Club-by-club Premiership Lions candidates: Part 2 - London Irish to Worcester Warriors
Following on from our initial look at British and Irish Lions contenders from the first half of the Gallagher Premiership clubs, we now turn our attentions to London Irish, Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Wasps and Worcester Warriors.
There is an unending stream of domestic, European and international rugby between now and the beginning of the tour of South Africa in 2021, something which will give plenty of players an opportunity to impress head coach Warren Gatland and his senior staff.
Although many of these teams have historically had limited representation when it comes to the Lions, there are a number of candidates at these clubs putting their hands up for selection in what is arguably the most anticipated Lions tour in the professional era.
We round up each club’s standout candidates for selection, as well as a notable dark horse who could force their way into the mix with a strong 10 months of rugby.
London Irish
Potential tourists – Ben Loader
Realistically, Loader is the only player at Irish who is potentially in the frame for the Lions. The gifted wing took his opportunities in the Greene King IPA Championship to cement himself into the Irish XV and he has since backed that up with strong displays in the Premiership.
It’s still a long shot for Loader to be involved, although a strong end to the 2019/20 season could help propel him towards an England call-up and that, as well as Sean O’Brien’s age and injury issues, makes Loader the front-runner in Sunbury.
Dark horse – Ollie Hassell-Collins
Hassell-Collins soared to public awareness against Gloucester earlier this season, when he bagged four tries in a 24-20 victory for Irish. He forms one third of an exciting home-grown back three which also includes Loader, as well as Tom Parton. Loader would seem to be the next cab off the rank for Irish in terms of international honours, although do not rule out Hassell-Collins if he continues to turn in clinical performances.
Newcastle Falcons
Potential tourists – Mark Wilson
Similar to Irish, Newcastle really only have one player currently who can be talked about in Lions terms and that is returning back rower Wilson. His time at Sale on loan is done, Newcastle were able to successfully secure promotion back to the Premiership and now the 30-year-old is ready to add to his plethora of appearances for Falcons.
It is a big ask for Wilson to make the cut, with his role with England having diminished amid the rises of Tom Curry and Sam Underhill, let alone his rivals from Wales, Scotland and Ireland also coming into the equation. That said, Wilson does offer versatility to play across the back row and brings experience, as well as a toughness and resilience that would serve him well in South Africa.
Dark horse – Josh Basham
Unfortunately, there is no clear dark horse at Newcastle and certainly very few who would stack up alongside the riches that Gatland has to call upon from the four component nations. Basham, though, is a very exciting young back rower and if Dean Richards gives him an opportunity next season, he could well run with it, albeit if not likely all the way to a spot on the plane to South Africa.
Game on. https://t.co/26Sebj0qyk
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 4, 2020
Northampton Saints
Potential tourists – Courtney Lawes, Nick Isiekwe, Lewis Ludlam, Dan Biggar, Rory Hutchinson and George Furbank
Both Lawes and Biggar will be confident of being able to make strong cases for their inclusions, especially with the ages of Alun Wyn Jones and Johnny Sexton. Furbank went well in his first tastes of international rugby at full-back and could yet offer some competition for Lions incumbent, Stuart Hogg.
Ludlam was beneficial to England at the recent Rugby World Cup with the carrying that he brought to the back row and Hutchinson has excelled for Saints, although opportunities at international level with Scotland have been limited to this point. Isiekwe’s performances, away from the shadow of Maro Itoje and George Kruis, will be intriguing to watch.
Dark horse – Alex Mitchell
As mentioned in the previous article, there seem to be opportunities opening up for young English scrum-halves over the coming year and Mitchell could throw his hat into the mix with Harry Randall and Jack Maunder as someone who could contribute in the Lions set-up. Cobus Reinach’s boots will not be easy to fill, but if he can, Mitchell will have shown what a capable performer he is.
Remarkably, Wood has already been given the all-clear to begin non-contact training. https://t.co/Fcr0jqGf7v
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 3, 2020
Sale Sharks
Potential tourists – Tom Curry and Manu Tuilagi
Curry is one player who has arguably cemented himself into Gatland’s plans barring injury and has shown his capability across the back row already for England. There is no doubt he would be licking his lips at the prospect of getting another opportunity against the Springboks, albeit in the red of the Lions rather than the white of England.
