PRO14 U23 squads: Which side's future is the brightest?
Following on from our recent look at the club-by-club strengths of emerging talent in the Gallagher Premiership, we now turn our attentions to the Guinness PRO14 U23 squads.
With the Italian and South African sides leaning heavily on feeder clubs, rather than their own internal academies, a few allowances have had to be made to get an entire XV, although they are still a strong indicator of the talent that is to come through those teams over the next few years.
Unsurprisingly, the Irish provinces all look in good shape, whilst there’s plenty of talent among the Welsh regions, should they be able to hang on to it rather than see another wave of exoduses to England and France.
Luca Sperandio, Michael Mba*, Andrea Bronzini, Marco Zanon, Monty Ioane (O23); Antonio Rizzi, Charly Trussardi; Michele Mancini Parri, Engjel Makelara, Marco Riccioni; Eli Snyman, Niccolo Cannone; Giovanni Pettinelli, Michele Lamaro, Lodovico Manni.
Mba is not currently a member of Benetton, but thanks to his impressive displays in the Italian U20 side and the close proximity of his club, Rugby Casale, to Treviso, he could well be filling this position in the years to come.
Trussardi arrives from Clermont to reform his age-grade partnership with Rizzi, whilst Riccioni, Zanon and Bronzini have all played integral roles in Benetton’s recent rise up the PRO14 table.
Cardiff Blues
Rhun Williams, Owen Lane, Harri Millard, Max Llewellyn, Ioan Davies; Jarrod Evans, Jamie Hill; Corey Domachowski, Liam Belcher, Dillon Lewis; Seb Davies, Ben Murphy; James Botham, Alun Lawrence, Shane Lewis-Hughes.
Williams and Lane star in an exciting back three for the Blues, whilst Evans provides ever-increasing experience and composure at fly-half.
The loss of Rhys Carre to Saracens is a significant blow, with the tight five otherwise looking in very strong shape thanks to the likes of Lewis and Davies. As with the other Welsh regions, producing the talented players is not the issue, retaining them is.
Cheetahs
Malcolm Jaer (O23), Rabz Mazwane, Aya Olihant, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Darren Adonis; Lubabalo Dobela, Ruben de Haas; Ox Nche, Joseph Dweba, Günther Janse van Vuuren; Walt Steenkamp, Sibablo Qoma; Abongile Nonkontwana (O23), Jaspier Wiese, Junior Pokomela.
The duo of Nche and Pokomela are potentially future Springboks if they keep developing, whilst Janse van Rensburg doesn’t lack for talent or ability either.
? Outstanding stuff from the @CheetahsRugby? ?
? Powerhouse Ox Nche turns on the gas and breaks through to go over ???
Watch live on @SkySports? and @SuperSportTV?.#GUINNESSPRO14 pic.twitter.com/CmLBmoFE8Y
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) January 20, 2018
Changing the perception in South Africa – and globally – that the Cheetahs and Southern Kings are not the secondary South African franchises, will go a long way to helping both sides retain talent and attract some of the best youngsters in the country.
Connacht
Colm de Buitléar, Stephen Fitzgerald, Kieran Joyce, Conor Fitzgerald, Oran McNulty; Conor Dean, Stephen Kerins; Matthew Burke, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Conor Kenny; Joe Maksymiw, Niall Murray; Cillian Gallagher, Paul Boyle, Sean Masterson.
In all honesty, the level and depth of talent at Connacht probably doesn’t run quite as deep as it does at the other three Irish provinces, but it is not without future difference-makers, something which is epitomised by the displays of hooker Tierney-Martin this season with Ireland U20s.
Gallagher, Boyle and Masterson are a strong back row trio, with Gallagher in particular one to keep an eye on as he continues to develop.
Dragons
Will Talbot-Davies, Jared Rosser, Tyler Morgan, Aneurin Owen, Rio Dyer; Arwel Robson, Dan Babos; Christian Coleman, Ellis Shipp, Leon Brown; Max Williams, Joe Davies; Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright, Harri Keddie.
Remarkably, Morgan still qualifies for this XV, despite having been part of Wales’ Rugby World Cup plans back in 2015. He, Brown and Wainwright bring international quality to the side.
Keddie, Basham and Williams are gifted in the forwards, whilst Rosser and Dyer offer plenty of potential threat out wide. As it ever is with the Dragons, they have the raw materials in place, but can they be moulded into a winning senior side?
TOP 5: Speeds tracked at the #NZSevens featuring:@OfficialKRU @WelshRugbyUnion @RugbyCanada @fijirugby @USARugby pic.twitter.com/yD7JWezp2q
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) January 27, 2019
Edinburgh
Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham, George Taylor, Chris Dean (O23), Jack Blain; Jason Baggott, Charlie Shiel; Jack Stanley, Cameron Fenton, Murray McCallum; Callum Hunter-Hill, Jamie Hodgson; Luke Crosbie, Jamie Ritchie, Magnus Bradbury.
There is no better U23 back three in the PRO14 than the one comprised by Kinghorn, Graham and Blain, the first two of whom have starred at international level already, whilst Blain was the pick of the Scotland U20 side this season.
Similarly, you’ll find it hard to find a better back row group than Crosbie, Ritchie and Bradbury, although the lack of playmakers in the half-backs and midfield could be a cause for concern.
Glasgow Warriors
Ross Thompson, Logan Trotter, Ollie Smith, Stafford McDowall, Robbie Nairn; Adam Hastings, Jamie Dobie; Murphy Walker, Mesu Dolokoto (O23), Zander Fagerson; Scott Cummings, Andrew Davidson; Bruce Flockhart, Matt Smith, Matt Fagerson.
