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Exeter boss Rob Baxter believes Jack Nowell’s form will continue to improve as he gets a run of games after injury.

Nowell, who has been dogged by injury in recent years, has started 12 club games this season – his most at this stage of the campaign since 2016.

“I think there’s still stuff he’s pushing in his game,” Baxter said.

“As we play a bit better as a team there’ll be more opportunities for him, and I think that’s starting to happen and I think that’s helping him.

“I still see him as one of those guys who’s pushing forward, I certainly don’t see him as a guy who’s manging himself to the end of his career-type scenario because he’s just not.

“He’s only in his late 20s, his career’s nowhere near over if he can stay injury free for a period now.”

Nowell’s weight loss impact

Nowell, who played in two British and Irish Lions Tests against New Zealand in 2017, won the last of his 34 England caps against Argentina at the 2019 World Cup.

Toe surgery after Exeter’s Premiership final win in October 2020 saw him miss most of last season, but he has been a fixture in the Exeter side for most of this campaign.

“It’s typical of Jack isn’t it? The one time we actually get him back and we don’t lose him to an international tour and he gets a full pre-season with us, and he’s actually a bit more available to us, he’s probably going to go and disappear for six or seven weeks now,” director of rugby Baxter joked to BBC Sport.

“You want players to be on form, you want them to enjoy their rugby and if they play well and they enjoy their rugby and international rugby’s there for them then exactly how you want it to be.”

Nowell has put his return to fitness down to a change in lifestyle and losing 10 kilograms, but Baxter says the lower bulk of the winger has not stopped him being a threat for his side.

“That extra power and bulk that he worked very hard at helped him in certain areas and you certainly saw in his career the way he could break tackles and make metres out of nothing for us has been fantastic,” Baxter added.

“Having said that we’re starting to see that gain now, the one thing I’m seeing an improvement on is there’s more high-speed metres there. I think his kick-chase game you really see it in that.

“He’s a lot closer in and around the ball in box-kick chases so there’s always an element of overall speed and repeat speed that is certainly there, and there’s bound to be an added amount of durability just because of that load he’s putting on his body.

“I’m really pleased in what he’s doing, he’s creating an ability to stay at the high end for a longer period, which is what we want.”