'He's got something about him': The unknown 20-year-old lock called up by England
Much change was demanded after England limped to a desultory fifth-place finish in the recent Guinness Six Nations and a revamp is precisely what materialised when Eddie Jones included 21 uncapped players in the 34-strong training squad that will meet for five days next week in London ahead of a summer series where newcomers such as Chunya Munga of London Irish will be hoping to make a good first impression.
London Irish don’t usually have players called up to the England squad, their youngsters instead moving on elsewhere and then making it on the international scene. Lions pick Anthony Watson is an example of this trend that regularly occurred in times past.
However, with Declan Kidney now making a concerted effort to ensure the Exiles keep hold of their youngsters, Jones has responded by calling three of their promising talents into his England squad – 20-year-old lock Munga, 22-year-old winger Ollie Hassell-Collins and 23-year-old full-back Tom Parton.
The latter is the most experienced of the trio, Parton playing 36 times in the Gallagher Premiership. Hassell-Collins is next best with 26 appearances and then comes Munga with 13 appearances, six as a starter.
The Reading-born lock’s London Irish profile lists him at 120kgs but standing at just 6ft 5ins, yet England boss Jones sounded intrigued by what the age-grade international might bring to the senior England party next week.
"If we had Anthony Watson, Joe Cokanasiga, Johny Williams and Jonathan Joseph, if they were all here we would have a nice conundrum for selection"
– Declan Kidney knows Irish have a reputation as a feeding ground for its Premiership rivals#LIRvEXE
https://t.co/7058VnQWLk— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 18, 2021
“They have been doing well,” said Jones about the progress of London Irish nearing the end of their second season back in the Premiership. “They have got a nice balance between some seriously seasoned international players and some young talent coming through, but I think London Irish has always been known as a club to produce talent. It just so happened that most of them leave relatively quickly and this time they have managed to hold on to some of their talents and there are some good players there.
“The young lock, we have been looking at him for a while, Munga, he has got something about him. I know he has been in the pathway teams but he is a big strong, athletic, physical type player so he is an interesting prospect for us.”
Eddie Jones has explained why Newcastle were the club that provided the biggest contingent of uncapped players in his latest England squad https://t.co/4kmMRe25d6
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 10, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments