A Special Term for Schoolboy Daly
While there is every indication that Elliot Daly, the Wasps Academy youngster is likely to have a highly successful career ahead of him, I am sure that irrespective of any future achievements, he will look back on the start of this year with considerable satisfaction. The 18 year old Upper Sixth form student from Whitgift School has managed with great success to combine a Grand Slam in the Under 20 Six Nations, with playing a central role in his school team as they navigated their way through the latter stages of the Daily Mail RBS Under 18 Cup.
This time last year, Whitgift proved to be worthy winners of the title after beating Newcastle Grammar School 34-10 with London Irish youngster, Marland Yarde scoring a hat trick of tries. Now Whitgift are on the brink of the double thanks to the significant contribution of Daly in the final stages of the competition.
After featuring in the England Under 18 set up last year, Daly has made a smooth transition to the Under 20 ranks. Since his debut in the opening game of this year's Six Nations against Wales, the Whitgift youngster has been a regular in the centre, with his influence on the team being significant, not least in terms of his try scoring potential. Four tries against Italy, with three in the first half hour was followed up with a hat trick against Scotland including a spectacular low catch on the full and dive over the line from George Ford's accurate kick.
Whitgift's route to the final has not been straightforward and they have been pushed all the way firstly by Plymouth College in the quarter final and then by last year's Under 15 champions, Wilmslow High School. The Cheshire school responded to a 20-7 deficit at one stage, to produce a late rally and ten unanswered points to stretch Whitgift to the limit.
Tomorrow Whitgift will face Oakham School at Twickenham in what is being touted as the "battle of the centres" with Daly's fellow England squad member and centre, Charlie Walker being the key player for an Oakham side that will be making their first appearance in the final since 2003. Walker was hugely influential in the semi-final win over a determined and resilient Old Swinford Hospital side and his trade make steeping and elusive running will be needed again, if Whitgift are going to be prevented from completing a double.
With Dominic Waldouk now ruled out for the rest of the season, the icing on the cake for Daly might yet still be a premiership debut at the end of what has been an amazing season for him.
