To witness their romp to a third successive Champions Cup final it was not hard to see why Jack Nowell is poised to join La Rochelle next season. Ronan O’Gara has built a formidable side and they have an ardent support base to match. As the son of a Cornish fisherman it helps for Nowell, too, that La Rochelle are based on the Atlantic coast – “as much as I would love to be in Paris, I love the sea”.
Equally, there is a financial reality to Nowell’s move. The reduced Premiership salary cap, coupled with the fact that when Covid hit the Chiefs made the admirable decision not to enforce wage reductions – unlike other clubs – has had an undeniable impact. Throw in a golden generation of England internationals, whose value and therefore salaries grew as they established themselves as Test players, and it becomes clear why so many Exeter players are moving to pastures new.
