Slade event
Comments on RugbyPass
Hey. Stay home and play for Mooloo.
1 Go to commentsTighthead was always going to be our weakness this year with Ryan going home to Ireland and the Cashed Up Blues taking a third All Black prop from us - nobody else in SR does that. Numia is the exciting one. He used to be a lightweight but he's really improved. Do you have stats on the All Black hookers’ lineouts for the game? I seem to remember a few misses.
2 Go to commentsFergus Burke isn't tier 1 player quality…but guess what, he'll be playing amongst them for Saracens…. all going well and Steve Borthwick is still the head coach, England...Scott Robertson’s hint of amending NZRU’s offshore AB eligibility clause, would mean that players like Josh Moorby who show potential might get a call…
4 Go to commentsThe movement of quality players back to SA is remarkable.
2 Go to commentsInteresting article, Nic. Am enjoying seeing the Rebels doing well, partly just to spite those who are working to wipe them off the face of the Australian rugby planet. But it is also good to see a team with somany good players beginning fire. LSL has benefitted so much from his move up to Northampton for the one year. I wonder why he did not stay on for another year. Does he now looks north and see his teammates of last year now doing so well, and have some regrets.
44 Go to comments“Over 80% of the World Cup squad are over 30” No it isn’t lol
2 Go to commentsTyrel Lomax the best AB prop since Carl Hayman. Absolutely destroyed the Boks in RWC Final and is monstering allcomers in Super this season. Should be a monster battle vs touring Poms, always deliver a power pack.
2 Go to commentsEye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
44 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
44 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
4 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
8 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
44 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
8 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
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