Home Nations prospects shining in Super Rugby

Amidst the success of the New Zealand franchises, the slump of the Australian franchises and the widely contrasting fortunes of the South African franchises, the emergence of two home nations players in Super Rugby this year has slipped largely under the radar.

Englishman Piers Francis, who was born in Kent and developed in Saracens’ academy, and Scotsman Huw Jones, a product of the respected Millfield School in Somerset, are two players quietly impressing in the southern hemisphere.

Francis went south after failing to make the grade at Saracens, plying his trade in the ITM Cup with Auckland and Waikato, before returning north to join Edinburgh in 2012. Unfortunately for Francis, that stint in Scotland never really got going, with injuries hindering his progress and management preferring other options at his position.

A short stop in Doncaster followed before Francis made his way back to New Zealand, joining up with Tana Umaga at Counties Manukau, where he had an impressive 2015 season. Umaga clearly valued what the versatile Francis, who can play at fly-half or inside centre, brought to the team and took the Englishman with him when he got the head coach position at the Blues for the 2016 season.

Even with the impressive duo of George Moala and Rene Ranger at the Blues, Francis has still been able to carve out opportunities for himself this season and with Ranger now sidelined for the rest of the campaign with an ACL injury, Francis stands to see even more playing time.

As for Jones, he actually made his debut for the Stormers last season but with another year of experience under his belt and looking a little more physically ready for the level of competition he will face week in week out, the Scot is beginning to turn heads.

Jones came off the bench at outside centre in the Stormers’ 40-22 victory over the Queensland Reds and flashed all the footwork and elusive ability with ball in hand that had made him a valued prospect at Millfield. A lack of size ultimately cost Jones an opportunity coming out of Millfield but with the centre, who can also play on the wing or at full-back, now having filled out slightly, he looks the real deal.

There’s no doubt English clubs will have their eyes on Francis who, aside from being a skilled player, is of course English and would therefore count towards any team’s required quota of English-qualified players. Jones meanwhile qualifies for Scotland, England and Wales and will likely be attracting admiring glances from clubs and/or regions in all three nations.

Both players have publicly said they are happy where they are and are just concentrating on being the best players they can be for their current sides, but that will not stop the growing interest in them. No competition develops attacking skill sets like Super Rugby, and these two home-grown prospects are beginning to gain altitude and the radar is certainly beginning to pick them up.