Reality bites as Nowell wings way to big stage

England winger can’t believe he’s playing against boyhood hero Brian O’Driscoll.

As a child Jack Nowell would demand to play as Ireland on his PlayStation because Brian O’Driscoll was the best player on the game. Today he will come up against the real thing when he runs out for his first international at Twickenham and it is fair to say he can’t quite believe it.

The 20-year-old wing has played just 11 senior games for Exeter Chiefs and his promotion to the England team at the start of the Six Nations was seen as a huge gamble by Stuart Lancaster.

But Lancaster knew what he was doing in selecting a player who first caught his attention thanks to his shock of bleached-blonde hair aged just 17.

Nowell recovered well from a poor start against France with a fine display against Scotland and, as he prepares to measure himself against the likes of O’Driscoll, even he cannot believe how swiftly success has come.

“Every rugby game I played on the PlayStation with my mates I was Ireland because of what Brian O’Driscoll could do,” laughs Nowell.

“I know I have to concentrate on my game this weekend! He is a top quality player and I was a big fan of his growing up. He is still such a top-quality player and can do something out of nothing.

“But I know I can’t treat him differently to anyone else I have come up against.

“Can I believe I am playing against the likes of O’Driscoll? It has come quickly. I haven’t played that many senior games for Exeter. It feels like a couple of months ago I was in France for the U20 World Cup. I cant complain as it is something I have always wanted to do.

“I made my Premiership debut at 19 and I was asking if I was ready for it, but I was shoved into that situation and I had to go for it. That helped.”

If you want an idea of quite how young Nowell is then it comes with the tale that in his first week in the England squad he was turned away from the cinema for not being able to prove he was over 18.

“I had to go back to the team hotel, get my passport and come back an hour later to watch the film,” he laughs.

The Wolf of Wall Street tells the tale of a rather different type of excess, but you could not blame Nowell for sensory overload in his nascent career to date.

His first touch in the bearpit of Paris was a knock-on – one that came from his forwards failing to catch the kick-off, it should be said – but he recovered well and will offer Ireland a physical, in-your-face test that the likes of O’Driscoll have had to get used to over the years.

“I like to get stuck in and be aggressive,” he smiles.

“I always said I wanted to be a No.7 when I was younger. I used to play full-back and I would be 15 minutes into a game and I hadn’t touched the ball or made a tackle as we were going so well. On the wing you are involved straight away so it is a good move for me.

“I was glad to get my first international out of the way, and I definitely felt more comfortable in the second game. Now Ireland is a chance for me to play my game and show what I can do.”

Nowell has come to symbolise the youth of this England team. Alongside George Ford, Jonny May and Luther Burrell he is expected to be a key part of the 2015 World Cup side, and the fact they are all in it together helps – although such a callow backline could be picked apart by Ireland’s experience.

“The coaches have told us we are a young team but don’t look like that on the pitch.

“We are excited. We have all wanted this for a long time an to get this chance is amazing. We have our set pieces and moves but we want to do our stuff — and we have been given licence to play rugby."