Exeter Chiefs coach Rob Baxter revealed Jack Nowell was carrying an injury heading into their commanding win over Harlequins where the England winger bagged a sublime hat-trick.
Nowell, who started all five of England's Six Nations matches this year, was awarded Man of the Match for his three-try showing against Quins but was substituted in the 55th minute. Baxter revealed post-match that Nowell has been struggling with a niggling injury to the extent he has not been training mid-week and was not 100 per cent fit for their trip to Quins.
"Jack Nowell looked absolutely electric and that was on one-and-a-half legs really, that's why we got him off early," Baxter said. "He's had a slight hamstring issue for a couple weeks we've been monitoring."
He added: "Jack won't mind me telling you he's been doing his usual weeks of just being fit for Friday. He comes out and does the warm-up for the team run and that's pretty much it then he plays a game of rugby, but it seems to suit him."
Exeter scored 10 tries in their 62-24 dismantling of Harlequins which secured second place in the Aviva Premiership and means they will welcome Wasps to Sandy Park in the semifinals.
"If a semi-final at home at Sandy Park doesn't bring our best game of the season out of us then we probably don't deserve to be there," said Baxter. "That's very much what I'll say to the players, let's be prepared to play the best game we've played because the occasion deserves it.
"We go there looking on good form both try scoring and defensively."
Nowell was carrying injury into Harlequins match
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