Playing with Lego got me through my injury hell
Rehab child’s play for tattooed England wing Jack Nowell
ANYONE with the perception that Grand Slamwinning England players must enjoy an endlessly glamorous existence should speak to Jack Nowell.
The second half of last year became one long, drawn-out spell of painstaking rehab for the Exeter wing, which in turn meant he could re- enact an obsession from his childhood. ‘Everyone thinks you are out doing all sorts, but I’m sat in my lounge doing Lego,’ said the 23-year-old. Having been a mainstay of England’s glorious revival under Eddie Jones, through the Grand Slam triumph and summer tour whitewash of the Wallabies in Australia, Nowell suffered two injuries in quick succession.
Thumb and leg problems meant time out, more building blocks at home. Nowell said: ‘I had Lego, probably not just because I was injured, I actually do a bit of Lego all the time! I had a lot more sculptures I built over the five months I was out: a VW camper van, a chopper, an aeroplane, a fishing boat. They are all in my room and my girlfriend doesn’t like it because I am cluttering up the house, but I am a big fan of Lego!
‘Sometimes you lose about five hours of the day. You start making it at about 2pm and suddenly it’s 7pm and dinner time. The boat was a difficult one. But I think I like the VW camper van, just because of the doors and the lights. The lights turn on, you lift the roof off and you have the steering wheel, the seats, the pull-out bed, it’s pretty special.’
He claims team-mates at Exeter have been receptive to his hobby. ‘They find it amusing, they like to take the mick out of me,’ he said. ‘I think I saw a Lego sculpture that Henry Slade made for Christmas. I think I might be starting something. I think his mum bought it for him. I think it was Darth Vader.’
Nowell made his long-awaited comeback for Exeter last month and has since stormed back into contention for an immediate return to England’s starting XV.
It helped that during his rehab phase he avoided past dietary lapses. ‘ I’ve kept the same weight, so I’ve not piled on another 10kgs like I did last time,’ he said. ‘Last time, I went from 88 to 98kg. It was all the pasties and ale! I’ve stayed between 95 and 98, which is good for my playing weight.’ He claims to be ‘nowhere near where I want to be’ with his form. In truth, he has been sensational, notably during fascinating duel with the ex-All Black Charles Piutau in Exeter’s Champions Cup win over Ulster.
A frustrated observer in the autumn, Nowell is firmly in the hunt to reclaim the wide berth for England’s Six Nations opener against France at Twickenham on Saturday — his case strengthened by injury to Anthony Watson.
Eddie Jones wants one wing with express pace and another whose main asset is a high work-rate. The Australian places Nowell in the latter category but he wants to have both strings to his bow.
‘For me, it is a personal goal to work on my pace,’ he said. ‘As well as my defence, I try to base myself on my work-rate. It is pleasing to hear that that is what he (Jones) wants, but I obviously have to keep working on both things (pace and work-rate) to make sure I become one of the best wingers.
‘I’m not as quick as Jonny (May), but there aren’t many players in the Premiership who are as fast as Jonny. I try to get into positions that enable me to cancel that speed out. If that means a bit more early rate to close the metres down on someone so that they can’t pick up that high speed, then that’s what I have got to do.
‘People do talk about my pace, but at the moment I’m getting into positions where I’m not being outrun or made to look silly.’