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Harlequins' Charlie Walker finds a new home in Italy

Harlequins' Charlie Walker, here embracing Jack Clifford this month versus Leicester, is off to the PRO14 (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images)

Former England sevens player Charlie Walker has found himself a new club after agreeing to join PRO14 outfit Zebre. The winger had played nearly 100 matches for Harlequins before bowing out at the Londoners at the end of this season.

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A Leicester Tigers academy product, Walker moved to London in 2011 and became an under-20 Six Nations winer with England the following year. He was also called up to the English sevens squad, playing in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

After a couple of years on loan in the Championship, he returned to the Stoop and his career accelerated under Conor O’Shea, who is now coach of the Italy national team.

The 26-year-old, who scored 27 tries in his 60 Premiership appearances, will now link up with his new team in Italy in July for pre-season training.

I’m very excited by this great opportunity at Zebre that will also allow me to test myself in a context of a different culture.

“The club has great ambitions and clear objectives of what it wants to become. After talking to coach Michael Bradley about the rugby style he wants to play, it was immediately clear to me that Zebre are the right club for my future.”

The Italian club’s manager Andrea De Rossi added: “A wing is coming. Walker is an extreme player due to his speed, dynamism, great technique and good tackling as he also demonstrated with the England national sevens.

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?2011 ?? 2019 ? • • After 7 of the best years of my life followed by one of the toughest, I will be leaving Harlequins at the end of the season. Absolutely gutted to not make the ? club. However to have represented such a prestigious club 96 times and to score 44 tries, it has been an absolute honour. I would firstly like to thank the fans who have been there through the highs & lows, as well as the coaches and staff from both Surrey Sports Park & the Stoop. Secondly – a huge shout out to all the lads I’ve had the pleasure to play with, especially those who’ve been at the club since my day 1. You’ve made it a pleasure to come to work every day. Huge couple of weeks coming up which ill be putting everything into, lets go get it ??! #COYQ

A post shared by Charlie Walker (@cjnwalker) on

“He is certainly an excellent finisher. He immediately showed interest in the Zebre project, coming to Parma to see the club, get to know the staff and the city before signing.

“He is a close friend of David Sisi and has been positively referenced by Conor O’Shea. Everything has made the process that led to the agreement simple and quick.”

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit
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