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Five PRO14 stars who did their international ambitions no harm on rugby's return

By Owain Jones
Ryan Baird looks like a lock with a big future (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Waiting for rugby to restart in the Pro14 must have, at times, felt like being the Shawshank Redemption’s Andy Dufresne, chipping away with his claw-hammer but with Covid-19 playing the Warden Norton role to perfection. Little by little, freedom has beckoned, and while not having to crawl through 500 yards of excrement to reach it – gagging after swabs on your tonsils to ensure you are coronavirus-free is very much the 2020 version of the 1994 classic. Pain has been dished out in abundance. For rugby fans, outstretched arms and a look to the heavens, has meant prayers were answered this week with a smattering of games to relight rugby’s fire.

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So which players showed they hadn’t been overindulging in lockdown and stole an early March on impressing their national coaches, with Test rugby on the horizon? RugbyPass assesses the early form horses…

Ryan Baird, 21 (Leinster)

There was a time when it was Munster who regularly produced lock-forwards of prodigious quality. Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan wore the Irish jersey with pride on over 200 occasions, but if you were to go out on a limb, you could suggest the pairing of James Ryan and Ryan Baird could be the next pairing to replicate the Munster legends in the next decade. Baird served notice of his quality against Glasgow in March with a remarkable 50m run-in from distance, showing his raw athleticism, but the basics were there for all to see; the leg-pumping carries in the tight, the spring in his step at the set-piece and his defensive zeal for defensive duties, and yesterday against their old rivals, in only his third regional start, he was again to the fore. He topped the tackle count with 18, carried for the second most metres in the pack with 26, but the highlight would have included his work in the wide-channels for James Lowe’s try. After taking the ball at pace from Johnny Sexton, he expertly pinned Andrew Conway before putting Lowe away down the left flank. If he’d had a 13 on his shirt, no one would have batted an eyelid but then 6ft 6in Baird has all the makings of a special player. Whisper it, but he could be a mainstay for Leinster and Ireland for years to come.

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Jim Hamilton puts his neck on the line to pick his 2021 Lions side for the tour in South Africa

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Jim Hamilton puts his neck on the line to pick his 2021 Lions side for the tour in South Africa

Johnny Williams, 23 (Scarlets)

The headlines were deservedly taken by Steff ‘Billy Bob’ Evans, who rammed a stake in the turf, mullet-and-all, to keep his wing-berth even though his region boast Liam Williams, Johnny McNicholl, Ryan Conbeer and Tomi Lewis out wide. His was a performance of wit and invention topped off with two opportunistic tries, but it was the man in the ‘Reserved for Hadleigh’ sized car-parking space at Parc-Y-Scarlets who will have forced a watching Wayne Pivac to take note. Not blessed with centres, Johnny Williams was prised from Newcastle Falcons on account of his Welsh father, John Bleddyn Rhys Williams, and that sell was made infinitely easier for the WRU when his former coaches at London Irish, Glenn Delaney and Richard Whiffin pitched up in West Wales, but the player still had to perform and his early bow with the Scarlets suggest he has the game to start being in the conversation for the vacant No 12 Welsh shirt. With 75 metres carried and seven tackles made, the 23-year-old caught the eye, but the highlight came in the breakaway try from the Scarlets which saw the 6ft 3in centre galloping his way up from the 5m line to just short of the half-way line where an infield pass put away Angus O’Brien before Johnny McNicholl applied the coup de grace, but his work ethic impressed. A willing support runner for Steff Evans’ first try, and a muscular carry in the build-up for Ed Kennedy’s try out wide point to a midfielder who far more than a bash ‘em and crash ‘em merchant.

Duhan van der Merwe, 24 (Edinburgh)

Van der Merwe may have admitted to not having heard of Edinburgh before signing on the strength of his former coach at Montpellier, Richard Cockerill’s, hard-sell but the strapping wing with George North-sized dimensions has had little to regret when plumping for a blind move to Scotland’s capital. Apart from his debatable geography nous, the blond Afrikaan from the Western Cape has been an unqualified success, with the wing topping the metres carried, clean breaks and defenders beaten this season in the Pro14. After 31 tries in 57 appearances, he lies fifth in the all-time scoring chart for his club and the No 11 was again terrorising defences at Murrayfield, where Edinburgh ran out 30-15 winners at an eerie Murrayfield. Van der Merwe was Edinburgh’s most effective back, running for 65m and it was his foraging run on the left-flank which drew appreciative glances. Carrying the ball in one gigantic left mitt, the wing scurried around Glasgow defenders with ease before popping the inside-ball to Nic Groom to dot down for an easy score. It’s this match-winning ability that has seen Gregor Townsend ink van der Merwe into his plans, and there’s little doubt he would have capped him had the tour to his native South Africa not been called off this summer, having now qualified on residency status. An Autumn bow beckons.

Kieran Williams, 23 (Ospreys)

It is with a heavy heart that Leon Brown, after a tub-thumping 30m carry to the tryline, wearing Dan Evans as a neckline accessory, was overlooked for the outstanding player of the match, while there were also claims for Ashton Hewitt after two brilliant finishes, but after a 20-20 draw that was high on tension, but limited on quality, it was the player who left the proceedings on 70 minutes who left a lasting impression. Kieran Williams was one of the Ospreys players to stand out in a disastrous season pre-lockdown, but the barrelling centre carried on where he left off against the Dragons. With three Test centres also on the field in Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin and Jack Dixon (Wales U20), Williams was the standout among the quartet, topping the carrying stats with 81m and tackles made in the Ospreys backline (8). His timing to hit the hole and power through to then pass inside for Sam Parry’s try showed all his composure and raw power in a matter of second, and truthfully, he gave Dixon and Tompkins an intensely uncomfortable afternoon with his aggression in defence and ball-carrying. At 5ft 10in and over 15st, he has certain physical similarities to another Ospreys centre, Scott Gibbs and alongside Johnny Williams, he appears to be easing Wales’ centre crisis.

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Bundee Aki, 30 (Connacht)

Okay, so we’ve bookended this little list with a player who is entering his ‘vintage’ years but with Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw purring yesterday as Leinster narrowly overcame Munster, and Stuart McCloskey and Chris Farrell providing sizeable alternative options the Irish midfield, Bundee Aki knows he cannot afford to let standards slip. On his 100th appearance for Andy Friend’s men, the powerful islander shone on both sides of the ball. He tackled with venom in midfield, lining up Ulster’s ball-carriers for some rib ticklers, before making metres when it counted, notably on 55 minutes. At the set-piece, the influential 20-cap Ireland back took the ball and used the returning Ian Madigan as a speed bump as he performed the famed Samoan sidestep before crashing over the line, despite the attentions of two further Ulster tacklers. It was a deserved 26-20 victory over the Ulstermen and Aki was front, middle and centre of the win. He’s been quite the signing for Connacht and is far too useful a weapon for Andy Farrell to discard.

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Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This 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”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But 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.

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Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks 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

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T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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