Jack Nowell has made eight appearances for La Rochelle but is yet to score. Photo: Thibault Bosseny/Getty Images
It may be 400 miles from Cornwall, but La Rochelle has quickly become a home away from home for Jack Nowell.
The Cornish native and former England striker had spent time as a boy with Exeter Chiefs in nearby Devon, winning a European title and two Premier League titles and earning 46 caps, but Nowell knew it was time for a change . The 31-year-old planted his flag on France's Atlantic coast on the exclusive Ile de Ré – an island co-owned by Orlando Bloom – and hasn't looked back since joining the “back” group. – supporting the European champions.
“It reminds me a lot of Cornwall, homely,” Nowell told Telegraph Sport. “You have a house and one of the beaches two steps away, and it’s amazing. It's very similar to what I'm used to.
“I feel like I’ve been here almost forever because of how the guys and the team made me feel. Having been in Exeter for 12-13 years, that's all I knew. So to experience something a little different – well, completely different – moving countries, changing cultures, playing for a different team – that's something I'm really glad I did. Watching Exeter and seeing them do so well is great because there are boys there who are my best friends and still play.”
Jack Nowell made 46 caps for England before moving to France. Photo: Saeed Khan/Getty Images
Nowell's double exit – from both Exeter and England – was further complicated by the £10,000 fine the midfielder received from the Rugby Football Union for criticizing a referee's decision on Twitter following Exeter's defeat to Leicester. last season. Nowell called Carl Dixon showing teammate Ollie Woodburn a second yellow card “one of the worst decisions I've ever seen.” The subsequent fine turned out to be a bitter pill.
“To be honest, I still haven’t forgotten it,” Nowell says. “I’m still a little bitter about leaving the RFU on a somewhat sour note. I don't entirely agree with what happened. I then said that I was not rude or foul and did not want to go against the judges. It was hard to leave on that note because I had been involved with Exeter and the RFU for so long, having given so much for it, and received such a fine when other people probably did too. Can I say I've learned my lesson? I'm not sure. If I strongly disagree with something, I will say it anyway. It was almost my parting gift.”
Nowell is returning to fitness after breaking his hand in the top 14 and hopes to return to La Rochelle for the European visit of Sale this Sunday in what could be a winner-take-all clash in the fourth Champions Pool. Cup. French learning continues apace – even though two of his three children, Nori and Zimi, are already better than him – but resisting the temptation to break into the bakery at his daughters' behest has proven just as difficult to rehabilitate.
Nowell is not alone in resisting this temptation. The attractiveness of the French league system is growing and several Premier Leagues have contacted us about possible cross-Channel moves.
“I won't name names, but a few boys asked, 'What does it feel like?' Do I regret leaving? I wish I had done this sooner?” says Nowell. “I gave an honest answer. Then having spoken to the guys who moved at the same time as me – Joe Simmonds, Sam Simmonds, Harry Williams and Joe Marchant – it's nice to hear their perspective on it. Even at Montpellier – it's a bit tough down there – Sam [Simmonds] likes it, just because it's so different from England.”
Photo: Getty Images/Xavier Loety
And would he like to leave earlier?
“In a way, yes; in some ways, no,” adds Nowell. “I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to come earlier. I loved playing at Exeter and I loved playing for England. It was perfect timing. Given the number of people who left Exeter at the same time, it would have been very different without these guys. I talked to Henry Slade and Jack Yeandle and they liked it. They win matches, they play good rugby, but at the same time they say that without us all it will be different. I think I would have to tinker with this a little.
“I think it was the right time. I fell out of favor with Steve [Bortwick] a little bit because the other wings were playing really well. I sat and watched the World Cup. We went to La Rochelle, to pubs and stuff, watched the World Cup with other guys who were playing for their country. I really enjoyed it, I really enjoyed watching England play. I think if I had been in England and still been on and around the set, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. When you watch it on TV and want to be there and be a part of it, it's quite difficult to watch. So I really enjoyed being completely out of the spotlight and being here.
“I miss Exeter. It felt bad to leave, but at the same time, no part of my mind was thinking: Am I making the right decision here? Am I doing the right thing? And when I came here for pre-season, I almost felt like a kid going to a professional team again, because that's how I felt when I was 17 at Exeter. I was nervous again about pre-season and the game because I didn't know anyone; I didn’t know a single air conditioner, I didn’t know any coaches. I needed to make an impression.”
Nowell not only made an impression on La Rochelle and its surrounding areas, but French Cornwall clearly made an impression on him.
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