Dream comes true for Maunder

By Mark Stevens
4/11/16

Who says dreams don't come true..........

Well, tomorrow Jack Maunder will fulfil a lifelong ambition when he leads Exeter Chiefs into battle against Harlequins in the opening match of this season's Anglo-Welsh Cup.

Proving age is no barrier, the gifted scrum-half has been handed the captaincy for Exeter's trip to the Twickenham Stoop, following in the studmarks of father Andy, who captained the club for a number of years during the 1990s.

Having been spotted at an early age, the 19-year-old has quickly established himself within the Chiefs' ranks, working his way from playing with the club's academy side right through to figuring in both the Aviva Premiership and European Champions Cup in recent weeks.

Having grown up around the Devon club, he says it is an honour to be able to captain the side this weekend.

"It's taken me by surprise a bit, but I'm massively proud and honoured to do it," said Maunder. "I was lucky enough to captain my school team and I've captained Devon and England Under-18s for a couple of games, so I've had a bit of experience, but nothing quite like this.

"I've only ever known Exeter Chiefs and I've been here since I was really young, I think I was 13 when I started, so it's a dream come true. I was pinching myself on Tuesday when I was told, as it means so much to me. I'm just massively looking forward to the opportunity and just hoping I can do a good job."

The 19-year-old will captain a Chiefs side that will include a handful of international names such as Elvis Taione, Greg Holmes, Moray Low, Tom Johnson and Ollie Devoto - and Maunder says their wisdom will come in handy during the contest.

He said: "It's brilliant to have those people around and in the team. Tom Johnson will be there, as will the likes Phil Dollman and Will Hooley, so I've got some really big shoulders to lean on if and when I need a bit of help. That gives you a bit more confidence to really go out there and do your own job."

After last year's sabbatical due to the World Cup, this season marks the return of the Anglo-Welsh Cup, a competition the Chiefs won in 2013/14 before reaching the final in 2014/15, and Maunder says it is a competition that is invaluable for a side like Exe, who have a bustling academy to call upon for these matches.

He said: "It's brought a lot of success and there's a lot of fond memories from the past. It was obviously our first major bit of silverware since coming up from the Championship, so it's something that the fans can get behind.

"It's also a great opportunity for the boys who haven't had game time or who are coming back from injury to stamp their mark and put pressure on the boys in the first team. It's exciting because it's a new competition, so that brings new challenges.

"That's what you want as a youngster – to progress and move forward you need to be challenged in different ways and it's a great opportunity for bringing in young players and giving them a bit of first team experience and opposition. That's invaluable, as the way you get better is by playing against top players from top opposition. So, for us young guys, it's invaluable, really."

As well as Maunder, the Chiefs will also use the competition as a great opportunity to blood fellow young guns such as Joe Simmonds, Harry Strong, Billy Keast and Tom Lawday into the first team picture.

"It's all very exciting," continued Maunder. "You start at Under-15s and then you play up through the age levels. You look at each other and can only hope that you can put on a first team shirt and take to the pitch the same time as the others, so it's very exciting. There's lots of motivational factors for this game and things to get really excited about. It's just about getting out there and hopefully putting on a good show."