Future is bright for the Chiefs

Luke Cowan-Dickie made his Aviva Premiership debut on Saturday, but he was sure to catch another important event before the game - childhood mate Jack Nowell playing for England.

The highly-rated Exeter Chiefs hooker came off the bench midway through the second half as Rob Baxter's side slipped to a 17-16 defeat to Northampton Saints, which saw the visitors go to of the Aviva Premiership.

He was disappointed with the result but the 20-year-old still found time to enjoy the moment as he took to the pitch for top-flight action for the first time.

And as he looks to the future, Cowan-Dickie believes Nowell's international call-up is a great sign of things to come for fellow Chiefs youngsters.

"It's awesome, isn't it? I thought I would come in early - we didn't have to be here until about half five but I came in just to see him, first half on the TV. It's pretty unreal," he said. "I have been to school with him pretty much all my life, played with him since I was five and now he is on the TV playing for England. That is all he has always wanted and he has sort of made it now.

"It shows Stuart Lancaster doesn't miss us because we have only been in the Premiership a couple of years. It definitely shows younger guys that there is no need to go up country and play for the "bigger" teams when we have got a Premiership side right here and it is going places."

The defeat was a missed opportunity for Chiefs to move ahead of London Wasps, who also suffered a last-gasp defeat this weekend.

But with high-flying Bath Rugby and Saracens next on the fixture list, Cowan-Dickie knows they must move on from the result as soon as possible.

"The next couple of games are big, big games for us," he added. "It is probably the better time to play them with the internationals and them having boys out.

"We have never beaten Bath, like everyone knows, but we will be looking to hopefully win the game. If we come out with fight, like we did in this second half, it might be different and hopefully it will be a different result than it normally is."