Tyro Chiefs are putting hands up for England

Jack Nowell is fast approaching peak form and chomping at the bit to reclaim his England place, says Exeter skills coach Ricky Pellow, who believes plenty more high-flying Chiefs are staking strong claims for inclusion in the Six Nations.
Nowell was a fixture on England’s wing during the last Six Nations, along with Jonny May, but subsequently dropped down the pecking order behind Marland Yarde, Semesa Rokoduguni and Anthony Watson after shoulder and knee injuries.
But Exeter’s fine Premiership start has propelled Nowell back into the limelight and The Rugby Paper understands he and fellow Chiefs tyros Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie are under serious consideration from Red Rose boss Stuart Lancaster.
Pellow, right, told TRP: “Jack had a long time out but he’s come back and put in some real solid performances. From an England perspective, they obviously want to see him playing and getting back to his best – and he’s certainly getting there.
“His two tries against Wasps recently were a real credit to him and how hard he’s worked. It’s a bit like us really, if he keeps working hard and as a group we keep moving forward, it gives him the best opportunity of getting back in the England squad.
“There’s a few Exeter players putting their hands up for England. Aside from Jack, Henry and Luke, centre Sam Hill has been an unsung hero for us and the amount of carries he makes is phenomenal. He’s certainly been one of our stronger players.
“Thomas Waldrom has come in and got a new lease of life and he’s been helping Dave Ewers to move on as a player as well. He’s another who could push himself into England contention and we’re massively pleased these guys are being looked at.”
Exeter’s fairytale rise up the leagues is well documented, but they are now ensconced in the Premiership’s top four and Pellow, who was recently awarded a new three-year contract, sees no reason why Chiefs cannot challenge for the title.
He said: “We’ll fight for everything now and we’ll not give up our top-four place lightly – if we’re in there at the end of the season we’ll be a threat.
“Since we’ve come up from the Championship we’ve known where we’ve wanted to be over three to five years. We’re probably a bit further down the line than we expected to be, but with the group of players we have we’ve been able to kick on.
“You get a few knock-backs and we’ve had opportunities in the past when we could have made the top six or top four but missed out, but what these players do each year is come back stronger and the players will determine how far we can go.
“We know teams below us like Leicester and Harlequins will put in a shift to get in there and that we face a massive fight. But having had a taste of success last season with the LV= Cup win, we believe that top four place is attainable.”
NEALE HARVEY