U20 Six Nations - Players to Watch
Whilst excitement levels are understandably peaking for the 2018 edition of the Six Nations, it’s younger counterpart, the U20 Six Nations, is also set to kick-off this weekend.
It provides not only fans with a glimpse into the future of their respective national teams, but it is also a hugely important competition for coaches and rugby recruitment folks, who get an opportunity to see some of the most talented youngsters on the planet step up to a new level and witness how they cope in an environment different to the one they have been nurtured in as schoolboys and academy members.
England will be keen to defend the title they won last season and maintain their stranglehold on the tournament, having won it six out of the 10 times it has been contested, but there will be plenty of competition this season, with the Welsh and French squads looking particularly strong on paper.
We have picked out a player from each nation to keep an eye on over the next seven weeks.
Ben Loader, England and London Irish
People are well-aware of Ben Earl and Ben Curry thanks to their impact in senior rugby and Gabriel ibitoye was a Junior World Player of the Year nominee last season, so we have gone with a newcomer to the set-up in Loader.
This talented wing has already started to see senior rugby in the Challenge Cup, an impressive feat given that he is in his first year out of school, and has the perfect blend of size, agility and speed to develop into a well-rounded player at the senior level. He is also comfortable playing at full-back and the chemistry between him and fellow London Irish player Tom Parton, England’s incumbent full-back, could be something to watch this season.
Big and brutal ball-carriers Sam Moore and Tom Willis will be prominent in England’s back-row, too, whilst early impressions are that Marcus Street could be something special at tighthead prop, if he continues to develop.
Cameron Woki, France and Bordeaux Bègles
There are certain trends that permeate nations at this level and one of those is that France will always have a cadre of talented scrum-halves. That is no different this year, with Arthur Coville particularly worth watching, but we’ve gone for a back-rower in Woki.
Another product of the RC Massy club, who helped develop Sekou Macalou, Yacouba Camara and Judicaël Cancoriet, Woki is similar in style to Macalou, with the speed to be dynamic in the loose and the height and reach to be a valued weapon at the lineout. That highly-prized combination has already seen him start to feature semi-regularly for Bordeaux in the Top 14 and Challenge Cup.
It’ll be an interesting couple of years for Woki, who will have to manage the requirements to put on more weight at the senior level, but who will hopefully not lose that dynamism he currently has. He is in a good situation at Bordeaux, in fairness, with the club having proven to be very trusting of younger players in the senior squad.
Ronan Kelleher, Ireland and Leinster
Kelleher went a little under the radar last season, with the bigger talking point in Ireland being Tadgh McElroy’s omission from the World Rugby U20 Championship squad due to his impending move to Saracens, but that shouldn’t detract from what was an impressive season from Kelleher.
The hooker stepped up well in McElroy’s absence and took hold of the jersey out in Georgia and now returns in his second year, ready to make a statement and throw his hat into the mix as a prospect to compete with Niall Scannell, Rhys Marshall and the other senior hookers after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Look for a solid set-piece and bullocking runs from Kelleher to be at the heart of Ireland’s efforts this season.
The fly-half duel between Harry Byrne and Angus Curtis will also be something worth watching, as are powerful props James French and Jack Aungier.
Antonio Rizzi, Italy and Petrarca
Alongside tighthead Marco Riccioni and No 8 Giovanni Licata, Rizzi was one of the three standout players for Italy last season, pulling the strings at fly-half and helping make Italy look a more threatening proposition than they often are at this level.
Trying to find a genuine “franchise” fly-half has been a persistent issue for Italy since the days of Diego Domínguez and though you don’t want to put that kind of pressure on young shoulders, Rizzi is arguably the most polished-looking stand-off Italy have had at this age-grade. He needs to back up what he showed last season with another good campaign this year, but he must be a player well on the radar of Conor O’Shea and Mike Catt.
If he can exhibit an improved level of control in this tournament, a skill he will certainly need in senior rugby, it could go a long way towards Benetton or Zebre trusting him in a role at fly-half.
Callum McLelland, Scotland and Edinburgh
There are a lot of interesting inclusions in the Scotland side this year, including highly-rated South African prop Nathan McBeth, former Premiership U18 standouts Devante Onojaife, Charlie Chapman and Sam Yawayawa and the French-based pairing of Ewan Johnson and Charlie Gowling.
McLelland, though, has an interesting backstory of his own, converting from rugby league, where he was highly thought of at Castleford Tigers and previously represented England at age-grade levels. It’s a transition that usually occurs a little later in a player’s career but moving over early and getting the opportunity to learn his craft at this level seems like a wise move.
Honestly, we are taking a bit of a punt here on McLelland, with minimal knowledge of his ability in union, but it certainly makes him an interesting player to watch over the next seven weeks, not only to see how he is adapting to union, but also to see what skills he brings from the 13-man code.
Corey Baldwin, Wales and Scarlets
No shortage of players to mention here, particularly with standouts like Rhys Carre, Ryan Conbeer and Max Williams all returning from last season.
Wales have had no trouble whatsoever at producing physically-gifted back line players in recent years and if you combine that with the focus that the Scarlets put on technical ability and being comfortable playing at pace, the result is a player like Baldwin. He has already featured for the Scarlets this season in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the combination he should form with his regional teammate Conbeer could be electrifying at this level.
When Owen Watkin came through the U20 set-up a couple of years ago, you could see there was something different about him and that same combination of ability and self-confidence can be found in Baldwin, who will certainly make people sit up and take notice this year.
Comments on RugbyPass
Hold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
40 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
1 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
5 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
40 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
40 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to commentsThis is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?
35 Go to commentsWow, didn’t realise there was such apathy to URC in SA, or by Champions Cup teams. Just read Nick’s article on Crusaders, are Sharks a similar circumstance? I think SA rugby has been far more balanced than NZs, no?
4 Go to commentsBut here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.
40 Go to commentsIt could be coincidental or prescient that the All Blacks most dominant period under Steve Hansen was when the Crusaders had their least successful period under Todd Blackadder and then the positions reversed when Razor took over the Crusaders.
40 Go to commentsDefinitely sound read everybodyexpects immediate results these days, I don't think any team would travel well at all having lost three of the most important game changers in the game,compiled with the massive injury list they are now carrying, good to see a different more in depth perspective of a coaches history.
3 Go to commentsSinckler is a really big loss for English rugby.
2 Go to commentsThanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause
40 Go to comments