Ireland’s latest batch of prospective Test stars had 48 good reasons to be envious of Mathis Fertè, as they watched France and England play out the World Rugby U20 Championship decider, in Cape Town. The France fullback has already lined out 48 times for his club, Brive in the Top 14 and Pro D2. He does not turn 21 until next February.
France and England contested the final, at DHL Stadium, and featured squads that had a fair amount of pro rugby experience. According to L’Equipe, the French XV from their semi-final win over New Zealand had 8,491 professional minutes in the bank. That is from the 2023/24 season alone. England’s starting team from their semi-final had 2,973. Ireland, who were beaten by England, had 294 minutes, shared by Muster duo Brian Gleeson (201) and Ben O’Connor (93).
No-one in Ireland will be blanching at those numbers – there are many more minutes to hand out in the top two divisions of England and France. Ireland are in a good spot when it comes to getting juice from the squeeze, but it usually just takes a couple of extra years to break through at senior level.
For the players from Willie Faloon’s squad that finished fourth in the latest U20 championship, the more realistic comparison is with last year’s Irish squad. From Richie Murphy’s panel of 30 players, who finished as runners-up to France in July 2023, 11 went on to play senior matches for their province (14 starts and 40 sub appearances, totalling 1,613 minutes). Evan O’Connell – captain for this summer’s tournament – did not line out for Munster this season, but had already made his professional debut, aged 18, in October 2022.
The biggest success story from the Irish ‘Class of 2022/23’ is Sam Prendergast. The 21-year-old had already lined out for the Leinster senior side, and won a Man of the Match accolade, before his starring role in the 2023 World Rugby U20s Championship. He followed that up, last season, with 16 senior appearances (478 minutes) for Leinster, including three Champions Cup outings, and a call-up to the full Ireland squad that toured South Africa.
Ulster back-row James McNabey (212) is next, in terms of pro minutes played, last season, but Gleeson made 11 appearances off the Munster bench. The Tipperary native would have made more had it not been for injury issues before the run-in. Ruadhan Quinn, with four appearances and two tries in a win over Zebre, can be pleased with his senior contribution, as can Leinster prop Paddy McCarthy (four sub outings), younger brother of Ireland lock, Joe.
The other six U20 graduates that tasted senior action, last season, include Ulster forward Joe Hopes and Leinster quintet Conor O Tighearnaigh, Henry McErlean, Diarmuid Mangan and Andrew Osborne, younger brother of newly-minted Ireland fullback, Jamie.
Anyone that saw the way Hugh Gavin attacked the line, pin-balled off New Zealand defenders and got an offload away to Connacht teammate Sean Naughton, in the third place playoff, will have taken note
Looking at that ‘Class of 2023/24’, there are several outstanding candidates I would back to get meaningful senior minutes, next season. We start with Connacht centre Hugh Gavin. Anyone that saw the way he attacked the line, pin-balled off New Zealand defenders and got an offload away to Connacht teammate Sean Naughton, in the third place playoff, will have taken note. The RugbyPass TV commentary team can take credit for the ‘Connacht Colossus’ moniker, if he goes on to have a block-rocking career. The 20-year-old centre has benefitted from Connacht integrating the academy squad with the senior side for more training runs, and match-ups. Connacht coach Pete Wilkins is up to speed on Gavin’s potential and, with Tom Farrell headed to Munster, Tom Daly joining Stade Niçois and Bundee Aki on the Test beat, there are minutes on offer. The Galway native started off on the left wing for Ireland U20s, in 2023, but moved to his preferred inside centre position for much of last season. He was named Man of the Match in an away Six Nations win over France, during which he bagged a crucial try.
