Sam Cane the current All Blacks captain, Gary Ringrose Ireland’s heir to the godly 13 throne and Romain Ntamack the most exciting fly half in the Northern Hemisphere. All these players have one thing in common - they didn’t win the World Rugby Junior Player of the year.
Taking a look at young players over the last decade, the first tournament you can truly put yourself on the map is the World Rugby U20 Championship. A good showing here and it is the first time when the journalists and media begin mentioning your name in amongst other professionals. In turn, they want to see more and more of you. As sad as it is, all top young players have hype as no one has seen them before. But the shop window doesn’t last long so you must stand out.
I have taken a look at the last ten winners of the player of the tournament at the Junior World Championship, because at that point in time these players were the best on the planet for their age. Surely, as people say, they must have made it!
The Winners
2009
Aaron Cruden (New Zealand, 50 Senior Caps) Age 31
2010
Julian Savea (New Zealand, 54 Senior Caps) Age 30
2011
George Ford (England, 69 Senior Caps) Age 27
2012
Jan Serfontein (South Africa, 35 Senior Caps) Age 27
2013
Sam Davies (Wales, 8 Senior Caps) Age 26
2014
Handré Pollard (South Africa, 48 Senior Caps) Age 26
2015
James Chisholm (England, Not Capped) Age 25
2016
Max Deegan (Ireland, 1 Senior Cap) Age 23
2017
Juarno Augustus (South Africa, Not Capped) Age 22
2018
Jordan Joseph (France, Not Capped) Age 20
2019
Juan Pablo Castro (Argentina, Not Capped) Age 21
Notable Nominees
2011 Sam Cane
2012 JJ Hanrahan
2013 Ardie Savea
2014 Garry Ringrose
2014 Nathan Earle
2015 Akira Ioane
2016 Harry Mallinder
2017 Will Jordan
2018 Romain Ntamack
The Makers
Amongst the winners of this individual award are 3 future world cup winners, meaning they haven't just made it as world-class rugby players but they have reached the pinnacle of any rugby player's career and have lifted the Web Ellis cup.
Aaron Cruden is the first player who came in for an injured Dan Carter and Colin Slade in the 2011 RWC and he ended up starting the semi-final and final of the competition. He did get injured in the final but as a 21-year-old his career really skyrocketed right to the top. His dropkick in the semi against Australia helped his announcement on the global stage. Following on from this he won Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs in 2012 and 2013. Although he didn't stay right at the top, he enjoyed a successful career both in New Zealand and France with Montpellier being the main 10 wherever he went. Now with 50 All Black caps, he is happy to cash in at Kobelco Steelers.
Cruden getting injured in World Cup Final
The second world cup winner in this list is Julian Savea, winning the RWC in 2015. In fact he scored 8 tries, which equalled the record for most tries in a single tournament. The image of him bulldozing this way through three French players, is certainly an iconic rugby world cup moment. Since his debut in 2012 against Ireland, Savea has scored 46 tries in 54 for the All Blacks. Although his move to Toulon didn’t work out, he is back now at Hurricanes and will be hopeful of adding to his try tally. I think he made it.
The final world cup winner, and this time from South Africa, was Handré Pollard. Unlike Savea and Cruden, Pollard is only 26 and heading into his prime years. Arguably he is currently the world’s best 10 and was instrumental in helping South Africa win the World Cup in 2019. With 48 caps already, and 457 points, he really could go on to be a centurion and hit 1000 points for his country. Sadly he has just picked up an ACL injury which rules him out for at least a year but he will be back. A generational talent!
Time for the non-world cup winners. George Ford, although he hasn’t reached the pinnacle of the game, he has got agonisingly close. If only his opposite number didn’t outperform him in the 2019 RWC final. However, Ford has more than made it as a rugby player and is truly established as an international. Since making his debut at 16 in the LV Cup in 2009 he has only gone from strength to strength, making his Premiership debut in 2010. Following on from this he was the youngest player to start a Premiership match at fly half a few weeks later and since then has established himself as a leader for Leicester and England. George Ford was also left out of the squad for the 2012 Junior Rugby World Championships to have a full pre-season programme with Leicester. He was one of those young players who were just too good for that level. Although he has 69 caps, has he underachieved for how young he broke on? He has been in and out of the England XV over the last few years but he now seems like he might go on and achieve what many may feel like he deserves. A Lions tour does look to be on the horizon.
Secondly, Jan Serfontein. With 35 senior South African caps and counting, he is far from finished at 27 and is certainly an established international rugby player. Serfontein also had to withdraw to make himself available for the senior national team while at the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship, making his debut for South Africa against Italy. Truly incredible to be capped so young! His move to Montpellier in 2017 put him out of favour with the Springboks which must hurt when two years later you’re watching your country win a world cup. Cash wise he has more than made it and I am sure he wants to make himself known before the Lions tour in 2020- a serious player!
The breakers
Sam Davis, like the previous winners of the World Rugby Junior Player of the Year was a standout exceptional talent. However, it hasn’t worked out like the hype train had made him out to be. 8 Wales caps at 26, he has still had a great career and made it to international rugby - what everyone dreams of! But he just looked like he was going to offer so much more. The main problem was he couldn’t establish himself in front of Dan Biggar at the Osprey’s and played a lot of his rugby at full back, which hindered him as selectors weren’t sure where his best position was. Too small for international rugby? Can’t deal with pressure? Many questions are around him but playing for the Dragons when you’re turning 27 and out of the international picture was not how many thought this one would go.
James Chisholm - Yes who is that? At 25 and not close to an international call up this must be a tough one to take for James Chisholm. He played for England Saxons in 2016 but since then has struggled to break into the Harlequins backrow and therefore hasn’t kicked on. Rather, he is a Premiership squad player. No shame in that, but to be the U20 world player of the year you would have expected more from him. It just shows how competitive the back row is in professional rugby. Let’s hope he kicks on rather than peters out and ends up a championship player. My guess is the latter, mainly due to the presence of the impressive Alex Dombrandt.
Time will tell
Post 2016, I feel it is unfair to judge these players as they are very young in their careers. Max Deegan is 23 and has already been capped and is looking on course for plenty more in the future. Jordan Joseph plays regular for Racing 92, which is impressive at only 20 and is 100% in the thoughts of the French coach for future squads. Watch this space, he could well go right to the top. Finally, the last winner Juan Pablo Castro has been added to the Jagures squad for 2020 so will be looking to kick on while the attention is still on him, as will Juarno Augustus at Western Province.
Max Deegan on his Ireland debut against Scotland
Overall, the majority of these players have gone on, not just have international careers, but become global superstars. I really hope the next generation of winners kick on now over the next 3-5 years and establish themselves as world-class rugby players. In life, you have to aim for the top. The mentality and drive you have will take you there. This was the case for many of these players who went on to reach the top of the game. And for those who didn’t, maybe they just lacked motivation or didn’t develop along with having the added bit of luck that is needed. As they certainly had the most important component- talent!
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