Injured England prospect Nathan Earle sticking with Harlequins
England prospect Nathan Earle has signed a contract extension that will keep him at Paul Gustard’s Harlequins. The 25-year-old, who arrived from Saracens in 2018, has regularly featured in national team training camps. He was named in Eddie Jones’ wider squad ahead of the 2019 Six Nations after scoring in an uncapped fixture against the Barbarians in 2018 and touring Argentina the previous summer.
Before sustaining a long-term knee ligament injury against Northampton Saints towards the end of the 2018/19 season, Earle had bagged eleven tries in 23 Harlequins appearances, playing an integral role in a campaign that saw the club fall just short of reaching the Gallagher Premiership semi-finals.
“I’m thrilled to be able to extend my time at The Stoop,” said Earle. “I felt like I was playing some of my best rugby before picking up a knee injury at the end of my first season. I’m still rehabilitating at the moment, but I’m excited to get back out there and pull on the jersey again.
“Paul has given me a real sense of confidence to go out there and play my game. I’m itching to get back out on the field. It’s exciting to commit to a squad with so much young talent coming through alongside so many experienced players within the group. Once rugby returns, there should be exciting times ahead for the club.”
Gustard added: “We’re thrilled to have Nathan recommit his future to the club. Prior to his severe knee injury, he was demonstrating to everyone what I personally already knew, that he is a fantastic talent with the potential for explosive, match-winning performances.
“When we lost Nathan to injury, we lost more than just his fantastic talents as a player – we lost his energy, his personality, his competitiveness, and his leadership on the field. He was, and is, a key member of our playing group with the type of strong off-field behaviours and positive mindset that are fundamental to our environment.
“He has maintained his diligence and professionalism throughout his rehab along with the excellent direction of Elliot Clarke and the rest of our fantastic medical performance group. He has shown us the strength and competitive desire to get back out there in an improved physical condition if that was at all possible!
“I’ve watched Nathan progress as a youngster through to international recognition and latterly excel in his breakthrough season at our club. I have never had any doubts about his rugby ability and even less about him as a person.
“We’re building a very exciting team that has the ability, the drive and age profile to stay together for a long time. It’s going to be a hotly-anticipated moment to see Nathan take the field with other young hotshots like James Chisholm, Cadan Murley and Joe Marchant, to name but three, alongside some incredible and more experienced talent like Danny Care, Joe Marler, and Mike Brown.
“Mix that in with new signings like Chris Ashton, Andre Esterhuizen and Wilco Louw and we have the ingredients to really move on up when we return.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Except 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.
33 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
33 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
33 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.
33 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. 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.
33 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.
33 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.
1 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.
33 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.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments