'Thanks for that' - Jack Nowell exits interview after cheeky question

Exeter Chiefs winger Jack Nowell responded with humour when caught off guard with a cheeky observation from BT Sport’s Sonja McLaughlan during a post-match interview on Sunday.

The exchange occurred after Exeter’s defeat to La Rochelle in the Heineken Champions Cup in Bordeaux, where Ronan O’Gara’s men had convincingly beat Rob Baxter’s Chiefs 47-28 at the Matmut ATLANTIQUE stadium in front of over 40,000 raucous fans.

Indeed their total of 47 points and seven tries in the win against the Chiefs is a new record for a Heineken Champions Cup semi-final eclipsing Saracens’ 46 points and six tries against ASM Clermont Auvergne in 2014.

After discussing the game pitchside after the final whistle, McLaughlan referenced rumours that Nowell appears to be set to join La Rochelle next season, stating “You haven’t picked a bad club to come to.”

Rather than being taken aback, Nowell responded with a laugh, saying, “Yeah, yeah, thanks for that!” before exiting stage left. It was a nice moment, the warm exchange being met with laughter from both parties.

"You haven't picked a bad club to come to, have you?" ?

"Yeahh. Yeahh. Thanks for that!" ?

Jack Nowell reacts to Exeter Chiefs' European defeat to La Rochelle, whom he is set to join next season.#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/WAAGbSK0S0

— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 30, 2023

Indeed it’s something of an end-of-era for this Exeter squad, who had just one regular season Gallagher Premiership game against London Irish to go after failing to make this year’s play-offs. A huge chunk of the trophy-winning squad is leaving the Devon at the end of term, with many of the team’s top stars choosing to move to France, the URC or just retiring.

Director of rugby Baxter admitted that he would ‘miss’ the star-studded squad he’s assembled.

“I am going to miss these guys because they are amazing players and I count some of them as life-long friends of mine and we have done some incredible things together. We have been on a journey together for 12, 13, 14 years with some of them, but I am also looking forward to next year because I would like to start a journey with some of these other players.”