MIKE BROWN meets old England pal JACK NOWELL and discovers why big stars are enjoying the Gallic good life in La Rochelle

As soon as I arrived in La Rochelle, I understood why my old friend Jack Nowell decided to move here. Sunday’s match will be the first time I’ve played here in my career and it’s a lovely old seaside town, with rugby fans all around the harbour. There’s a real buzz.

Jack and I enjoyed some of our best days together in an England shirt and it was great to catch up with him before our Champions Cup match. He lives on the small island close to the mainland and has felt very comfortable.

It helps that it resembles Cornwall (where Jack was born and raised), as he told me as he sat in his children’s playroom, a two-minute walk from the beach.

“It was hard leaving Exeter after so many years, a bit like when you left Harlequins,” he said. ‘But I always wanted to experience something different. There was a big group leaving at the same time with guys like Dave Ewers, Luke Cowan-Dickie, the Simmonds brothers, Harry Williams… there’s a younger group now and they’re loving it.

‘It’s great to be coached by Ronan O’Gara. He is honest and tells it how it is. When I first came out, ROG said, “Look, if your family isn’t settled yet or something like that, don’t worry about joining the training.” They ensured that the girls went to a good school. The family side is incredible and so is the atmosphere. I had ten friends come from Cornwall to watch a match and they said it felt like a Test match.’

Nowell left Exeter to secure a move to La Rochelle in France for the new season

Mike Brown and Nowell enjoyed some of their best days together in an England shirt

Playing in La Rochelle has always been on my bucket list, but a weekend here is long enough for me. I had brief interest from France before re-signing for Leicester, but my family has moved around enough in recent years.

That said, it’s easy to see why more and more players are moving here. It’s hard to blame Owen Farrell when he moves to Paris with Racing 92. He could enjoy the French lifestyle, likely returning to Saracens as a coach, while remaining in contention for the Lions’ 2025 tour.

Jack said: “Owen would be one of the biggest to go. It’s big for English rugby and big for the Premier League. Owen and Stuart Lancaster always got on well and Racing would be a strong team with him and Siya Kolisi.

‘I came here feeling like a little kid again, with that excitement of joining a new team at 18, but I also made the sacrifice of not playing for England. Do you think the RFU would introduce a 50-cap selection rule so England could pick him? Who knows.’

I wouldn’t be surprised if the RFU don’t enforce their overseas selection rules, but that shouldn’t happen again in a few years. First, they need to see how successful their new hybrid contract system is.

Jack said: “A lot of it comes down to salaries, but you need the best players in the Premier League to attract a crowd and make a big show. The number of teams we have lost in the Premier League in recent years is not a pretty sight, is it? Imagine if someone like Marcus Smith suddenly decided to leave.

It wouldn’t be good for the competition. And if French clubs suddenly knew they were going to lose players to England for a nine-week spell in the Six Nations, would they still want to sign them?’

Club rugby here in France seems to be on a different scale. La Rochelle has sold out every match in recent years. It all filters back into the pot, unlike the Premier League where some contracts have been pretty bad lately. I say that from firsthand experience.

Nowell admitted it was difficult to leave Exeter

So I wasn’t surprised to hear that Courtney Lawes is also considering a move here after all his years at Northampton. It’s a romance to stay at the same club for your entire career. I once thought I’d never leave Harlequins, but it’s a killer business. In many ways I feel as much at home at Leicester as I do at the Stoop.

Jack was part of the organization at Exeter and I didn’t like the way he left. He was banned for a tweet about refereeing and subsequently not selected for the final match of the season. I wondered if he had any regrets.

“It was a bit of a sour note to leave on,” he said. ‘I made those comments about a yellow card which I thought was a ridiculous decision. Ollie Woodburn on Chris Ashton. It was quite difficult to sit there and watch, but I shouldn’t have tweeted it.

‘What I don’t like now is that players stay down and keep their heads on the ground so that the referee sees it. There are cases where in a contact sport like ours you cannot avoid hitting someone on the head.’

I also feel there is a problem creeping into the game, with players faking an injury to get the attention of the TMO.

There should be a rule that if you go down claiming a head injury you should be taken straight away for a HIA with the independent doctor as this will stop teams from trying to game the system.

I’m looking forward to Steve Borthwick’s Six Nations squad announcement on Wednesday. The captaincy will be a big talking point with Farrell and Lawes both leaving.

Nowell is enjoying life with his family in France after missing last year’s World Cup

Nowell revealed that playing in La Rochelle has always been on his career bucket list

Nowell discussed some of the England stars he thinks should be picked for the upcoming Six Nations team

Jamie George is the party leader, but I’d like to see Ollie Chessum in the conversation. That will surprise a few people, but he has a good character and I think he has become one of the sure starters.

Some of Jack’s old Exeter teammates should also be in the mix. Jack said: “If Steve is keen to bring in some fresh blood and see how the new boys go then it could be exciting. Guys like Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. I would like to see him start on the wing. If there is ever a time to bring in these young guys who are playing well, now is the time to do it.

‘Then you see the boys like Henry Slade, who has dropped out of the World Cup. He has that little bit of hunger back. Big Joe Cokanasiga is also causing chaos on the wing.”

Whoever England choose, let’s hope they bring a feel-good factor back to English rugby. It has been a difficult time for the sport, with clubs going bankrupt and players moving to France. The national team has the opportunity and the responsibility to give our game the boost it needs.