U20s RBS Six Nations Preview

The U20 Six Nations is a tournament growing in popularity and offers plenty for fans to watch out for while its senior counterpart also takes place.

With the majority of the games taking place on the Friday nights before the senior teams play, the tournament offers fans the perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of the stars of the future, without missing any of the Six Nations.

We run through each team’s prospects in the ninth edition of the U20 championship and highlight a few players worth keeping your eye on.

England

Of the eight tournaments played to date, England have won five, including two Grand Slams, and will come into this year’s competition as favourites. The England U20 coaches have the luxury of picking from a large pool of players, with many of the players having played for some of the most prestigious rugby schools in the world, as well as featuring heavily in the Aviva Premiership Academy and ‘A’ leagues.

England come into this tournament with a fairly inexperienced side but in terms of talent and potential, it’s as good as any of their recent classes. Rangy number eight Zach Mercer (Bath, Merchiston Castle) and versatile flanker Archie White (Harlequins, Epsom College) are among the exciting additions to the pack, whilst Paolo Odogwu (Leicester Tigers, Leicester Grammar School), Sam Aspland-Robinson (Harlequins, Wellington College) and Mat Protheroe (Gloucester, Hartpury College) add plenty of pace to the back three.

The more experienced members of the squad, such as Jack Walker (Yorkshire Carnegie, Prince Henry’s Grammar), Joe Marchant (Harlequins, Peter Symonds) and Harry Mallinder (Northampton Saints, Rugby School), will likely have a big bearing on how successful this side can be in 2016.

Player to watch – Max Malins (Saracens, Felsted)

Malins was the pick of the Premiership academy league last season, as the fly-half guided Saracens to the title as proficiently as he guided the back line around him. There will be competition for the 10 jersey from Mallinder, Protheroe, Jamie Shillcock (Worcester Warriors, Warwick School) and Theo Brophy Clews (London Irish, Abingdon School), but former Saracens Academy coach Rory Teague’s new role as England U20 backs coach should see Malins feature prominently at fly-half or inside centre.

Prediction – 1^st. There’s a good reason why England have won over 70% of the titles so far and lost just six of the 40 games they have played. They are well-coached and have quality and quantity in both the pack and back line. Their fixtures are the same as those of the senior side and an away trip to France in the final round could cost this side a Grand Slam, but probably not the title.

France

France’s two titles make them the second most successful side at this tournament and they have made real strides forward over the last few seasons. They have beaten England multiple times over that time period and head into this tournament with what looks to be a very dangerous back line.

The centre pairing of Eliott Roudil (La Rochelle) and Damian Penaud (ASM Clermont Auvergne) returns for another season and offers plenty of incision in the midfield. RC Massy’s Gabriel N’Gandebe and Bordeaux-Begles’ Alexandre Pilati should offer plenty of excitement in the back three and if France’s forward pack can ensure they have at least parity, the young Les Bleus will be a force to contend with.

Player to watch – Michael Simutoga

The 19-year-old prop has already debuted for Clermont and is returning for his second season with the French U20 side. His scrummaging was reliant on power over technique last season but if that area of his game is improved – and given the focus of the Top 14 it’s a fairly safe bet that is – then he could be one of, if not the most dominant prop in the competition this season.

Castres’ Antoine Dupont is also worth keeping an eye on, but as a talented scrum-half who can also play fly-half, there is no predicting what Olivier Magne’s plans are for him in the U20 side.

Prediction – 3^rd. A strong Welsh team awaits France at Parc Eirias in the third round, in a match which could derail France’s Grand Slam and title ambitions. If they can navigate that game, their fifth round meeting with England could well be a tournament decider and it wouldn’t be surprising if the competition came down to points difference, just as the senior Six Nations did last season.

Ireland

No European side is as hard to predict at U20 level as Ireland. They have fielded some strong squads over recent years with plenty of players overflowing with potential, but consistency has eluded the side over that period.

Loosehead Andrew Porter is a prodigious talent and spearheads a much-improved scrum, whilst his Leinster teammate James Ryan should prove beneficial to the set-piece from his spot in the second row.

As ever, the squad has a very heavy Leinster focus, but Ulster contribute one of the more dynamic players in the squad in the form of Jacob Stockdale. The versatile back has plenty of try-scoring threat and will flourish if he is given quick, front foot ball.

Player to watch – James Ryan

Excitement is growing in Ireland and Leinster over the potential of Ryan and the U20 Six Nations will provide the perfect platform to see how he copes going up against some of the best age-grade players in the world.

The second row has impressed for Leinster ‘A’ and in age-grade inter-pro matches and will feature prominently in an Irish pack which may be as set-piece proficient as any we have seen from Ireland at this level.

Prediction – 4^th. Ireland’s inconsistency works both ways. They may have disappointed in recent years but if Nigel Carolan can get this group clicking from the word go, they have the ability to be in the mix for the title. Trips to England and France won’t help, however, nor will just four players returning from their 2014/15 side.

Italy

Italian U20 coach Alessandro Troncon is not a man to be envied over the coming weeks.

His side face an uphill battle to come away from the tournament with anything but pride, although his side does feature probably their best pair of half-backs in quite some time.

As such, hopes may not be high for this side causing much of a stir in the tournament table, but Troncon must be praised for continuing to produce diamonds in the rough for the senior team to work with over the coming years.

Player to watch – Charly Trussardi

Trussardi, who is part of Clermont’s academy in the Top 14, is a livewire scrum-half, capable of creating something from nothing, something which Italy are likely to need in the upcoming tournament. Alongside fly-half Leonardo Mantelli, Italy finally have a dynamic half-back combination at this level and if they can come out of the tournament with their stock boosted, Italian rugby may have found a cause for some much-needed optimism.

Prediction – 6^th. Unfortunately for Italian fans, their U20 side is likely to go the way of their senior team and pick up the wooden spoon in this year’s competition. They don’t have the quality or depth of their opponents and a home match against Scotland midway through the competition remains their best hope of picking up a victory.

Scotland

Scotland are a side which looks capable of beating anyone in the competition on their day, but who arguably do not have the depth to really challenge for the title. Backs like Adam Hastings and Robbie Nairn bring plenty of excitement and ability to the back line, but the pack looks underpowered when compared to some of the behemoths that England, France and Wales are fielding.

That said, the pack is fairly experienced and that nous could help them overcome their deficiencies. Had Jamie Ritchie, Zander Fagerson and Blair Kinghorn been available and not excluded because of club or senior international commitments, Scotland would be in the mix as potential winners this year.

Player to watch – Scott Cummings

Cummings impressed for Scotland last season, featuring in all 10 of their Six Nations and U20 World Championship fixtures and will be one of the side’s most important leaders during this campaign.

The lock brings a physical presence to the Scotland pack and it would not be surprising to see him progress and feature for Glasgow Warriors as the season rolls on. Like Fagerson, Cummings is a strong candidate to be fast-tracked by Glasgow, with hopes of progressing him on towards senior Scotland duty in the coming years.

Prediction – 5^th. The fixture list hasn’t been kind to Scotland this year. Their more winnable games against Italy and Ireland are both away from home, as is their match with Wales, whilst their two home games see them host the two sides that tend to have the most physical squads in the competition. The positive for Scottish fans is that although success in the competition seems a long shot, the team is working very well as a development tool for future senior internationals.

Wales

Given the players that have come through the Wales U20 side over the last few years, not to mention their appearance in the final of the World Championship in 2013, it’s difficult to understand how Wales have never won the Six Nations. A second-place finish in 2013 was the best that they have managed to date and they are a side that often plays below the sum of their parts at this competition.

Second-year players Harrison Keddie and Owen Watkin will undoubtedly be amongst the best at the tournament, whilst young tighthead Leon Brown is a player with a growing reputation that is likely to feature for Newport Gwent Dragons before too long. Keelan Giles is the pick of the new additions to the squad and will add plenty of pace on the outside to compliment the physical centres Wales have in their midfield.

Player to watch – Owen Watkin

Watkin made his debut for the Ospreys when many of his senior teammates were away at the Rugby World Cup and like Tyler Morgan and George North before him, is another player likely to be fast-tracked by his region.

Wales are not short of a centre or two as stands, but with Watkin displaying a rare mix of power and subtlety in his approach to the game, he could force himself into contention for a starting spot with the senior side before the 2019 RWC rolls around.

Prediction – 2^nd. As ever, the Welsh side looks strong on paper, but that doesn’t always guarantee success at this level. A trip to Donnybrook to take on Ireland in the opening game of the tournament is harder than most Welsh fans would have liked, but if they can win that, they could ride momentum to the title. If the tournament comes down to points difference, Wales’ final fixture - Italy at home - could be decisive.