Young Gun: Jack Stanley – Exeter prop

Schoolboy Jack Stanley knew he was going to pack down alongside grown men when he made his debut for Taunton three weeks ago but he was not expecting to replace someone 30 years older than him.
The tighthead, 18, was called from the bench against Old Elthamians to take over from former Plymouth Albion forward Marc Manton who is still turning out in National League Two South at the age of 48.
Stanley is part of the Exeter academy while his dual-registration with the Titans allows him to acquire vital experience.
But it was not his first taste of senior rugby as the 6ft, 130kg (20st 6lb) prop made his first team debut against Gloucester in the LV=Cup in November while being involved in the A-League.
“I was just about to turn 18 for that game against Old Elthamians so it was pretty surreal to be honest,” he told The Rugby Paper. “Mants is going great, to be fair, and seeing youngsters coming through is pushing him on.
“I'm really enjoying it at Taunton. They have a lot of experienced players and I always come back to Exeter with something to improve about my game.
“Playing with grown men is different than at school. I can't just turn up and expect to dominate people so I often take five minutes before the game to make sure I'm in the right state of mind to play senior rugby.
“I've had a bit of experience already but I remember being petrified going into my first scrum at training during pre-season. I gave everything I had and it went ok so I just kept going from that. I'm working a lot on conditioning with Rob Beddard to make sure I'm ready for senior rugby.”
Stanley started playing at Helston RFC, aged 7, before switching to football two years later. But at 12, he returned to rugby, joining Penzance Pirates and he hasn't looked back since. Selection for England South U16s at the Wellington Festival put him on Exeter's radar.
He is now training full-time with the first team and learning to be far more than just an old-school scrummaging tighthead.
He said: “I didn't know anything about the Chiefs when they approached me. I went for a couple of training sessions and it kicked on from there. I ended up playing for England U16s that year and then officially joined the Chiefs.
“Props used to be all about scrummaging, back in the day, but it's not the case now and the Chiefs' coaching staff drill that into your head all week.
“There is always something to do on the pitch whether it's carrying, tackling or just making sure you're holding the defensive line.
“If I find myself doing nothing I know I'm doing something wrong.
“It'd be great to get involved in the LV=Cup again.
“I'm also hoping to make the tour to South Africa with England U18s after missing out last summer.
“It'd be another great experience to scrummage against South Africans who tend to be pretty big.”