Nowell out to impress for Chiefs

This time last year Exeter Chiefs wing Jack Nowell burst onto the scene in the LV= Cup – and he’s determined to remind everyone of his talents again this weekend against Harlequins.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a superb season last time out with the Chiefs before helping England Under-20s lift the Junior World Championship for the first time in their history.

Two tries in Exeter’s LV= Cup clash with London Welsh last season gave Nowell a platform and he went on to make his Aviva Premiership debut two weeks later.

The Chiefs, though, eager to avoid burnout, have kept Nowell under lock and key so far this season.

But this weekend’s clash against defending champions Quins will see Nowell make his seasonal bow – and he’s out to prove he’s no one-season wonder.

“This game will be my first of the season. I had a full season last year and then a full summer and the club thought it was best for me to have a rest,” said Nowell, speaking from the 2013-14 LV= Cup launch at Sandy Park.

“I was able to get on top of a couple of niggles, I wasn’t happy because I always want to be playing, but the club knows what’s best for me at the end of the day.

“I think my first year at the club my first game was against the Ospreys [in 2011] and I played the next couple of LV= Cup games and that’s what got me the chance to play in front of the coaches.

“It gives me the chance to play and from then I got my chance in the Premiership and I was able to play the rest of the games that season and I was obviously very happy with that.

“That Ospreys game, my nerves were ridiculous, but I remember the first play of the game I got a dead leg – that was the only thing that I remember really.

“It was my first chance though, and it was fantastic. We got some great wins. It’s clear that the coaches at the Chiefs really trust us which gives us a lot of confidence, we feel like we can show them what we’re about it.”

When the Chiefs entertain Quins at Sandy Park on Saturday, Nowell won’t be the only Junior World Championship winner on show – Exeter also boast prop Luke Cowan-Dickie, centre Sam Hill, fly-half Henry Slade and flanker Joel Conlon.

Quins meanwhile, have the summer’s England Under-20 captain in their ranks in the shape of Jack Clifford, and Nowell is relishing the chance to pit his wits against some familiar faces in the LV= Cup.

“We’ll play against a lot of the other boys that we play with at under-20 level who are in the same position as us,” added Nowell, who last year won the LV= Cup Breakthrough Player of the Year Award.

“They’re going through exactly the same thing as us, we’re all in the same boat and it’s great when the club really put their faith in the younger boys.

“Being out at the World Championship, words can’t really describe what we achieved, it was massive for us.

“Then going up to the Saxons was huge for me, and it was all down to the LV= Cup and the amount of games I was able to play in that, in front of the coaches, I was able to stand out.”