U20s Six Nations: Ones to Watch

The Six Nations isn’t the only tournament to kick off this coming weekend, as the U20 edition of the competition also gets underway.

The standard of age-grade rugby in the northern hemisphere has never been higher and we’ve put together a collection of the best and most talented players you will need to keep your eyes on over the next two months.

Nick Tompkins, England
Though France emerged victorious in last year’s U20 Six Nations, no nation will be feeling the pressure to succeed as much as England and Tompkins’ experience at both the Junior World Championship and senior level for Saracens will be vital for Jon Callard’s men. With some of the quickest feet you will see on a rugby pitch, as well as an eye for a gap, Tompkins is already pushing Marcelo Bosch and Duncan Taylor hard for playing time in North London. As skilful as anyone in the competition, Tompkins will be one to keep an eye on in the tournament’s try scoring charts.

Charlie Ewels, England
Ewels, like Tompkins, is one of just seven England players returning from their 2014 JWC-winning campaign and the powerful lock will be pivotal to any hopes England have of re-establishing their dominance in the U20 Six Nations, a competition they have won three times in the last four seasons. Ewels benefitted from Bath’s injury crisis earlier in the season, making his home debut against the likes of Theirry Dusautoir and Louis Picamoles in the European Rugby Champions Cup, as well as even captaining Bath in the LV= Cup. Those appearances for Bath this season have seen him turnout in their beleaguered back row, but he should resume his role in England’s engine room when they open their U20 Six Nations campaign against Wales at Parc Eirias.

Seb Adeniran-Olule, England
Following the path blazed by Luke Cowan-Dickie two years previously, Adeniran-Olule is the latest double-barrelled English prop to move to hooker. A formidable prop through the age-grades, Adeniran-Olule made the switch to hooker last season and will look to challenge Leeds’ Jack Walker for playing time over the next two months. Whether he ultimately packs down as a prop or a hooker in this year’s tournament is yet to be known, but he should provide the England scrum with plenty of ballast and power, regardless of position.

Antoine Dupont, France
The young scrum-half was in electric form for Castres Olympique against Harlequins in their Round 6 clash in the ERCC and if he can translate that form into the U20 Six Nations then France’s back line will be hard to handle. He has all the perquisites to be a great scrum-half at senior level - able to test the fringes with a frightening turn of pace, crisp distribution and a surprisingly impressive kicking game given his young age.

Arthur Bonneval, France
One of the latest players to roll off the Toulouse production line, Bonneval is a versatile back who can play at centre or full-back, but who is perhaps most at home on the wing. He’s already represented Toulouse multiple times in the Top 14 and is a potent finisher. There’s a lot of Yoann Huget about Bonneval, though hopefully not an inclination for diving, as he seems to already be perfecting the art of being in the right place at the right time. If the French pack can deliver quick ball, Bonneval could cause the home nations and Italy all sorts of trouble this year.

Ross Byrne, Ireland
A standout for Ireland at the JWC in New Zealand last year, Byrne directed their very impressive campaign from fly-half. The young 10 played with composure and nous that belied his young age and arguably had a better tournament than his vaunted 3rd/4th place playoff opponent, Super Rugby regular Simon Hickey. If he continues to develop and maintain the levels of performance we saw in New Zealand last summer, then Ireland have their heir to Jonathan Sexton’s throne ready and waiting.

Billy Dardis, Ireland
Dardis will be charged with filling the considerable shoes of Cian Kelleher in the Irish squad, an unenviable task given Kelleher’s performances last season, but Dardis is a player extremely highly thought of in Ireland. A naturally talented full-back with impressive feet and vision, teams should be wary of kicking aimlessly against Ireland this season, lest they be punished by one of Dardis’ incisive runs.

Garry Ringrose, Ireland
A nominee for World Rugby Junior Player of the Year in 2014, Ringrose had a fantastic JWC campaign in New Zealand, one that even sparked some premature comparisons to Brian O’Driscoll. This year’s U20 Six Nations gives Ringrose the perfect platform to reinforce and build on what he showed last season and prove that those comparisons to the talismanic O’Driscoll may not be too far from the mark after all. Alongside the aforementioned duo of Byrne and Dardis, Ireland have arguably the most dangerous back line in the competition and if their pack can put them in a position to succeed, Ireland will be a match for anyone.

Luca Petrozzi, Italy
Petrozzi provides the Italian U20 side with just what their senior side is desperately in need of right now – a dangerous, try-scoring threat out wide. The winger, a product of the talent-rich Whitgift school in Croydon, should help at least give Italy a puncher’s chance, with his ability to score tries from anywhere on the pitch. Based on recent performances at age-grade level however, this year’s Six Nations will be a tough ask for Italy and targeting their fixture with Scotland at Netherdale may be the sum of their realistic ambitions.

Rory Hutchinson, Scotland
Northampton seems to have become quite the fly-half factory recently, churning out prospects like Harry Mallinder, Sam Olver and Will Hooley for the England U20 side and Hutchinson is the latest in that line, albeit representing Scotland. He was one of the few impressive players in Scotland’s disappointing 2014 JWC campaign and although he may be pushed out to inside centre by Bordeaux-Bègles’ Ben Chalmers, his ability with the boot and playmaking skills are amongst the best hopes Scotland have of claiming a scalp other than Italy’s in this year’s tournament.

Zander Fagerson, Scotland
The prop cupboard has been fairly bare for Scotland at this level over recent years, but Fagerson is looking to change that, as the Glasgow Warrior brings with him Pro 12 experience, as well as also featuring in last year’s JWC. A strong scrummager and surprisingly mobile for a player his size, it would not be a surprise to see Fagerson fast-tracked into the senior Scottish set-up following this year’s Rugby World Cup.

Rory Thornton, Wales
The Ospreys lock will captain Wales in this year’s U20 Six Nations and will be keen to get Welsh age-grade rugby back on track after a disappointing 2014. Thornton has featured in both the LV= Cup and Pro 12 this season and will need to bring the physicality he showed to get those opportunities to the Wales U20s, especially if they are to contest with the behemoth packs that England and France both boast. At 6’ 5” and weighing in at just shy of 20 stone, Thornton will be one to watch at both the set-piece and in the loose over the coming weeks.

Tyler Morgan, Wales
Last, but certainly not least, Morgan is arguably the headline star of this year’s U20 Six Nations and could yet find himself in the senior set-up before the end of the tournament. A string of impressive performances for Newport Gwent Dragons alongside former age-grade sensation Hallam Amos has Warren Gatland excited about the outside centre, but if he doesn’t receive a call-up, it will be to the benefit of the age-grade competition. His match-up with Tompkins in Wales’ opening fixture is one of the most exciting the competition has to offer and could be repeated at senior level within the next couple of years.