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Could a Championship All-Star XV survive in the Premiership?
With London Irish dropping down to join a cast of Ealing Trailfinders, Bedford Blues and Yorkshire Carnegie, all of whom have retained the core of their squads and recruited well, there is a feeling that this could be one of the most exciting Greene King IPA Championship seasons for years.
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In addition to those four teams, who will likely be jockeying for top spot, Jersey have recruited well, newly-promoted Coventry look strong and both Hartpury College and Nottingham will look to make the most of links with Gloucester and Wasps respectively.
But just how big is the difference in quality between the Gallagher Premiership and the Championship?
We have put together an all-star XV from the second-tier, but how many points would it pick up in the Premiership? Could it be competitive?
Let us know what you think.
- Segundo Tuculet, Ealing Trailfinders
A veteran of the Argentinean sevens team, Tuculet could light up the Championship this season behind a powerful Ealing pack, which has the depth to rotate and survive significant injuries. His biggest competition for this spot arguably comes from a teammate, in the guise of former England U20 full-back Howard Packman.
Expect both to feature for the west Londoners in the same back three and their ability to shift between positions and fill in at 15 will be valuable in their club’s bid for promotion. One for the future could be Yorkshire Carnegie’s Louis Brown, who should see more playing time this season.
Continue reading below…
- Napolioni Nalaga, London Irish
There was a lot of excitement last season to see how much Nalaga had left in those rangy, Fijian legs, but unfortunately injury curtailed his season after just a handful of games. If he can come back from that injury at the level he was playing before he suffered it, he will be a tough man for Championship defences to deal with, even at the age of 32.
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Another player with significant competition from a teammate, with Topsy Ojo still a very capable finisher in the twilight of his career. If Irish fail to return to the top tier this season, it won’t be for a lack of experience and finishing ability out wide.
- Tom Stephenson, London Irish
Stephenson had been on the fast-track to becoming a regular for Northampton Saints in the Premiership, breaking into the senior squad proper shortly after graduating from the England U20 side, but unfortunately a severe injury derailed his career at the Gardens.
If he can stay fit for Irish, he is the kind of effective, young player that the Exiles can build around as they attempt to return to the Premiership. Likewise, Guy Armitage’s arrival at Ealing gives them a similar foundation piece and he will be an outside centre worth watching this season.
- Harry Sloan, Ealing Trailfinders
Another young English centre whose time in the Premiership was derailed by injury, Sloan gets an opportunity in the Championship to rebuild his career. Ealing may well opt to use him at 13, in competition with Armitage, but he has proven for Harlequins he is more than capable of playing at 12.
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As an England U20, Sloan looked like the complete centre, with good carrying, passing and defensive games. London Scottish’s Ben Mossess is a proven performer at this level and not far off this spot, with the former Bristol man a dangerous ball-carrier.
- Koch Marx, Jersey Reds
Marx arrives from the Golden Lions in South Africa and could be the try-scoring spearhead of a dark horse Jersey Reds team this season. Like most South African wings, he doesn’t shy away from the physical element of the game and has the pace to turn broken tackles into big gains.
He will get the playing time he craves at Jersey but there are plenty of Premiership teams that wouldn’t turn him down as an impressive depth option in the top-tier, something which could also be said of Ealing’s James Corden-Reddy.
- Theo Brophy Clews, London Irish
Given the signing of Stephen Myler, Brophy Clews could well spend the majority of his season at inside centre or replacing Myler from the bench. He’s proven already, though, that he can cut it at Premiership level and he will create more for his team with ball-in-hand than Myler, given the former Northampton man is now in the latter stages of his career.
Former Worcester and Newcastle fly-halves Sam Olver and Craig Willis could shine at Vallis Way, too, as the Ealing and London Irish squads continue to feature heavily in this XV.
- Grayson Hart, London Scottish
The former Edinburgh and Glasgow stalwart has made the move to London Scottish from Ealing this summer and has proven previously he can perform at a higher level. He and Brendan McKibbin, of London Irish, will provide a compelling battle of the nines for the two Exiles teams.
One lesser name worth watching is Yorkshire Carnegie’s Oliver Fox. He may not be in the conversation yet as one of the premier scrum-halves who could mix it in the top-tier, but he is a talented youngster whose future could well end up in the Premiership, whether Yorkshire are promoted or not.
- Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, London Irish
This man’s injury in the opening game of the season was a significant blow for Irish last season and certainly didn’t help their bid to stay in the Premiership. A Northampton Saints academy graduate and two-time Junior World Cup-winner, Hobbs-Awoyemi is a very good all-round loosehead prop and will likely be a key component in a London Irish tight five that looks to dominate most opposition this season.
Ealing’s newly-arrived duo of Jack O’Connell and Campese Ma’afu will offer stiff competition at this position, with Ealing’s front-row from last season having been snapped up by Bristol Bears and Northampton.
- Saia Fainga’a, London Irish
Another great competition between two clubmates, with Irish’s Motu Matu’u an honourable mention at the hooker position. Between the two, Irish should have a strong one-two punch in the loose, even if there are concerns over the consistency of their throwing.
Both players have had their moments in the Premiership, but it was in Super Rugby where they have more impressively performed in the past. If they play to their capabilities, however, they should shine in the Championship.
Continue reading below…
- Manasa Saulo, London Irish
Saulo completes an all-London Irish front-row and it’s easy to see where they will have an advantage in the coming season. Honourable mentions are also due for Petrus du Plessis and Lee-Roy Atalifo, but Saulo, at his best, edges this one, especially with du Plessis turning 38 during the coming season.
Saulo hasn’t been able to replicate his feats at the 2015 Rugby World Cup with Fiji for Toulon or Irish since, but an injury-free campaign in the Championship would be as good an opportunity as any for him to rebuild his confidence and rise back to those heights of 2015.
- Mark Flanagan, Bedford Blues
Flanagan is back at the club where he made his reputation in England, after two semi-productive seasons with Saracens. It’s not that he didn’t perform when called upon by the north Londoners, but an engine room of Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Nick Isiekwe and Will Skelton was arguably the toughest to crack of all the Premiership clubs.
Back with Bedford, Flanagan has another opportunity to impress week in, week out and will be a driving force behind the club’s bid to be in the promotion mix at the end of the season. His locking partner in Bedford, Ollie Curry, will be another one to watch, after an impressive campaign with Ealing last season.
- Jordan Onojaife, Ealing Trailfinders
The former Northampton Saints man has already proven he can cut it at the Championship level, having impressed last season on dual-registration with Bedford. He now returns to the competition full-time with Ealing and has a chance to showcase his skills to watching Premiership sides.
Another former JWC-winner with the England U20s, Onojaife found his opportunities with Northampton limited by the presence of Courtney Lawes, Christian Day and Michael Paterson, but he is another with the ability to be an adept operator at the Premiership level.
- Andrew Durutalo, Ealing Trailfinders
A USA Eagle with international sevens experience and Super Rugby caps for the Sunwolves, Durutalo was a sensation at the beginning of last season for Ealing. His performances were so impressive that it prompted a midseason move to Worcester Warriors, although his chances there were limited. As a ball-carrier, he is Premiership-level and will likely maraud his way through plenty of Championship defences this season.
Elsewhere, Charlie Beckett gets an opportunity for regular playing time at Jersey Reds and Jordy Reid, the former Melbourne Rebels flanker, arrives at Ealing.
- Ben Nutley, Coventry
This XV is littered with former Northampton youngsters who were given limited playing opportunities under the club’s former management and Nutley adds to that list. Stalwarts like Tom Wood, Jamie Gibson, Teimana Harrison and the heavy-hitting duo of Louis Picamoles and Samu Manoa meant that Nutley was, for the most part, an A-League player.
In the chances he was afforded, though, the openside shone with his predatory instincts at the breakdown and his mobility around the pitch, both in defence and as a ball-carrier and support-runner. So impressive were they, that he narrowly edges out Blair Cowan here, with the Scotland international another big name that proves the quality of player in this league.
- Ollie Stedman, Ealing Trailfinders
Any rugby coach knows that if you can win the battle on the gain-line then the game becomes markedly easier, and it’s for that reason that Stedman beats out competition from London Irish’s Jake Schatz and London Scottish’s Mark Bright.
Stedman helped bring London Welsh up from the Championship a few seasons ago and will be a major contributor to Ealing’s campaign to do likewise this season. As a ball-carrier, he would stack up well with many of the more physical back-rows in the Premiership.
Comments on RugbyPass
After their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
2 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
31 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to comments