You’ll always win something with kids

It was in March of 2011 when I first formed the opinion that the future of English rugby was in safe hands having just witnessed their Under 20 side dish out a 15-46 hammering to Ireland in a Six Nations clash in Athlone.

Afterwards I suggested to England’s Director of Operations, Rob Andrew that at least six of that side would progress to the full international stage in the not too distant future. He smiled and asked me to name names.

To be fair, Mike Ruddock’s Irish team was understrength given that Ulster’s Paddy Jackson, Luke Marshall and Craig Gilroy were all involved in a Magners League game against the Dragons on the same night in Ravenhill. Of the Irish side that started that game, only Connacht’s Tiernan O’Halloran has sampled Heineken Cup rugby to date while the stand out player in green was Munster’s JJ Hanrahan.