With the Aviva Premiership hurtling towards its conclusion, and the Six Nations now firmly in the rear-view mirror, attention is already being nervously cast towards England’s tour Down Under to take on the Wallabies in June.
With that in mind, we’ve cobbled together a speculative list of a few breakthrough stars from this season that could, with a bit of luck, find themselves on the plane. More likely they will find themselves on the Saxons tour to South Africa, but either way, these four are ones to watch in future.
1. Harry Thacker (hooker, Leicester Tigers)
Tom Youngs’ injury-enforced absence has opened the door for local lad Harry Thacker in the Leicester first team, and he has not so much gone through said door, than ripped it off its hinges and thrown it to one side. He is very much in the Youngs mould: squat, mobile and immensely powerful. The fact that he is also regularly used on the openside flank tells you his ability at the breakdown is excellent, while his handling is none too shabby (check out his miss pass in the build up to Peter Betham’s try below). Of course, Jones famously dumped Tom Youngs from the England squad, so whether he likes the look of Thacker or not remains to be seen. But with Jamie George and Dylan Hartley joining the aforementioned Youngs on the physio’s table until the end of the season, Thacker must be playing his way into the equation at least.
A lovely offload from Manu Tuilagi puts Peter Betham over in the corner for the Tigers. #premrugby pic.twitter.com/WL60cUuGgO
— EatSleepRugby (@eatsleeprugby) April 4, 2016
2. Sam Underhill (flanker, Ospreys)
Underhill burst into everyone’s consciousness before Christmas not so much because he put in some barnstorming performances for the Ospreys, but more that everyone realised that he was English qualified. Rumoured meetings with Eddie Jones allegedly ensued, and ever since everyone has been talking about the head coach using the exceptional circumstances rule to take him to Australia and cap him, if for no other reason than to rule him out of Welsh hands – he would qualify for England’s neighbours in two years under the residency rule. Whatever happens, the young openside undoubtedly possesses great talent – he put in another man of the match shift in Friday’s win over the Dragons. You just get the sense that after Jones’ reluctance to call up a recognised openside flanker in the Six Nations, that he may well have had one eye on the future of Underhill.
3. Mike Haley (fullback, Sale Sharks)
There has been a lot of debate about the England fullback shirt in recent times, with Mike Brown perceived to have perhaps dropped off a level in form, but for some reason Haley’s name isn’t mentioned nearly as often as it should be. It is probably because he plays in an unfashionable Sale side, but that is monumentally unfair given some of the rugby they have been playing this season. Haley has good pace and as a specialist fullback, his kicking game and positional play are solid. With Brown faltering, Alex Goode something of a nearly man at international level, and Anthony Watson still seen as a better option on the wing, is Haley’s time now?
Mike Haley shows a decent turn of pace to score for Sale Sharks against London Irish. #premrugby pic.twitter.com/VKzP0NMS1q
— EatSleepRugby (@eatsleeprugby) April 4, 2016
4. Harry Mallinder (centre, Northampton Saints)
Ok, so this is the longest shot of the lot, but Mallinder’s breakthrough into the first team at Northampton has been pretty spectacular. It was injury-enforced at first, but he grasped his opportunity with both hands and is now very much part of dad Jim’s first team options in the midfield, rotating with Burrell and Pisi. He is a tall, languid runner with deceptive pace, as well as offering a second distribution outlet. At the tender age of just 19 it’s hugely unlikely he’ll go to Australia this summer, especially with a pretty long list of English-qualified centres ahead of him, but at the very least a trip to South Africa with the Saxons should be on the cards.
To see any of the four on the tour to Australia would be quite a shock – but that is, after all, what a bolter is meant to be. So who would you like to see make the plane Down Under? Let us know below.
By Jamie Hosie
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Underhill isn’t Welsh-qualified – he wouldn’t qualify for them until 2018 as he’d have to do so through residency. He would be by the time he finished his degree however. Think Mallinder is more likely to go to the U19 world cup than anywhere else and now the long-rumoured Saxons tour to South Africa has finally been announced I think plenty of dark horses – Thacker, Haley, the likes of McCaffrey, Addison, Chudley etc – will probably end up on that rather than in Australia. Be a shame if there aren’t a few who come up on the rails though – even though they just won the Grand Slam there are still a few players who I think have done about as much as they can for England (I’d put Brown and Cole in that category, for example) and need to gradually be phased out. They’re arguably not bolters as I don’t think many would be surprised to see them in the squad at least but my kingdom for call-ups for Robson and Wade, too.
*U20 world cup that should be!
You’re right, I thought he moved over to Wales a couple of seasons ago but it was just last summer, wasn’t it.
Dan Robson is one I thought of initially when I had the idea for compiling this list, but annoyingly he slipped my mind since. IMO he’s definitely jumped above Simpson into that third scrum-half berth.
I think his residency in Wales might not count because he is in student accommodation and his main residence in still in England at his parents. I’m sure I read that somewhere.
Sam Underhill for definite could go. Jones has stated that he may look to add more pace to the backrow, and while Haskell and Robshaw did a great job in the 6N, they may struggle on the hard track in Australia, especially against Hooper/Pocock. Think it is more likely Clifford will start at the expense of one of those two, but I wouldn’t bet against Underhill. Jones sees Clifford as an 8 long term so although ‘he can do a job’ at 7 for now, he may just throw caution to the wind and get his long term solution blooded now.
Thacker is much more of a wild card but one I think is equally likely given all our crocked hookers. His size always worried me, particularly for scrummaging, but he has constantly proved me wrong. Though that may be as he is in the Leicester front row and that would help any hooker. Throwing is occasionally askew, but that’s the case with 90% of hookers… As you said his breakdown work and pace are excellent. Really excited about how he will develop. Tommy Taylor at Sale may be more of an obstacle given how well he’s played this season. Is he injured as well?
Dan Robson at Wasps would be my other wildcard for selection at 9 (though he is talked about a lot on here, not sure it constitutes a wildcard?).
Underhill would only need to play for the Saxons – as our designated second team – to be tied to England. Now that their tour to South Africa has been confirmed it might be that Jones sends him there instead of a full call-up.
I can’t see a hugely different side starting in Australia with the exception of flanker, where I think Clifford will now play, and 10/12 (depending on which of Ford/Farrell makes way for one of Slade/Tuilagi).
Depends on the rules – as South Africa A aren’t South Africa’s designated second team I’m not sure the Saxons games count as locking players into England qualification. Someone with better knowledge can probably clear it up but I’m under the impression that a fixture has to be between two representative teams for it to ‘count’ as it were, in terms of qualification. If only earning the Saxons cap is all that’s needed whatever the game however, then I’d expect to see that factored into selection for the tour – call-ups for McGuigan, Underhill and J. Williams are imminent if that’s the case!