Mr Mwenda wrote:Don't really understand the level of criticism levelled at Nowell prior to the chiefs game. He's not the world's best and i'm not sure i'd've had him with the lions but he clearly can cut it at international level.
Isn't it more that the criticism of Nowell has been quite long-standing; and that his weakness (pace) got cruelly exposed a few times just last week.
His principal attributes have always seemed (to many of us) a little wasted on the wing; stuff that's nice to have like workrate, decent hands, rucking etc; whilst his weakness is stuff that's the raison d'etre for a winger (pace - for which he tries to over-compensate positionally, which a good opponent can take advantage of). Many of us have always said that he just looks out of position on the wing, and that we'd like to see him get a season playing either 15 or 13 at Exeter where he look slike a more natural fit.
It's a discussion the EMB has approximately twice a year (November and February); and I think the general thinking is that he does a decent job on the wing, but of the sort we'd like to upgrade when the option comes along; and will occassionally get exposed at international level.
He's kinda the polar opposite of Jonny May - if we could graft May's legs on Nowell's torso; or Nowell's brain into May's sand-pit; we'd have a potentially world class winger on our hands.