LONG READ Players to watch this United Rugby Championship season

Since its inception in 2021, the United Rugby Championship has produced three different winners from three nations, and competition laden with narrative, intrigue and upsets.

Along the way, stars have been made and players come of age. And this season will be no different, away from the glare of a Rugby World Cup with top dogs refreshed and new faces primed to show their wares.

Here is a selection of players who could catch the eye in the months ahead.

Louis Lynagh, Benetton

The Benetton bandwagon has been trundling along for some time, but gathered serious pace over the past three years. Marco Bortolami is a talented young coach armed with greater financial clout by the Italian federation.

Benetton have augmented their international-heavy squad with astute signings from overseas, Malakai Fekitoa, Tomas Albornoz and Jacob Umaga among them. They have also recruited Italy-eligible talent from other leagues and this summer, have brought Test newcomer Louis Lynagh to Treviso, following in Paolo Odogwu’s formidable bootprints.

Lynagh was one of the Premiership’s box-office draws when he seared on to the scene three years ago with a jaw-dropping role in Harlequins’ title charge. He was talked about as an England international in waiting back then and included in an Eddie Jones squad. Australia, unsurprisingly, were credited with interest too.

After injury stalled his progress, Lynagh entered last season uncapped and hungry for Test minutes. Gonzalo Quesada called him up for the Six Nations and he duly impressed in statement wins over Scotland and Wales, scoring in the former.

He heads to Benetton with a terrific try return of 31 in 67 Quins matches – a rate of one try per 134 competitive minutes – and is sure to be among the league’s most dangerous strike runners this season.

Callum Sheedy, Cardiff

Tinus de Beer was one of the URC’s stand-out signings last year, and with versatile Ben Thomas on the books, fly-half isn’t a position in which Cardiff looked desperately short of quality.

But in bringing Sheedy back to his boyhood club, they have recruited a seasoned, intelligent professional with vast experience of clutch rugby and a burning desire to get back on the Test scene, having not featured for Wales in two years.

Sheedy has spent the past decade at Bristol Bears, where he made his name as the quarterback of Pat Lam’s all-star backline, featured in Premiership play-offs and was touted as a potential England international, even being involved in a squad to face the Barbarians in 2019.

Bristol have underwhelmed of late, but Sheedy is only 28, with over 100 Premiership matches and over 1100 Bristol points. He loves the club – he would come to watch Cardiff with his dad as a child – has a strong relationship with Cardiff supremo Matt Sherratt, and a few points to prove. It’s a potent combination.

Sam Prendergast, Leinster

A precocious talent, and perhaps the long-term heir to Johnny Sexton’s throne. Irish rugby folk have been talking about Prendergast for what seems an eternity. He is raw, of course, and still just 21, but has temperament and streestsmarts beyond his years and a beautiful style to his play. He’s a fabulous distributor and accurate kicker with vision keen enough to maximise his skillset. Even his running gait and torpedo punts are a little Sexton-like.

The biggest question is what to do with him. It’s crucial Prendergast plays, for time in the saddle is vital for all young half-backs, but will he get those opportunities at Leinster? The moneyed province has a four-pivot logjam featuring Ross and Harry Byrne, and Ciaran Frawley, each of whom have designs not just on the blue jersey but a green one. Frawley, especially, made a statement in South Africa over summer and wants to make the 10 berth his own.

A loan to Connacht, where Prendergast’s elder brother Cian is based, was mooted some months ago but those rumours seem to have fallen dormant. After winning his first Ireland call-up in July, wherever he plays, Prendergast will be worth watching.

Siya Masuku, Sharks

The introduction of Siya Masuku and the Sharks’ long-awaited upturn in fortunes did not feel like a coincidence. For all their mega-Bok world champions, the fly-half was arguably the franchise’s most influential player en route to a vastly improved second half of the season, culminating in the Challenge Cup victory.

Masuku has an interesting back story. He was not a darling of one of South Africa’s big four provincial units. He was playing amateur rugby in the North West Province five years ago, then went to Spain to continue chasing his dream. The Sharks took a punt on him when he won the Currie Cup with the Cheetahs in 2023, but only handed him the reins in March after a spree of erratic backline performances demanded change.

What a year it’s been for Siya Masuku and Aphelele Fassi 🖤

The No. 10 has just signed an extension with @SharksRugby to 2028 🔒

While the fullback is now lighting it up with @Springboks 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tBoTGHkFFM

— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) August 19, 2024

Masuku was 27 by then. That’s how long it took him to win a regular spot in a URC-level team, but when he got there, it was going to take a crowbar to shift him. Masuku got his outside backs humming, kicked beautifully, and at one stage, claimed four player of the match awards in five games. He was instrumental in the Challenge Cup final dismantling of Gloucester.

He’s still only started 10 matches for the Sharks. This season is a whopper, particularly with new Springbok Jordan Hendrikse for company and competition in place of Curwin Bosch. There’s nothing to suggest Masuku won’t continue where he left off.

Mosese Tuipulotu, Edinburgh

A fascinating signing. Younger brother of Glasgow and Scotland fulcrum Sione, Tuipulotu would dearly love to make a similar impression on Scottish rugby, even if he is determined to carve out his own niche.

