Young Players to Watch in the 2016 6 Nations

–Carlos Johnston

The evolution of the modern game is constantly blessing the rugby world with new and interesting talents. Northern Hemisphere centre´s are becoming bigger but yet look more skilled, while forwards seem to be gaining speed and weight pack. But what can be more testing for a player than representing your country at the highest level and on the biggest stage? With the 2016 Six Nations kicking off in less than a month, we´ve decided to make up a list here at RBP of ten young prospects who, if finally selected, could certainly prove their worth at this year´s tournament. And the nominees are:

-Stuart McCloskey:

The Bangor born player might not look the type at first glance, but his good natured persona is stowed away as soon as he steps on the pitch, bringing out the cold blooded, mind calculating beast at centre that has been receiving all sorts of praises from rugby fans around Europe this season. Weighing in at 108 kg and standing 1.9 metres tall, his intelligence, pace, offloading skills, and ridiculous strength are big factors that could guarantee him a first place in the starting team -bar Robbie Henshaw- especially given Jared Payne’s struggles with injury. Altogether, he’s managed to score 34 points (3 tries and 5 conversions) gained 703 metres and made 14 offloads and 121 tackles, showing that his team mates can have someone to rely on in the breakdown and ruck. Let’s see if he can back those numbers up with a good Six Nations campaign for his country.

-Samson Lee:

The Scarlets and Welsh Prop is still just 23 and has been in fine form with Wales thus far, playing five matches and having 96% tackle success. Replacing Adam Jones is no easy task, but Lee has managed to do the job well. He’s a wrecking ball, and a “hard nut” (according to team mate George North) that will be extremely tough to crack come the Six Nations. Warren Gatland will hope that the team’s excellent defense shown last year and all through the World Cup, will be something that Lee looks to thrive on. Even though it all comes down to understanding your team mate and getting together to fill those empty spaces, the Dragons can stay calm if they know they have beside them a man named Samson that has the power of Goliath in him.

-Mario Itoje:

This powerful battering ram is set to be the next star for English rugby. It was only January 2014 that he was called up to the Saxons squad for a game against the Ireland Wolfhounds, where he made a powerful impression. Four months after that, the now 21 year old captained England to greatness when they beat South Africa in the final of the Junior World Championship. He’s been riding the wave ever since, leading Saracens on to the league title last season, as well as a LV=Cup. With his continuous improvement and powerful runs, Eddie Jones will be thinking of possibly starting him against Scotland on the 6th of February when England make their debut at Murrayfield. He’s already played at lock and blinside flanker with Saracens, which makes his availability at different positions something to keep in mind. After an impressive year and a half, Itoje knows that this could very well be his year and will do everything he can to grab a hold of the momentum.

-Sam Hidalgo Clyne:

With 47 caps and 269 points for his club, the talented Edinburgh scrum half has already played a part in last year’s Six Nations and this summer’s World Cup. The half Spanish half Scottish 22 year old is the perfect definition of the national team’s future under Vern Cotter: a fast-paced, quick thinking and skilled with good hands and a fighting spirit. Everyone saw how they just fell short against Australia in the World Cup (some will say thanks to Craig Joubert’s efforts) but the Scots will be looking on to the future with hope in their hearts. Although Greig Laidlaw is the current number 9, his age will soon start to get the better of him, leaving Hidalgo Clyne with the advantage over Henry Pyrgos to replace the skipper. There is no doubt that Cotter will look to use him during the course of the tournament and the youngster will be hoping to extend an already formidable run.

-Tommaso Allan:

Even though they have always been the weaker side of the six, the Italians are always a pretty solid side in first halves, but somehow never manage to maintain those high standards in the second forty minutes of the game. This year they’ll want to slowly but surely improve their rugby, trying to correct the gaps in their defence and looking to improve their attacking play. At 22 years of age and having started all four group matches at the World Cup, Tommaso Allan is the first choice at fly half to try and avoid the wooden spoon this year and, who knows, maybe get more wins against bigger sides. He certainly has the pace and timing as you can see here:

-Jonathan Danty:

France’s next big thing is, among other things, precisely that: BIG. Danty (24) plays under the Stade Francais number 12 jersey, but like his fellow countryman Mathieu Bastareud -who also plays in the centre- his size might be mistaken at first for that of a Prop’s. The difference is the tremendous speed and great sidestep that the french giant has compared to a front rower’s. Last season his team overcame the might of Toulon in the semifinals and got the job done again when they faced Clermont for the title, beating them for the TOP 14 title. His powerful runs and accurate hands, together with the good work he puts in defence, are what make him such a special player. His presence at this year’s Six Nations is already assured and who knows if he might give Les Bleus that x factor that they’ve been missing these past few years. Whatever happens, oppositions will definitely feel the crunch when they collide with the Napoleon’s artillery, reborn in the form of Jonathan Danty.

-Hallam Amos:

The 21 year old Dragon managed to score 11 tries at fullback and on the wing for his club last season but unfortunately saw his Rugby World Cup cut short due to an injury sustained against England after attempting to hand off Owen Farrell. These hand offs are a big weapon for Amos, together with quick offloads, precision under the high ball and some nice kicking. With Halfpenny out of the squad, this will mean that Amos is in a prime position to replace him. Big players step up when they’re most needed, and Amos will hope to make a name for himself on the international stage.

-Jonny Gray:

Another example of the new and rejuvenated Scotland. His brother is something close to a living legend over at Glasgow, but the 21 year old second row has already achieved big things at Scotstoun Stadium without the help of his sibling. He’s got the perfect height to secure line outs with ease and help his team regarding mauls and other set pieces. He’s already had big games with Scotland and will continue to do so for a long time if he keeps performing the way he does. Can he follow in Richie Gray’s footsteps? Only time will tell.

-Garry Ringrose:

Voted one of the best players of the Under 20’s World Championship that took place last June in Italy, Ringrose (20) has been quickly climbing up the rugby ladder with Leinster this season. His creativity on the field as a centre has already received nothing but kind words from the one and only Brian O’Driscoll, who has even gone so far as to urge Joe Schmidt to pick him for the starting team on the first match. His creativity has proved useful for the Irish province this season, with big leaders like Jonny Sexton lacking a bit of form. Ringrose is without a doubt a natural talent who needs to keep his head clear from all the press talk and continue to improve his skill set. That being said, the youngster is still a diamond in the rough and must continue his line of work if he wants to earn his first cap for Ireland. But so far, so good. With Ringrose, McCloskey, Henshaw, and the electric Keith Earls as potential choices, we could be looking at a very solid Irish centre.