FORMER ENGLAND winger Jack Nowell tasted defeat on his La Rochelle league debut as last season’s runners-up lost 26-15 at Montpellier on Sunday in the opening round of the French Top 14.
Nowell, 30, joined the two-time Champions Cup winners, coached by ex-Ireland fly-half Ronan O’Gara, from Exeter during the summer, ending his chances of featuring for his country at this year’s Rugby World Cup by playing abroad.
France fly-half Louis Carbonel kicked 13 points for the home side, in ex-England assistant coach Richard Cockerill’s first game in charge.
Nowell started in the unusual position of outside centre on the Mediterranean coast and helped set up full-back Dillyn Leyds for a first-half try with a solid tackle.
The two sides were without more than a dozen players due to their commitments with the upcoming World Cup.
The Top 14 will play three rounds of games before taking a seven-week break once the tournament starts on September 8.
The likes of La Rochelle No. 8 Gregory Alldritt and Montpellier lock Paul Willemse are away with hosts France, who name their squad for the World Cup on Monday.
On Saturday, ex-England head coach Stuart Lancaster won his opening league match in charge of 2016 champions Racing 92 as they edged Bordeaux-Begles 23-18.
Former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones was shown a yellow card just three minutes into his Top 14 debut as his Toulon side lost 27-15 at Lyon, while promoted Oyonnax beat Clermont 36-17.
On Friday, champions Toulouse were humbled 26-7 at Bayonne as the Basques continued their unbeaten league record at Stade Jean Dauger which stretches back to January 2021, when they were in the second tier.