“It’s a big reason for me to get over to Scotland – to prove to the people I’m not just his little brother, I can play myself,” he told RugbyPass back in May.

Edinburgh’s midfield lacked spark and creativity during an infuriating last campaign. Sean Everitt brought greater structure and discipline, but the attacking edge which characterised Mike Blair’s reign dulled noticeably. Everitt described Tuipulotu – a centre, like his sibling – as a “big fellow with good offload skills and he has the ability to get you across the gain line… at times that’s been lacking for us.”

‘A big reason for me to get to Scotland is to prove I’m not just Sione’s little brother, I can play.’

Exclusive interview with Mosese Tuipulotu on how he’ll carve his own path when he gets to Edinburgh. He’s also right up for a spot on the summer tour⤵️https://t.co/fnqF89k8Nv

— Jamie Lyall (@JLyall93) May 21, 2024

Across the backline, Ross Thompson will challenge Ben Healy at fly-half. Matt Scott, still a class act, has returned from Leicester for a third spell at his hometown club. Matt Currie was a breakout performer last year. Emiliano Boffelli and – crucially – Darcy Graham are over long-term injuries. Tuipulotu, with a full pre-season behind him, adds to their firepower and, hopefully, their fluency.

Keep an eye on young hooker, Patrick Harrison, too. Signed on a long-term deal, Harrison has explosive agility, raw power and a compelling snarl about his game. He was stuck behind senior pros for several years but now, with a first cap on Scotland’s summer tour to his name, he should see far more action.

Hugh Gavin, Connacht

The muscular kingpin of the Ireland U20s backline. Gavin has spent the past two seasons displaying his power-packed carrying and offloading ability in what was Richie Murphy’s hugely successful age-grade squad. He’s scored tries, won titles, played virtually every minute and, at points, looked like a man in a boy’s game. Now he’s primed to step up to the big time, and has developed at a Connacht province unafraid to give youth its chance.

“That last [Under 20 World Championship] campaign, he showed that, respectfully, he has outgrown that level of rugby,” Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins told The Irish Independent last month, explaining he sees Gavin operating chiefly at number 12. “I thought he was fantastic, and he is ready to play for us – to put it bluntly.”

There can be no doubting Gavin’s physical durability at 6ft 3ins and around 100kg, and in the great Bundee Aki and adroit Cathal Forde, he has two splendid figures to learn from in Galway.

Morgan Morse, Ospreys

Roared onto the URC stage last season ballet-dancing through a swamp at the Brewery Field in Bridgend. Morse was still 18 back then, but packed his breakout campaign with a litany of highlight-reel moments, including another fabulous solo score against the Lions in Johannesburg. He then went back to South Africa over summer and shattered the Wales U20s caps record.

The step, the pace, the power 🤩

What a try from @Ospreys‘ Morgan Morse 😮‍💨#BKTURC #URC #OSPvCAR pic.twitter.com/BF5DUKAqOP

— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) January 1, 2024

This kid is special. Physically, he’s terrifying. Not just massive, but agile and dexterous with it. And he’s been feeding on the wisdom of Justin Tipuric, Jac Morgan and Morgan Morse as he hones his trade in the back-row. He’ll be a central – and exhilarating – figure for the Ospreys this season.

Jack Mann, Glasgow Warriors

Jack Mann is 24 years old and has long been part of the Scottish rugby set-up, yet you probably don’t know his name. That’s because the abrasive back-row has been besieged by a set of spectacularly unfortunate injuries.

He was an unerring stand-out for Heriot’s in the semi-professional Super Series, with his dynamic ball-carrying particularly impressive. He shone, too, on his Glasgow debut back in December 2022, when a Warriors team shorn of so many front-liners won at The Rec.

Astonishingly, it remains Mann’s one and only professional appearance. He suffered his third concussion in 12 months that day, with Scottish Rugby standing him down for a year as a precaution to protect his brain and prevent him missing too much of the World Cup-disrupted following season. Instead, Mann wrecked his ankle shortly after returning to training, and has not long returned to first-team contention.

That Glasgow have kept him on, and handed him a new deal amidst the turmoil, speaks volumes about where they think Mann can go.

“I really want to reciprocate that [faith] to the club, because I feel like they’ve put so much faith in me based on one game,” Mann told The Offside Line recently.

“It feels a bit bad that I’ve been sponging off them for the last year and a half.”

Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Bulls

Earmarked for the top since his days as a bullocking presence for Grey College, Wessels has shifted from position to position before settling in the front row of Jake White’s pack. He’s an enormous young man of 6ft 4ins and over 120kg, adept at prop but primarily now a hooker, and with serious carrying oomph around the paddock.

Rassie Erasmus treasures versatility and gave Wessels his first caps during the summer window, along with fellow front row and Grey schoolmate Andre-Hugo Venter.

Wessels has not seen much URC action. He has made 23 outings in the tournament but only started three, owing to the Bulls’ substantial depth. Johan Grobbelaar and Akker van der Merwe are two of the best hookers in the league. Expect 23-year-old Wessels to earn more minutes, and more plaudits.