Stars of the future?

[Teh Mite]

Could stick Cipriani at 10, though that would involve having...Cipriani

Fixed

 

[Peat]

Could stick Cipriani at 10, though that would involve having a team where Cipriani was at 10

Capped by Ashton. Sorry, I wasn't clear - given their first caps by Johnson.

 

[gingergenius]

your Johnson team contains 1) Joe Simpson and Dom Waldouck, who haven't been capped; 2) delon armitage who's 27 and not exactly young; 3) matt banahan; 4) besides hartley & delon, none have more than a handful of caps.

In fact the evidence is there in most of those players - given a cap or two before the desire to recall a Worsley figure cuts their international career short.

 

[Peat]

I did say I was stretching the definition of young. Simpson and Waldouck would have had caps except for injury, I thought they had played full games though. Oh well, close enough.

That team contains 6 starters from the Australia game. Flood and Croft too are both fairly young. A lot of these players weren't really ready before the last 6 Nations - that was Youngs' breakthrough season in the Premiership for crying out loud - and he took over from a rather young Danny Care as well. Lawes played U20 rugby the season before as well. And so on. Most of the players on that team are still in and around the Saxons at least - and frankly, players like Crane and Armitage didn't do enough to take the places of Easter and Moody.

Johnson is a bewildering and sometimes annoying coach but to criticise him for not playing youth is simply not backed up by facts.

 

[Danny innit]

- Ben Morgan. Plenty been said about this 21 year old no. 8 already. He's been great for the Scarlets in Lyons' absense, a ball carrying machine. English born, but has said he'd like to play for Wales. We'll see which country he ends up playing for, but genuine prospect.

I played colts with Ben in Gloucestershire. He's an awesome player, and I would love to see him where he belongs in Cherry & White for Glaws and the Red Rose of England!

 

[Steveskiez7]

I remember when Matthew Tait and Tom Rees were outstanding English prospects, I'll cut some slack for Tom Rees since he has had a horror injury track record.

 

[Aedaphon]

We should've kept Tait as a winger, he had to bulk up because he was being flattened in the centres and now just doesn't have any of the flair/speed he had that made him such a talent in the first place.
However given its RWC year surely following this year we're gonna people leaving EVERY squad. Especially with England (finally) we'll probably be seeing the exit of Tindall, hopefully for Manu.

 

[ranger]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5sSWy1ZfYA

 

[best_fullback]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5sSWy1ZfYA

Seems like a decent player! Pardon me for sounding ignorant, but what age is this, and what kind of standard is it?

 

[lucky number 7]

He looks absolutely savage ranger .. a bit light though wonder how he would fare with a big 8 running at him ? I guess if you cant catch him you cant hit him

 

[best_fullback]

He looks absolutely savage ranger .. a bit light though wonder how he would fare with a big 8 running at him ? I guess if you cant catch him you cant hit him

My concern would be with him that there are hardly any clips of him giving quick, expansive distribution - just line breaks really and either giving the pass or scoring him self (with what seems to be blistering pace). I would wonder how he would fare against a well drilled defence who wouldn't get sucked into his dummys to 12 and 13, and whether he can switch to plan B in that situation and just play the simple game effectively. That is the mark of a good 10.

 

[lucky number 7]

Yeah of the couple of times he chucked it wide the distribution did not seem too fast and on one occassion I saw it well over the catchers head ..the defence was not the best for many of the tries but there is no denying that this guy has it...pace to burn , nice step and those guys he has around him picking such good lines too.

 

[best_fullback]

Yeah of the couple of times he chucked it wide the distribution did not seem too fast and on one occassion I saw it well over the catchers head ..the defence was not the best for many of the tries but there is no denying that this guy has it...pace to burn , nice step and those guys he has around him picking such good lines too.

Maybe on that basis he has the makings of a good 15? Seeing as we saw nothing more than chip kicks we can't make any many assumptions on his tactical play in that respect, but with pace and a step like that it would be deadly in counter attack - I just assume from the quality of his handling that he would be good under the high ball. Then get a more orthodox 10 to fill in. But this is all depending on the circumstances, and the opposition. If the standard were to get better and he struggled I would revert to this, but there seems no reason to change it if he continues to play like this!

 

[ranger]

Seems like a decent player! Pardon me for sounding ignorant, but what age is this, and what kind of standard is it?

Its 1st XV rugby from South Africa, so its a fairly high standard. He was 17 in that video, he doesnt turn 19 till this September. He looks magic with ball in hand but as has been noted his traditional flyhalf skills dont look too flash. I think he would develop into a great player in NZ but his style might be a little too far out of the comfort zone for most South African coaches, which would be a shame.

Edit, this is the guy that claimed the South African Schools 10 jersey over him http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wLtxNe0nD0

 

[lance2010]

Its 1st XV rugby from South Africa, so its a fairly high standard. He was 17 in that video, he doesnt turn 19 till this September. He looks magic with ball in hand but as has been noted his traditional flyhalf skills dont look too flash. I think he would develop into a great player in NZ but his style might be a little too far out of the comfort zone for most South African coaches, which would be a shame.

Edit, this is the guy that claimed the South African Schools 10 jersey over him http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wLtxNe0nD0

This guy has got Benji Marshall,Carlos Spencer,Quade Cooper writing all over him.Bring him to the Hurricanes RIGHT NOW!!!

 

[best_fullback]

Edit, this is the guy that claimed the South African Schools 10 jersey over him http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wLtxNe0nD0

Jesus that was a hell of a kick! How on earth did he get that much power on it with only a 2 step run up!?

 

[Peat]

Nice little highlights reel that.

 

[lucky number 7]

**** me that guy has legs like a cannon

 

[best_fullback]

**** me that guy has legs like a cannon

Either that of the game was being played at 5000 meters above sea level!

 

[lucky number 7]

Either that of the game was being played at 5000 meters above sea level!

Or....he is Jesus