Similarly, Tuilagi, if fit, is surely on the plane to South Africa. He brings an ability to get over the gain-line to the midfield that no other players in the British Isles can match. Whether it is through his pace and his outside break, or through his ability to step inside and carry over and through defenders, very few players in the world can match up with a fit and in-form Tuilagi.
Dark horse – Ben Curry
If you like Tom Curry enough to pick, why not double down with another player built in the same mould? In fairness, Ben is a slightly different player to his twin brother, with more skill as a natural fetcher, although the trade off is that he does not quite have Tom’s level of physicality. Gatland does not lack for options in the back row, although doubling down on the Curry twins wouldn’t be the worst move.
Saracens
Potential tourists – Manu Vunipola, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Billy Vunipola, Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly
This celebrated sextet should all head out to South Africa assuming they are fit and it is unlikely that a season in the Championship and/or a loan spell to France is going to change Gatland’s mind on that. At least five of the six would seem strong bets to be in Gatland’s strongest XV.
Whether or not a lower calibre of opposition in the Championship prompts Gatland to rethink one or two of the players’ spots in his starting XV is a potential debate, though it should not see any of them miss making the overall squad.
Dark horse – Duncan Taylor
Injuries have blighted Taylor’s career, but when fit there is arguably no better defensive outside centre in the British Isles. That may not be enough to see him earn a place amongst the likes of Tuilagi, Jonathan Joseph and Garry Ringrose, though he does offer something different to the other players in the mix.
Wasps
Potential tourists – Joe Launchbury, Brad Shields and Dan Robson
Launchbury is the standout player at Wasps and has led the club on and off the pitch admirably. That said, lock is one of the positions of real strength for Gatland and it is that level of competition, both in terms of quality and quantity, that has seen Launchbury miss out in the past.
Shields’ first moments in an England jersey came in South Africa and he flashed his ability then, whilst Robson is a player that fans have called for to be involved with England for years now, only for Eddie Jones to turn a deaf ear. The trio have plenty of talent between them, though it would not be surprising to see Wasps go without representation next year, either, such is the intensity of the position battles going into 2021.
Dark horse – Jack Willis
If Gatland wants to hurt South Africa in transition and pick a player built to provide turnovers, he could do worse than have a look at Willis. Whether or not he has done enough to keep out players like Curry, Underhill, Justin Tipuric and Dan Leavy is a valid question, but his performances at club level have been consistently excellent.
Ibitoye leaves Quins with immediate effect. https://t.co/q2mzzRayVy
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 3, 2020
Worcester Warriors
Potential tourists – Ted Hill
Having recently been named club captain at just 21 years of age, Hill is a player with a swiftly-filling rugby resume. He has already made his England debut and brings an almost scary level of physicality to his tackling as a blindside flanker. In any era which does not boast two such exciting young back row talents as the ‘Kamikaze Twins’, Hill would be being ordained as England’s future.
Can Hill turn himself into that Pieter-Steph du Toit prototype on the blindside this season? It will not be an easy task in a Worcester side that could struggle at times over the next year, though he is clearly a young man with his head well and truly screwed on and intent on improving as a rugby player.
Dark horse – Ollie Lawrence
There are not many more exciting rugby players than Lawrence and he has shown that he has the maturing all-round game to go alongside the exhilarating attacking moments that he is capable of creating at the flick of a switch. He has not looked out of his depth at all since transitioning from age-grade rugby to regular appearances in the Premiership and if Gatland wants to inject power and pace into his midfield, Lawrence could be at the top of a relatively short list of bolters.
Comments on RugbyPass
Hold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
39 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
1 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
5 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
39 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
39 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to commentsThis is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?
35 Go to commentsWow, didn’t realise there was such apathy to URC in SA, or by Champions Cup teams. Just read Nick’s article on Crusaders, are Sharks a similar circumstance? I think SA rugby has been far more balanced than NZs, no?
4 Go to commentsBut here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.
39 Go to commentsIt could be coincidental or prescient that the All Blacks most dominant period under Steve Hansen was when the Crusaders had their least successful period under Todd Blackadder and then the positions reversed when Razor took over the Crusaders.
39 Go to commentsDefinitely sound read everybodyexpects immediate results these days, I don't think any team would travel well at all having lost three of the most important game changers in the game,compiled with the massive injury list they are now carrying, good to see a different more in depth perspective of a coaches history.
3 Go to commentsSinckler is a really big loss for English rugby.
2 Go to commentsThanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause
39 Go to comments