Here it is folks, the final team of the U20 Six Nations. It was a great tournament, a memorable one for every team.
Each team had players who impressed, so picking just fifteen players proved difficult. Then if you know either Alex or myself – then you’ll know we don’t always agree on things. So we’ve each picked our own XVs – providing why each player should be in there.
There are differences, including a positional debate. We did agree on a few players though, and in each case have named another player who impressed. There are also mentions for any additional players who we felt deserved mentions – and we’ve specified who included that player.
But before our XVs, here are our top 5 players of the tournament:
| Alex’s Top 5 | Conor’s Top 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Isiekwe | Zach Mercer |
| 2 | Zach Mercer | Nick Isiekwe |
| 3 | Darcy Graham | Jordan Larmour |
| 4 | Ben Curry | Ben Curry |
| 5 | Tom Curry | Caelan Doris |
15. Alex’s selection: Jordan Larmour (Ireland),
Larmour really grew into the tournament and by the fifth round, looked like the premiere counter-attacker among the six competing nations. Conor will go on to make the case he is better on the wing but, in my opinion, that ability to change field position with a counter-attack sees him make the most impact at the back.
Maybe he goes on to make his name at senior level on the wing but don’t rule him out at 15. He is very adept in aerial contests and showed flashes of the tactical kicking and defensive cover work that could make him a premiere player at the position, especially if he can become more consistent in those areas.
Conor’s selection: Darcy Graham (Scotland)
Simply put, Darcy Graham had the best fullback performances in the tournament. When he played there, he shone – earning a pro contract in the process. When he was put on the wing his influence was lessened.
We got to see certain parallels between Graham and Scotland’s incumbent fullback Stuart Hogg. Both are electric with the ball in hand, are lethal on the counter-attack – and seem to find gaps in the line on an all too frequent basis.
He gets my fullback spot, because Alex’s choice was better on the wing.
Special Mentions: Rhun Williams (Wales – COL), Tom Parton (England – Alex)
14. Alex’s selection: Darcy Graham (Scotland)
Graham is blessed with outstanding short-area quickness, making him the perfect weapon on the wing, where he will tend to get less space to work in than he does at full-back. The nimble footwork and outstanding balance he has saw him beat many a player in the 11 jersey for Scotland and he proved himself to be the most consistent attacking threat in the side.
Having spent four of Scotland’s five games on the wing, too, he seems like a more logical pick here than at 15, but that shouldn’t detract from his long-term potential at the position, where he could become a very able deputy, very quickly, to Stuart Hogg.
Conor’s selection: Jordan Larmour (Ireland)
Possibly the only non-English contender for player of the tournament. Jordan Larmour was outstanding in all facets of his play, and proved that he’s ready for senior rugby now.
Why pick him on the wing where he started the first three games, compared to at fullback where he started the final two?
It’s nothing to do with his attacking play. Larmour was an exhilarating threat with ball in hand from wherever he played. His power and strength to consistently make yards is ridiculous, and there is a palpable sense of wonder and excitement when he touches the ball – and he never lets you down in that regard.
But I believe there is a significant loss to playing Larmour at fullback, and that’s his defensive play. There aren’t many wingers in senior international rugby who were as good as Larmour was in defense in this tournament. He made four try-saving tackles spread whilst on the wing, putting in some huge and impactful hits. His positioning and ability to shut down opposing wingers – Andrea Bronzini and Faraj Fartass, was fantastic.
This was lost when he went to fullback. He couldn’t have the same defensive impact, and his (understandable) lack of positioning of fullback was exposed by Wales and England.
While Larmour is a 9/10 player at 15, he’s a 10/10 on the wing.
See Also: The U20 Six Nations Team Of The Week: Round Two
Special Mention: Joe Cokanasinga (England – Alex & COL), Calvin Nash (Ireland – Alex & COL)
13. Alex’s selection: Ludovico Vaccari (Italy),
The results mask what was a quite impressive campaign from Italy, with several players putting in performances that should single them out as potential senior caps in the coming years. Vaccari was chief among those standout Italians.
There are shades of Michele Campagnaro about Vaccari and he showed the pace to make outside breaks in very similar fashion to the Exeter man. He linked play well with the outside backs, defended solidly and relishes the contact enough that he can put his head down and put Italy on the front-foot with strong, direct carries if necessary.
Conor’s selection: Tommy O’Brien (Ireland)
Part of this selection is to recognise as many players who played well as possible. Tommy O’Brien was selected at 13 during this championship, but played most of his good rugby on the wing. He wouldn’t get into the XV ahead of Larmour, Graham, Aspland-Robinson, or Fartass – but I think he was the best player who played in the outside centre position too.
Still only U19, his tour de force against France was up there with the most outstanding display of anyone in the tournament. He threatened every time he got the ball in his hands – creating linebreaks and a wonderful solo try – but the highlight was undoubtedly his try-saving tackle:
Just magnificent.
Special Mention: Cameron Lewis (Wales -COL)
See Also: The U20 Six Nations Team Of The Week: Round Three
12. Keiran Williams (Wales)
Our first unanimous selection, Welsh inside centre had a marvellous tournament. With a running style not too dissimilar to Scott Gibbes – Williams was a reliable source of go-forward ball capable of breaking the line and running 50 or 60 metres.
He tore the Scottish and Irish defenses apart in particular, and does have more to his game than just a formidable running style. He was stout in defense, and has a decent passing game too. He’s more than useful at the breakdown too.
The top try scorer in the tournament with five.
Warren Gatland would love him.
Special Mention: Will Butler (England – Alex & COL)
11. Alex’s selection: Faraj Fartass (France)
Given the injury problems Fartass has already had to overcome in his young career, to see him out on the field, displaying the kind of electric pace that he possess, is impressive all by itself.
For all the problems in French rugby, their ability to produce clinical wingers who have a knack for following play and popping up when and where they are needed, is exceptional. Yoann Huget, Christophe Dominici, Cédric Heymans. The list goes on.
Fartass is the latest in that line of wings with a proclivity for crossing the try-line and he has physical tools which exceed many of those players that preceded him.
Conor’s selection: Sam Aspland-Robinson (England)
Aspland-Robinson continued his dominance at this level from last year’s U20 World Cup star-turn.
The flier plays like a seasoned pro – his ability to find space, cruise into gaps and fly past defenses meant that he was perhaps England’s best weapon. On a team that scored 28 tries over five games – eight more than any else, that’s a sign of a serious player.
Special Mention: Gabriel Ngandebe (France – COL)
10. Max Malins (England)
It’s been a good year for fly-halves, with every competing nation boasting a player (or two) with the potential to be a senior cap, but no other 10 matched the impact that Malins had on the tournament.
He only played three of the five games due to senior club commitments with Saracens but turned the French and Scottish defences inside out during those three games, as well as managing a tough and hard-fought encounter with Ireland in Dublin.
His play on the gain-line is polished, he can spot a gap and exploit it with his pace and he always seems to be aware of what is going on around him.
Ben Jones (Wales – Alex & COL)
Jones is another who benefitted hugely from this tournament. His ability was more evident as the tournament progressed, and grew visibly in confidence. He’s a very cerebral player, and his execution improved with each game.
Special Mention: Antonio Rizzi (Italy – COL), Josh Henderson (Scotland – Alex)
9. Alex’s selection: Dane Blacker (Wales)
It was expected that Blacker would start the tournament with Reuben Morgan-Williams still recovering from injury, but it was not expected that he would keep the Osprey on the bench when Morgan-Williams returned to fitness. Maybe this will change at the upcoming World Rugby U20 Championship in Georgia, but he certainly deserved the starting spot over the last two months.
Blacker shone in the Premiership 7s last year and once again showed that electric ability with a dynamic campaign in the Six Nations. He can run, pass, box-kick and provide quick service, making him a very well-rounded scrum-half.
Conor’s selection: Harry Randall (England)
I’ll admit, the best single-game scrumhalf performance was from Arthur Retiere. But France decided to bench him in place of Baptiste Couilloud for the majority of the tournament.
The most consistent scrumhalf was England’s Harry Randall. His innate sense of when to increase the tempo, when to snipe around the fringes, and his ability to swing momentum in England’s way was a big part of how they were able to dominate teams with an avalanche of tries. His service was quick and snappy, and he hits harder than you’d think for someone of his size.
Special Mention: Charly Trussardi (Italy – COL)
1. Rhys Carre (Wales)
There wasn’t a more consistent prop in the tournament than Rhys Carre. Making the majority of our team of the week lists despite impressive competition – Carre’s abilities in the loose, at scrumtime, and on the deck shone.
The Cardiff Blues have found their heir to Gethin Jenkins.
Ollie Dawe (England – Alex & COL)
Alex: Whilst I agree that Carre was the most impressive loosehead in general in the tournament, I think Dawe was the standout scrummager. The scrum was an early issue for England – before moving to Ciaran Knight at tighthead – but even in the opening two games, Dawe did not take a step back at loosehead.
Special Mention: George Thornton (Scotland – COL)
2. Tadhg McElroy (Ireland)
McElroy plays with a huge amount of niggle. That’s the first thing you need to know about him.
An incredibly fiesty player who gets stuck into everyone and everything, his youth career as a flanker shows in his play. His lineout throwing wasn’t always where it needed to be, but he never let a mistake effect the rest of his game.
When the Irish U20s were training with the Irish senior team, McElroy had to be restrained after getting into a bust-up with Peter O’Mahony. A very promising, fiesty player – the kind you’d love to have on your side.
Special Mention: Corrie Tarrant (Wales – COL)
3. Alex’s selection: Marco Riccioni (Italy)
Riccioni needs to be playing Guinness PRO12 rugby and he needs to be playing it soon. This is the heir apparent to Martin Castrogiovanni.
As you can tell from the ‘Special Mentions’, tightheads had a good tournament, but in terms of technique and physical-readiness for senior rugby, Riccioni is in a class of his own.
He was injured and missed facing England’s Dawe, something which does work in his favour, but the job he did in the three games that he did play, was very noteworthy.
Conor’s selection: Charlie Connolly (Ireland)
This wasn’t an easy call. As you can tell by naming five tightheads, and the sixth was in our final team of the week too.
Connolly changed the fortunes of the Irish scrum. They struggled mightily against the Scots in the first round, but when Connolly came into the side for the second game, Ireland not only achieved parity – but started to push teams off their ball.
His skills in open field were fantastic, and were a welcome trend in the tournament to see forwards so comfortable on the ball.
See Also: The U20 Six Nations Team Of The Week: Round Five
Special Mention: Ciaran Knight (England – Alex & COL), Kieron Assiratti (Wales – COL), Murray Nicol (Scotland – Alex)
4. Alex’s selection: Callum Hunter-Hill (Scotland),
Scotland’s future in the second row is beginning to look very good. The Gray brothers and Grant Gilchrist aren’t going anywhere soon, Scott Cummings has begun to step up and now Hunter-Hill joins the party.
Hunter-Hill didn’t flash in the same ways as the likes of Maro Itoje, James Ryan or Nick Isiekwe have done at this level in recent years but he is very solid in the fundamental skills of playing in the second row. He contributes at the set-piece, the breakdown and offers great work rate in defence. He’s the George Kruis or Donnacha Ryan-like workhorse in the Scotland U20s.
Conor’s selection: Alex Dombrandt (Wales)
There weren’t many more hard-working and effective second rows than Alex Dombrandt. Capable of curing constipation in opponents tasked with taking him down when running at full speed – Dombrandt finished the tournament as the most impressive tournament.
It takes a lot for RTE commentator Ryle Nugent to mention an opposition player he wouldn’t know – but Nugent wouldn’t stop talking about how well Dombrandt was playing against Ireland. It almost seemed like he was making every tackle, making positive carries on every other phase, and stealing a line-out or two.
It wasn’t just against Ireland that Dombrandt shone – he was outstanding in a losing effort against France, creating a try in the process.
Special Mention: Jack Nay (England – Alex)
5. Nick Isiekwe (England)
Isiekwe made the ‘Team of the Week’ on all four occasions that he played over the last two months and rightfully so.
He was the glue that held the English lineout – with its four different hookers – together over the course of the championship. He also showed his ability as a carrier, an offloader and his passing on the gain-line bordered on exquisite for a tight five forward.
This new breed of uber-athletic, ball-handling forwards is taking over northern hemisphere rugby and Isiekwe will be at the forefront of that continued revolution.
See Also: The U20 Six Nations Team Of The Week: Round One
Special Mention: Oisin Dowling (Ireland – COL)
6. Alex’s selection: Tom Curry (England)
If you look back at England’s two best performances during the tournament, they came in wins over France and Wales in the opening two rounds. There is a case to be argued that no player was as influential in those victories – even the imperious Zach Mercer – as T Curry.
The work rate, the physicality, the technical skills, it’s all there. If you’ve been watching Sale this season, you know what a special prospect this player is and whilst the eye-catching attacking play and leadership of Mercer rightfully draws the praise, Tom and his twin brother, Ben, are just as impressive players.
Conor’s selection: Gavin Coombes (Ireland)
Coombes may only have played in two games, but his standard of play was so good that it deserves a mention over every other blindside flanker in the tournament.
This was an Irish pack that was losing the physical battles until Coombes came along. Then the Munster backrow almost took the team on his back, carrying for positive yards and over the gainline time and time again. His cleanouts were crucial – hitting poaching players off isolated carriers on more than one occasion in each game, and hammering ball-carriers backwards in the tackle repeatedly over two games.
I understand why Munster fans are so high on him.
Special Mention: James Botham (Wales – COL)
7. Ben Curry (England)
Like his brother, B Curry was dominant whenever he played. It might seem like cheap analysis to say the pair play similarly given that they are twins, but it’s true, with Ben also impressing with his physicality and work rate.
Ben may be the slightly better player over the ball, whilst Tom shines more as a carrier, but either way, both deserve spots in this XV. The pair speak to a very bright future in the Sale and England back rows, as long as both players keep working hard and developing as they have done over the last 12 months.
Will Jones (Wales – Alex & COL)
I’ll make the claim that Will Jones was the best breakdown forward in the tournament. I’ve already compared him to a (fit) Heinrich Brussouw, because of his fantastic ability to spoil any opposition forward momentum with timely turnovers.
Yet another outstanding Wales openside flanker. What do they put in the water over there?
See Also: The U20 Six Nations Team Of The Week: Round Four
Special mention: Ben Earl (England – COL), Matt Fagerson (Scotland – COL)
8. Zach Mercer (England)
This was the easiest pick of the XV and that goes some way to telling you just how dominant Mercer has been, especially when you parcel in the impressive performances of Caelan Doris, who was nothing short of excellent over the last two months.
The only critique you can really make of Mercer in the tournament was that he, on occasion, overplayed his hand, throwing a loose offload or two. Given the goals of the RFU coaching staff to foster those kinds of skills at U18 and U20 level, it is far from surprising, especially with England enjoying sizeable leads in most of their games.
Only Ireland were able to keep him relatively bottled up and should Eddie Jones decide against taking him to Argentina this summer with the senior team, he has to be, at this point, the red-hot favourite for World Rugby Junior Player of the Year.
Caelan Doris (Ireland – Alex and COL)
Caelan Doris can lay claim to being one of the best 15 players in the tournament – it’s just unfortunate that he plays in the same position as Zach Mercer.
Doris and Mercer were the only two No.8’s that made our teams of the week, and the U19 Doris was the leader of the Irish side.
The Blackrock backrow is the latest Leinster product who dominated with ball in hand, and could be seen everywhere making countless number of tackles. If he continues this growth, potentially improving in the lineout – Doris could force his way into the Leinster reckoning – despite the presence of Jamie Heaslip, Jack Conan, and Max Deegan.
Doris actually outplayed Mercer in their head to head meeting, but Mercer’s overall play over the five games and undoubted quality makes him hard to deny.
Special Mention: Gabriel Licata (Italy – COL)
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