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Exeter have claimed even better is still to come from Jack Nowell even though the winger has returned to top form this winter to earn a recall to an England squad he hasn’t played for since the 2019 World Cup in Tokyo. The 28-year-old’s career had been pegged back by injury in recent years but a revamp in his approach to the game – he shed 10kgs and quit the booze – has ensured he is back playing regularly and has caught the eye of Eddie Jones.
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Where the revival ultimately takes Nowell is something Exeter boss Rob Baxter will watch with a keen interest in the coming weeks and months. “What he has done is he has played well and it is as simple as that,” reckoned the Chiefs director of rugby. “When Jack Nowell plays well he is a very good player. He is on form, he’s looking very sharp. You see more and more from him every game.
“Looking at him there is a fair bit more because there is still stuff he is pushing in his game and that is the interesting thing for me. Also, as we play a bit better as a team there will be more opportunities for him and that is starting to happen, that is helping him. And if he is involved with England, if they show good form through the Six Nations, that could potentially create opportunities for him as well,” said Baxter, warming to the theme of discussing the Exeter revival of Nowell.
“I still see him as one of these guys pushing forward. I certainly don’t see him as a guy who is managing himself at the end of his career type scenario because he is just not. What is he, he is only in his late 20s.
“His career is nowhere near over if he stays injury-free for a period now and also staying injury-free for a while will just give him that natural touch for the ball that every player needs. There are still some really interesting things that Jack can achieve both in his career and individually. A lot of will be just regular training time and regular match time.”
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There were fears that the decision by Nowell to shed weight could leave him lacking punch in the tackle, but Baxter hasn’t seen that happen at all with Exeter. “It doesn’t look like it,” he continued. “I would say he was as good at getting over the gain line in these last two or three weeks as I have seen him in the last two or three years. That was obviously going to be a concern.
“If he runs flat out into somebody and it is just a one-on-one collision, whether it is quite the same effect I am not quite sure but Jack has never really been that kind of a ball carrier.
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“He has always moved the point of contact just before it happens and then been able to step through and drive through and that very much seems to be there. That is the key: his all-round game is still developing and moving on. He is a guy who wants to keep getting better.”
Baxter added his admiration for how Nowell has been able to thrive on both sides of the ledger, bulking up as he did for the most part of his career and now toning down to give himself a fresh lease of life and an injury-free run.
“That extra power and bulk that he worked very hard at obviously helped him in certain areas and you certainly saw in his career the way he could break tackles and make metres out of nothing for us. That has been fantastic. Having said that, we are starting to see that again now at a slightly lighter weight.
“The one thing I am seeing an improvement on is there are more high-speed metres there. His kick-chase game, you really see it in that and you saw it last weekend against Glasgow, there was a turnover, he kicks through and he is gone. He was electric after the ball.
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“He is a lot closer in and around the ball in box kick chase, so there is also an element of overall speed and repeat speed that is certainly there and there is bound to be an added amount of durability just because of that load he is putting on his body.
“I’m really pleased with what he is doing. He is creating an ability to stay at the high end for a longer period which is what we want. He is one of those guys you have got to take your hat off to because he has created his physical ability not just through natural talent but he has worked extremely hard.
“Some of these guys, they don’t quite get credit for the hard work they put in, the dedication they put into making various body transformations. Jack has made them in both, in more than one way.
“He has added the bulk that he needed from being a young player but he has also taken a decision now on how to best make sure that his physical attributes work alongside his natural attributes and those things he has aligned really well at the moment, hence the form he is playing at.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to comments