The silver lining to English club struggles in the Champions Cup
No one wants to see the English clubs giving up on the Heineken Champions Cup with two rounds to go, but the silver lining to the struggles faced by Bath, Harlequins and Sale Sharks in this season’s competition is an array of opportunities for their young guns.
Heavily rotated line-ups may not appeal to fans who have forked out considerable sums of money to attend game or secure their broadcast subscriptions, but it does provide an important rugby opportunity for younger members of squads.
Not only will they be testing themselves against senior competition, they will be doing it in a brighter spotlight than the Gallagher Premiership can provide.
Gloucester’s Louis Rees-Zammit has already shown this season what opportunity can mean for a young player’s career and while he is a standout talent that was ready for those moments, something which is not true of every player at 18 years of age, that doesn’t mean others aren’t similarly ready to make their mark on the biggest of club stages.
For Bath, who have lost four from four so far in the competition and whose qualification hopes realistically went out the window after round two, the opportunity comes for wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb.
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The former Beechen Cliff student began to make an impact for Bath at the beginning of the season when Anthony Watson, Joe Cokanasiga and Ruaridh McConnochie were all away with England at the World Cup.
He can now consolidate those early impressive performances before Bath’s star backs head off for the Six Nations next month. His speed, power and attacking instincts all looked sharp in those initial tests and far from out of place among the physical specimens of senior rugby.
He’s not alone, either, as punchy back rower Nahum Merigan and versatile back Tom de Glanville both take up spots on Bath’s bench, as well as former Yorkshire Carnegie academy pair Max Green and Ollie Fox taking on the starting and bench scrum-half responsibilities respectively.
Alex Dombrandt's selection for Friday's European trip to Bath hasn't gone down well with some Harlequins fans https://t.co/TLklED7x7j
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It’s been a challenging start to Stuart Hooper’s fledgling career as a director of dugby and if some of the club’s young guns can step up against Harlequins and put down markers for selection moving forward, it gives the former lock some welcome dilemmas.
Speaking of Harlequins, they have also given the nod to a number of newer faces, with BUCS Super Rugby product Luke Northmore starting at 13, Dino Lamb getting a rare outing in the second row and mobile hooker Jack Musk slotted in on the bench.
Harlequins boss Paul Gustard will be hoping that Northmore can have a similar impact to fellow Cardiff Met graduate Alex Dombrandt, while Lamb and Musk can stake claims in positions that have been hit hard by injuries. Quins have opted not to rotate too heavily, however, as they search hard for some fresh momentum in the Premiership.
Eddie's hybrid player dreams live on in 2020! https://t.co/paGu1i665k
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Sale have found space for exciting wing Tom Roebuck in the starting XV, with the powerful ball-carrier having impressed previously in the under18s. The England age-grade international is ready to show that he can emulate the likes of Rees-Zammit and Hamer-Webb and excel at this level.
With La Rochelle fielding a strong side at Stade Marcel Deflandre, Roebuck will find himself up against Arthur Retiere, Levani Botia, Geoffrey Doumayrou and Jeremy Sinzelle in the French side’s backline in what is an appetising test of his ability.
On the bench, there are spots for back rower Sam Dugdale, scrum-half Gus Warr and full-back Joe Carpenter. Given the strength of Sale’s options in the back row and at half-back – and that’s not even counting Ben Curry among the latter – this is welcome playing time for Dugdale and Warr, while Carpenter was one of the standout players in the Under-18 Academy League for Yorkshire last season.
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Sale secured a coup with his signing earlier this season and, for Carpenter, there is at least a more traversable path to the first XV over the next couple of seasons.
It’s a mark of Rees-Zammit’s impact that even in the very strong Gloucester XV selected to take on Montpellier, he retains his spot on the right wing alongside the duo of Jason Woodward and Ollie Thorley in the back three. Ultimately, this is the approach everyone would like to have, one or two youngsters bedded in among a cadre of regular starters, with qualification still possible and significant repercussions riding on the final result.
It’s an approach that Saracens have perfected in England of late, albeit with that reputation now being somewhat tarnished. The reigning European champions have also rotated their squad heavily this weekend. That said, with qualification still very possible, that seems more to be a comment on their opponents, the Ospreys, than it does on their attitude to the Champions Cup.
Louis Rees-Zammit's Wales credentials are not in any doubt given who he admired growing up https://t.co/2asxETpGkx
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 9, 2020
Elliott Obatoyinbo starts at full-back while fast-rising fly-half Manu Vunipola occupies the No10 jersey. The bench is stacked with promising youngsters, too, as Joel Kpoku, Sean Reffell, Rotimi Segun and Ali Crossdale all feature.
If Saracens can storm the Liberty Stadium with no Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Jamie George or either of the Vunipola brothers in the squad, it will be the perfect fillip for the club who will not only keep alive their hopes of a Champions Cup quarter-final, but also provide them with momentum in their battle to move up the Premiership table.
Unsurprisingly, Exeter Chiefs have selected a strong side as they seek to battle Leinster for the No1 overall seeding and Northampton Saints, after harrowing back-to-back defeats against Leinster, seek to push for a best runners-up spot. Their hunts for qualification are compelling enough without also needing to see rugby’s next generation being blooded.
A former CEO returning to his post is hardly a 'fresh start' for Sarries
– argues @AndyGoode10 https://t.co/adTHxfiNsQ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 9, 2020
However, if the inability of English sides – outside of Saracens and Exeter – to be consistently competitive at the European level is a frustration, it’s one that at least provides this silver lining. Teams can’t permanently be in a state of rebuild, though if that is currently where they are, you want to see these opportunities being given to the younger players who can learn and develop from the experience.
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Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 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
1 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 Crusades , you can keep going.
1 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!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 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.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments