World Rugby U20s XV of the Tournament

The 2016 World Rugby U20 Championship in Manchester is now concluded, with England lifting the trophy on Saturday evening after a thoroughly impressive 45-21 victory over Ireland.

The tournament delivered all the thrills and spills it promised, as well as an intriguing glance at the superstars of tomorrow. We’ve compiled our XV of the tournament and as previous U20 standouts such as Maro Itoje, Sean McMahon and Handrè Pollard have shown, these players will be well worth keeping an eye on over the coming years.

1. Andrew Porter, Ireland

The loosehead was given a torrid time in the final by England’s Billy Walker but his work in the tournament up until that point was peerless. A destructive scrummager and real threat in the loose, Porter has a bright future at provincial and international levels.

2. Gaspar Baldunciel, Argentina

Ireland’s Adam McBurney came close to pipping Baldunciel but the Argentinean’s work at the set-piece was excellent and he was a driving force behind his nation’s unexpected third-place finish. Could Baldunciel be the eventual successor to Agustin Creevy in the middle of the Pumas’ front row? Don’t be surprised if he is.

3. Marco Riccioni, Italy

Italian captain Riccioni was without doubt the most impressive of the Azzurri at the Championship, not least so in Italy’s vital 11^th place playoff game against Japan. His work at the set-piece was one of the main factors behind Italy’s successful campaign to avoid relegation.

4. Ignacio Calas, Argentina

One of the few ever-presents for Argentina, who rotated heavily throughout the tournament, second-year lock Calas was at the heart of several impressive pack performances. The Pumas are blessed with a pair of effective young locks (and recent U20 graduates) in Guido Petti and Tomas Lavanini, but they could soon find themselves under pressure from the well-rounded Calas.

5. James Ryan, Ireland

Ryan’s teammate Cillian Gallagher ran him close for this spot but the Ireland captain has exuded class and ability all tournament long. There are no weaknesses in Ryan’s game and he is as ready as any player in the Ireland team to step up to provincial rugby next season.

6. Zain Davids, South Africa

The openside switches over to blindside for the purposes of this XV after he exhibited his extraordinary potential at the Championship. It wasn’t a flawless campaign for the flank, who made his share of errors, but his ability with ball in hand is special, as are the physical skills he offers. With another year of experience and technical development, Davids will be a name to watch in Super Rugby.

7. Will Evans, England

The addition of Evans to the England side which struggled in the U20 Six Nations may have been the most important move made by coach Martin Haag. England’s ability to compete at the breakdown and force turnovers, which was sorely missing during the Six Nations, tallied with Evans’ high level of play during the Championship.

8. Max Deegan, Ireland

Japan’s Tevita Tatafu had another blistering tournament after impressing in 2015 but the rise to prominence of Deegan was a key component behind Ireland making it all the way to the final. His relentless carrying kept Ireland on the front foot all the way through the pool stage and in their impressive semi-final victory over Argentina.

9. James Tuttle, Australia

The Australian saw off strong competition from Scotland’s Hugo Fraser and was one of the shining lights for Australia at the Championship. His chemistry with fly-half Mack Mason was impressive and he brought plenty of tempo and precision to Australia’s play, even if he wasn’t given the best of service by his pack.

10. Harry Mallinder, England

An injury to Theo Brophy Clews forced Mallinder to move in from inside centre to fly-half and the Northampton man took it all in his considerable stride. With even more touches of the ball, Mallinder’s fingerprints were all over England’s successful march to the title and it seems only a matter of time before a full senior cap comes his way.

11. Jacob Stockdale, Ireland

An out-and-out wing like Gaby N’Gandebe or Hugo Keenan, who were both very impressive, should probably take this spot, but it was impossible to leave out Stockdale, who had a sensational Championship at full-back after moving from the wing at last year’s tournament. Stockdale’s running from deep was one of the most eye-catching features of this Wolfpuppies side and he has a very bright future at Ulster.

12. Jordie Barrett, New Zealand

The younger brother of Beauden arrived at the Championship with pretty heavy expectations on his shoulders because of his famous relation, but the young inside centre bore them well and certainly delivered. The Baby Blacks fell short of their usual high standards but Barrett was a threat as a runner and a distributor throughout. Although there’s no shortage of talent floating around in New Zealand, Barrett certainly seems to have All Black-level talent.

13. Joe Marchant, England

Marchant had a quiet U20 Six Nations after bursting on to the scene last year but stepped up his level of performances at the Championship markedly, running with elusive threat at outside centre. His link-up play with Mallinder and Johnny Williams was exceptional and only improved as the tournament went on, culminating in a fine performance in the final against Ireland.

14. Ataata Moeakiola, Japan

The Tokai University wing set tongues wagging in the first game of the Championship, running in a first half hat-trick against the Junior Springboks. The South Africans just couldn’t deal with the physicality of Moeakiola, who already has a senior cap for the Brave Blossoms to his name. He couldn’t replicate those same fireworks throughout the tournament but he was still comfortably one of the standout wings.

15. Curwin Bosch, South Africa

The versatile full-back/fly-half was the shining light of a Junior Springboks side that had its moments but also failed to live up to its potential in Manchester. Bosch spent his time at the tournament at full-back and provided plenty of counter-attacking threat, territorial control with the boot and defensive understanding.