The boy's a bit special
LUKE FITZGERALD
Age: 19
Club: Leinster
Senior debut: September 8, 2006 v Edinburgh.
Position: Full-back/Wing/Centre
Pedigree: Leinster U19 schools captain, Ireland U19 schools (3 caps); son of former Irish prop Des Fitzgerald.
Verdict: Six games into his rookie senior season Fitzgerald has already impressed his more experienced Leinster team-mates.
“He has all the attributes,” says winger Denis Hickie. “Great raw skills, great pace and superb learning powers. He has come into the squad off the back of a very good grounding at Blackrock College and is a good bit ahead of the normal newcomer.” Hickie believes Fitzgerald perfectly fits the new model of fast-tracked teenagers coming into elite-level rugby.
“I suppose the ground rules have changed these last few years; you can’t wait to make it until you’re 23 or 24 anymore. These guys haven’t been hanging around, and he has prepared, and has been prepared very well, for a professional career,” he said.
Also look out for 20-year-old wing/full-back Rob Kearney in his second season, and 6ft 10ins lock Devin Toner, 20, already a seasoned Ireland U21 forward.
JAMES HOOK
Age: 21
Club: Ospreys
Senior debut: September 18, 2004, v Cardiff
Position: Fly-half/inside centre
Pedigree: Represented Wales at Youth, U21 and Sevens before being capped on Wales’ senior tour to Argentina this summer.
Verdict: Despite a debut two years ago, Hook added only one replacement’s appearance before making his first start for Ospreys this season. By then he had already been capped for Wales: faith in Hook’s ability spreads beyond Liberty Stadium. Hook has been a bright spot in an inconsistent start to Ospreys’ season, and was instrumental in the Anglo-Welsh victory over Bath this month, scoring a great individual try before dropping the winning goal. Ospreys backs coach Sean Holley is in no doubt he will make even more of an impact as the campaign progresses: “I’m excited to see a youngster come through like he has.
“He’s a great attacking player with ability in every aspect of the game. He’s big, strong and elusive; a guy with an eye for the try-line, capable of fending off players before off-loading. Maybe he needs to work on his kicking game and on his defence, but I’m confident he can make a breakthrough this season.”
OLLY MORGAN
Age: 20
Club: Gloucester
Senior debut: Oct 22, 2005 v Bayonne
Position: Full-back
Pedigree: Student at Millfield College, as were JPR Williams, Gareth Edwards and former England and Lions full-back Matt Perry. Capped at England U16, U19 and U21, dad Paul played rugby for England Schools.
Verdict: Even when Morgan gets injured he manages to impress his coaches at Kingsholm. Last May, as Gloucester took on Wasps in the Premiership, he fractured his cheekbone early in second half, yet insisted on completing the match.
“Olly was in there right to the end, fighting for the cause,” said head coach Dean Ryan. “That is a hugely impressive characteristic in a young player.” Now fully recovered following surgery, Morgan seems destined for plenty more action. “He’s coming along in leaps and bounds,” says former Scottish scrum-half Bryan Redpath, Gloucester’s assistant coach while Sky Sports pundit Stuart Barnes, the former English and Lions fly half, is another big fan.
“He has proved that youth is no bar to immense solidity. A rock beneath the high ball and an intelligent distributor, he deserves a chance in a problem position.”
A problem position for England, that is. Gloucester have already found their last line of defence for some time to come.
LIONEL BEAUXIS
Age: 21 (on Oct 24)
Club: Stade Francais
Senior debut: April 23, 2005, for Pau v Brive
Position: Fly-half
Pedigree: France Rugby’s Newcomer of the Year award winner earlier this month, and a nominee for IRB Under 21 Player of the Year, Beauxis scored all France’s points in their 24-13 win over South Africa in the U21 World Cup final.
Verdict: Having been Pau’s one-man survival kit in the Top 14 last season with an unerring boot, the young man that put the Baby Boks to the sword for the French U21s now has the chance to strut his stuff at a winning club. Not only do the prospects look good for the young outside-half to shine for his club this season, but with Toulouse No. 10 Freddie Michalak on the treatment table for the foreseeable future, Beauxis is in a great position to claim understudy rights over the next few weeks.
“There is even talk that he could play a role in the autumn internationals against New Zealand and Argentina,” said French-based Kiwi journalist Ian Borthwick. Stade Francais and France winger Christophe Dominici has no doubts his new club-mate can make the grade, adding: “He is a very fine player, with great potential. We think here that he can make a big difference as we face into the Heineken Cup.”
ROSS RENNIE
Age: 20
Club: Edinburgh Gunners
Senior debut: September 2, 2006, vs. Ospreys
Position: Flanker
Pedigree: Scotland caps at U18, U19 and Sevens. Was SRU Under 18 player of the year in 03/04
Verdict: Called in Scotland’s senior squad for the autumn internationals against Romania, Pacific Islanders and Australia, Rennie is still on an apprentice contract with the Gunners. One of the early products of the SRU’s development program, the Edinburgh-born openside has cut his teeth in Scotland’s sevens side since the summer of 2005. Given his 15-a-side chance for Edinburgh at the start of this season, Rennie wasted little time in grabbing it with both hands, winning man of the match awards in two of his first three games attest.
Scotland scrum-half Mike Blair was won over in pre-season by a player he first met at school. “When I was in my final year at Edinburgh Academy and Ross was in first year out paths crossed in a touch rugby tournament and he impressed me as a confident character. “That was shown against Leeds in pre-season by the incredible way he was always in the thick of things snaffling turnover possession.”
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