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
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) 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
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) 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
Why cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
31 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
31 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
31 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
31 Go to comments