Glasgow swooped to snap up scrum-half Dobie this summer and his long-term pairing with Hastings is one that should excite Warriors fans, just as the prospect of McDowall offering a hard-carrying threat outside them should also do.
The Fagerson brothers, Cummings and Smith bring quality to the pack, though Dave Rennie would love to have some of the resources in the back three that Edinburgh can currently call upon.
Leinster
Jordan Larmour, Jack Kelly, David Hawkshaw, Ciaran Frawley, Tommy O’Brien; Harry Byrne, Hugh O’Sullivan; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Jack Aungier; James Ryan, Oisin Dowling; Max Deegan, Scott Penny, Caelan Doris.
Arguably the strongest XV we have been able to assemble; Leinster’s pathway has few equals in terms of its productivity. Larmour, Porter, Ryan and Deegan are the understandable headliners.
A very happy birthday today to Jordan Larmour! ??? pic.twitter.com/isTcSt8Cvb
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) June 10, 2019
Beyond that quartet, Doris and Penny offer serious potential in the back row, Kelleher and Aungier are more adept than their positions on the senior squad depth chart show, and Byrne and Hawkshaw could be the nucleus of the next generation of Leinster’s back line.
Munster
Jake Flannery, Calvin Nash, Shane Daly, Sam Arnold, Jonathan Wren; Joey Carbery, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron, Ciaran Parker; Fineen Wycherley, Sean O’Connor; Gavin Coombes, Jack Daly, Conor Oliver.
Munster have definitely benefited from this latest class of U20s, with Flannery, J Wycherley and Casey all taking their chances superbly. That trio were among the standout players in Ireland’s U20 Six Nations Grand Slam this year.
Arnold, Carbery and F Wycherley then bring established quality at the senior level, with Nash and Coombes surely knocking on Johann van Graan’s door for more playing time next season.
Ospreys
Ben Cambriani, Keelan Giles, Owen Watkin, Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, Tom Williams; Luke Price, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Rhys Davies, Dewi Lake, Lewis Jones; Adam Beard, Will Griffiths; Morgan Morris, Will Jones, Guido Volpi.
Not too many midfields will match up to the duo of Thomas-Wheeler and Watkin, especially when you factor in a threat like Giles on the outside, creating space and drawing the defence’s attentions.
Beard is an established force in the pack, although the absence of others does go to show that the Ospreys rely on a fairly veteran group of forwards at present. Lake and W Jones could help provide more balance in the coming seasons.
Scarlets
Tomi Lewis, Ryan Conbeer, Corey Baldwin, Morgan Williams, Ioan Nicholas; Dan Jones, Dane Blacker; Kemsley Mathias, Taylor Davies, Alex Jeffries (O23); Jac Price, Morgan Jones; Josh Macleod, Dan Davis, Jac Morgan.
The two Jacs, Price and Morgan, had good campaigns with the Wales U20 side and will be hopeful of pushing their claims for playing time next season, whilst Davis is one of the countless talented opensides currently coming through in the country.
The x-factor to this XV undoubtedly lies in the back line, where Baldwin and Conbeer offer exciting attacking potential, and Blacker and Jones could form a complementary pairing in the half-backs.
Southern Kings
Courtney Winnaar, Yaw Penxe, Sherwin Slater*, Erich Cronje, Michael Botha; Bader Pretorius, Josh Allderman; Alulutho Tshakweni, Tango Balekile, NJ Oosthuizen; Bobby de Wee (O23), Jerry Sexton (O23); Lusanda Badiyana, CJ Velleman (O23), Brandon Brown (O23).
Hopefully the arrival of private ownership and much-needed funds in the Eastern Province will allow the Southern Kings to retain their talented youngsters and attract some of the more coveted youngsters in the country.
Penxe has shown his ability repeatedly in the PRO14, whilst loosehead Tshakweni has plenty of talent and could develop into a formidable scrummager with the right coaching and opportunities. We have had to lean heavily on O23s to complete the XV and Slater is currently with the EP Elephants in the Currie Cup First Division.
Ulster
Michael Lowry, Rob Lyttle, Jacob Stockdale, Angus Curtis, Robert Baloucoune; Bill Johnston, Jonny Stewart; Eric O’Sullivan, Adam McBurney, Tom O’Toole; Kieran Treadwell, Matthew Dalton; Nick Timoney, Marcus Rea, Greg Jones.
Ulster can field a superb back line at this level and that’s without even including other young stars such as Hayden Hyde, Aaron Sexton and Stewart Moore. If Johnston can realise his potential at 10 following his move from Munster, the sky is the limit for this group.
There’s not quite the same production up front, although O’Toole has shown flashes and if consistency comes as he matures, that could be the toughest position in the forward pack to find a solid operator at filled.
Zebre
Junior Laloifi (O23), Pierre Bruno, Ludovico Vaccari, Enrico Lucchin (O23), Jacopo Trulla***; Michelangelo Biondelli, Nicolo Casilio; Danilo Fischetti, Massimo Ceciliani, Giosue Zilocchi; Leonard Krumov, Samuele Ortis; Iacopo Bianchi, Renato Giammarioli (O23), Giovanni Licata.
A similar situation to Benetton here, with Trulla coming in to fill the troublesome wing position, despite not being on the Zebre roster. He plays in Padova which is closer to Treviso than Parma, although he is further west than Mba and could slot in with Zebre.
Fischetti and Licata are among the standouts from the pack and, locks aside, there is a steady stream of talent being developed and pushing on for international recognition in Zebre’s group of forwards. If Davide Ruggeri makes the move down from Rugby Como, he could fill the openside spot without having to lean on an O23.
Watch: Current Wales coach Warren Gatland is happy to be heading home after the Rugby World Cup
Comments on RugbyPass
Pot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
19 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
4 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
19 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
19 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
19 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
19 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
19 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
19 Go to comments