The tactic has paid off handsomely so far. Last year’s Six Nations title-winning campaign by Mark Mapletoft’s U20s was beyond him… he remembers watching at home on the BBC as they sealed glory away to France in Pau last March.
Last week’s post-Christmas block of fixtures took us beyond the halfway point in this season’s Gallagher Premiership and a number of the round nine results have certainly whetted the appetite as English ruby welcomes in the new year.
This weekend’s return of the Gallagher Premiership following a five-week hibernation was given its banner headline on Wednesday when Joe Marler confirmed he will retire from playing with immediate effect following Friday night’s Harlequins match at home to Bristol.
.Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall feels the free-scoring Max Malins is reaping the benefit of remaining in the top flight last season, following his four-try haul in Sunday’s 56-15 thumping of Wasps.
Ahead of the weekend's restart derbies in the Guinness PRO14, we run through the new arrivals and the departures at each Irish province since lockdown.
Ex-Ireland U20 hooker Zack McCall, younger brother of Kyle, was cut loose by Dan McFarland when Ulster named their squad for next season earlier this week.
Dan McFarland is keeping changes to a minimum at Ulster after an indefinitely suspended season where they qualified for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals and lie in second in their PRO14 conference.
Schools level Irish athletics has been taken by storm by the record-breaking Aaron Sexton, but he will now be moving from the track to the rugby field after getting snapped up by Ulster.