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Wasps promote Tana Umaga's England-eligible nephew and sign scrum half
Wasps have finalised their 48-man squad for the new Gallagher Premiership season with two new faces, however a prop they’d lined up has failed a medical.
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Fly-half Jacob Umaga, who is the nephew of former All Black Tana and son of ex-Samoa star Mike, has been promoted from the senior academy and will battle it out with Jimmy Gopperth and Lima Sopoaga for the 10 jersey.
He has represented England at U20 level.
The 20-year-old, who has scored four tries in his seven first-team appearances to date, was in impressive form last season for Wasps A in the Premiership Rugby Shield, racking up 82 points in his seven outings, which included three tries, 26 conversions and five penalties.
Umaga, who has also played at full-back, regularly featured for Yorkshire in their recent Championship campaign, following a spell with Auckland in New Zealand, where he was part of the side that won the Mitre 10 Cup in 2018.
Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young said: “Jacob has picked up some valuable game-time and experience in the past 12 months both Down Under and also in the Championship and A League.
Umaga, is the eighth Academy product to be promoted to the first-team, following the likes of Tom Willis, Gabriel Oghre, Will Porter, Tim Cardall, Callum Sirker, Owain James and Sam Spink.
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“Having another Academy player graduate into the first-team is yet more evidence that our development pathway is coming to fruition and we’re excited to see how this next generation of players push on”, Young added.
The Coventry-based club Wasps have also signed young scrum-half Sam Wolstenholme from Yorkshire Carnegie.
The 20-year-old, who is studying Economics at Loughborough University, made 23 appearances for the Leeds-based outfit.
“Sam is a talented young scrum-half who will add some depth in the nine position, and hopefully training and playing alongside some international-class players next season will aid his development. We’re looking forward to seeing how he goes.”
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Wasps Academy Manager Jon Pendlebury added: “I’ve known and worked with Sam since he was just 15-years-old through the Academy at Carnegie.
“It has been pleasing to see Sam continue and progress into their first-team last year, playing as much as he did, which is credit to him and has now given Sam this opportunity with us at Wasps to develop further.
“Jacob enjoyed a busy 2018/19 and we’re really pleased he’s now got the opportunity to step up to the first-team where I have no doubt he’ll go on to showcase his talents on the bigger stage.”
Meanwhile Nottingham tighthead-prop Mike Daniels will no longer be joining the club ahead of the 2019/20 season after he failed a medical.
Wasps first-team squad 2019/20
Biyi Alo (tighthead-prop)
Josh Bassett (winger)
Kieran Brookes (tighthead-prop)
Tim Cardall (lock)
Nizaam Carr (back-row)
Tom Cruse (hooker)
Juan de Jongh (centre)
Malakai Fekitoa (centre)
Marcus Garratt (lock)
James Gaskell (lock)
Jimmy Gopperth (centre/fly-half)
Ben Harris (loosehead-prop)
Owain James (full-back)
Ashley Johnson (back-row/hooker)
Zach Kibirige (winger)
Joe Launchbury (lock)
Michael Le Bourgeois (centre)
Charlie Matthews (lock)
Simon McIntyre (loosehead-prop)
Rob Miller (full-back)
Matteo Minozzi (full-back)
Ben Morris (back-row)
Ross Neal (centre/winger)
Paolo Odogwu (winger)
Gabriel Oghre (hooker)
Jack Owlett (tighthead-prop)
Will Porter (scrum-half)
Alex Rieder (back-row)
Dan Robson (scrum-half)
Will Rowlands (lock)
Billy Searle (fly-half)
Brad Shields (back-row)
Callum Sirker (winger)
Lima Sopoaga (fly-half)
Sam Spink (centre)
Tommy Taylor (hooker)
Jeff Toomaga-Allen (tighthead-prop)
Jacob Umaga (fly-half)
Sione Vailanu (back-row)
Ben Vellacott (scrum-half)
Theo Vukasinovic (lock)
Marcus Watson (winger)
Tom West (loosehead-prop)
Jack Willis (back-row)
Tom Willis (back-row)
Sam Wolstenholme (scrum-half)
Thomas Young (back-row)
Zurabi Zhvania (loosehead-prop)
Comments on RugbyPass
pure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
1 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
7 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
25 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
25 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
25 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
11 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
3 Go to comments