The perfect start for the Irish 20s! Brilliant interplay between Oliver Coffey and Hugh Gavin to create this.#ENGvIRE pic.twitter.com/L9suC1BKvq
— EK Rugby Analysis (@ek_rugby) July 14, 2024
Talking to those that followed his journey through the Galwegian RFC ranks, Gavin was earmarked for that provincial, then national, step-up from way out. Following in the footsteps of his father, Barry, Gavin was six when he showed up at Crowley Park for his first taste of rugby. Soon juggling between rugby and a promising Gaelic football career, it was a family jaunt to Murrayfield, when he was 12, that fixed his sporting goals. Gavin travelled by ferry, with his father and brothers, to Scotland, and were at Edinburgh to see Connacht beat Leinster in the 2016 PRO12 Final. “After the game,” he told RTÉ, “I’d never seen my dad in tears, he was flooded. All the players coming up, high-fiving us after the game, it was unbelievable. It’s something I’ll always dream about doing. It was always going to be rugby but that would have sealed it. That will always be my dream, to win silverware with Connacht.”
Gavin played GAA until minor (U18) level but stepped away as rugby came to the fore, and he was selected for Connacht’s underage sides. Eric Elwood selected him for Connacht Eagles, when he was 18, and Ireland U20 selections followed – 20 appearances (18 starts) over two campaigns. The apprenticeship has been completed.
Graham Rowntree has already demonstrated he is more than willing to give youthful upstarts the time and toil needed to prove themselves.
Connacht are now seeing the fruits from the hero worship of that title-winning Connacht team of 2016. It is no coincidence the province is producing a raft of promising centres, with Gavin next up after Cathal Forde and Shane Jennings. The centre idols, eight years ago, were Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw. Next season, it will be Aki togging out with lads living out their childhood dreams.
Down Munster way, O’Connor and Gleeson will be looking to kick on after senior dalliances, last term. Graham Rowntree has already demonstrated he is more than willing to give youthful upstarts the time and toil needed to prove themselves. For that reason, Sean Edogbo may also get some United Rugby Championship minutes to show what he can do. Back row is beginning to stack up, at Munster, but we could have the prospect of Sean packing down with his older brother, Edwin in Cork next season.
With RG Snyman departed to Leinster and Andy Farrell keen for both Tadhg Beirne and Tom Ahern to get blindside minutes, Evan O’Connell will be desperate to show he has what it takes to make it in Munster’s second row. The province have three hookers in their mid 20s all vying for minutes but it was Niall Scannell, now 32 and into veteran category, that had most starts, last season. Danny Sheahan will have to make the most of his training reps and hope to do enough when his chance eventually comes.
After signing up the Leinster underage trio of Jack Murphy, Sam Berman and Wilhelm de Klerk, Ulster ended up with six academy players from Ireland U20s championship squad. With former U20s head coach Richie Murphy in-situ, Ulster’s academy prospects will tell themselves they have a baked-in advantage. Jack Murphy is son of the Ulster coach and will be pressing for senior action. Billy Burns has moved to Munster, so Murphy will be up against Jake Flannery, James Humphreys and former Hurricanes star, Aidan Morgan. Best placed of the other U20s to push on, at Ulster, next season are back-rows James McKillop and Bryn Ward, son of former Ireland international, Andy Ward.
A players to track closely from the recent Ireland crop is the gargantuan Alan Spicer. The UCD lock stretches the tape at 6ft 10in and had a number of dominant plays in recent outings against Italy and New Zealand
Then we come to Leinster, who gave professional debuts to seven of that ‘Class of 2022/23’, last season. Given the province habitually losing 15-plus players to Ireland squads, there are always opportunities for the best young prospects. Leinster had 14 players that came through their age grade teams in the U20 world championships squad but, as noted above, Ulster have snapped up three. Players to track closely from the recent Ireland crop are winger Hugo McLaughlin and the gargantuan Alan Spicer. The UCD lock stretches the tape at 6ft 10in and had a number of dominant plays in recent outings against Italy and New Zealand.
He only turned 19 in May, so could feature for the U20s again, next season. Do not expect too much senior team minutes for Spicer in 2024/25, as his development continues. Leinster could playfully combine him with 6-foot-9 RG Snyman for a URC game, though. Just to scare the living daylights out of opposition coaches.
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