After England's victory in the Under-20 World Cup in Auckland last week, ODT Online rugby writer Jeff Cheshire looks at who stood out over the tournament.
Nathan Earle (England)
This guy looks like an athlete and he very much is one. He wore the No. 11 jersey, but predominantly played on the right wing and showed he had pace to burn, proving near unstoppable in the open.
Boasting size, strength and a handy step too, he was arguably the most potent attacking weapon in the tournament and was a nightmare for defences to try to contain. His kicking game was solid too and defensively he did not mind making the odd big tackle. Definitely one to watch and it will not be a surprise at all to see him surface in the full England team in a year or two.
Tevita Li (New Zealand)
Another fast, hard-running wing, Tevita Li possesses pace and flair in bundles. He hits the line at good angles to make breaks and goes looking for the ball too, making sure he stays involved in the game. Twice he had to go up against the powerful South African winger Dan Kriel and both times he got the better of him, scoring three tries in their first encounter. He first played for the Blues last year while still at school and the scary thing is that he is still eligible for this age-group next year.
Handre Pollard (South Africa)
Pollard is a very good kicking first five-eighth who struck the ball sweetly both out of hand and when kicking at goal. While some will point to the fact that he was operating behind a powerful forward pack, he still was key in the kick-and-chase game plan South Africa employed. He operated this plan to precision, kicking accurately to put his opposition under pressure and taking his chances at goal. Ran aggressively at the line when he decided to go and had some good tries scored outside him throughout the tournament.
Yacouba Camara (France)
Camara was a strong running flanker, always going forward when hitting the ball up, while also showing himself capable of throwing the offload. Showed himself to be an option at lineout time and worked hard on defence, providing the French loose forwards with a hard edge. There was talk of him being included in the senior French side to play Australia in their June test series and it was not hard to see that he is indeed a quality player with a big future.
Maro Itoje (England)
The English lock and captain was a presence in every game he played. A big, physical player, he imposed himself in contact, hitting the ball up strongly, tackling aggressively and hitting rucks hard.
At lineout time he was one of the dominant jumpers of the tournament and his height and long arms enabled him to apply pressure around the fringes and charge a handful of kicks. His work rate was high too, and he perhaps showed himself to be a bit more mobile than your stereotypical English tight-forward. He did not make the final nominations for IRB World Junior Player of the Year, but surely cannot have been too far off as it would be hard to argue he was not the equal of any other player at the tournament.
Andrew Kellaway (Australia)
He is small by today's rugby standards, but does not detract from the danger he poses opposition defences. Kellaway was right up there with the best finishers in the tournament, possessing a good turn of pace and the ability to get through gaps to make breaks and score tries. The latter of these he made a habit of, crossing for an astounding ten tries in just five games, including tough matches against France and eventual champions England. Still yet to turn 19, he can still play in the tournament again next year. You may not have to wait that long to see him though, as he has trained with the Waratahs after impressing for the famed Randwick club in Sydney.
Tom Sanders (New Zealand)
A hard-working, physical No. 8, Tom Sanders announced himself to the nation and the world, being somewhat of an unknown compared to some of the names in this New Zealand team. He is a very old-school sort of player in that he his direct and just gets involved whether it be in running the ball, making tackles or supporting at the breakdown. His ability to play both blindside flanker and No. 8 equally well acts as an asset too. He complemented his fellow loose forwards well and the trio used in the semifinal was impressive. Flankers Lachlan Boshier and Otago's Kyle Harris both had strong tournaments too after similarly hard-working performances.
Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (England)
The English scrum was powerful, that was to be expected and their entire front-row and indeed forward pack deserve credit for this. But Hobbs-Awoyemi went well beyond his core role at set-piece and was dynamic around the field too. He ran the ball strongly both in close and in the open, showing reasonable pace for a prop. His defence was pretty solid too and as a two-year player for the England Under 20's, looks set for a big future.
Jack O'Donaghue (Ireland)
The Irish captain was impressive at No. 8 and led what was a very resilient defence that was forced to withstand plenty of pressure to secure a semifinal spot. A hard runner, he was physical in close, but also ranged well and showed himself to be an impressive ball carrier in the open, as is growing ever-more important for players in this position in the modern game.
Henry Stowers (Samoa)
Based out of Wellington and a member of the 2012 Scots College 1st XV, Stowers was a tower of strength at openside flanker for a Samoan team who punched above their weight. Perhaps not your classical openside flanker, he is a strong runner who tackles hard and boasts plenty of athleticism and good ball skills, more in the mould of an Ardie Savea. His leadership was strong too and he was always to the fore when Samoa was in need of someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
Damian McKenzie (New Zealand)
The New Zealand fullback got better and better as the tournament went on and by the end was one of the stars of a team that played above itself against a strong South African team. His counter-attack was outstanding and the way he came in to the line made him threatening too. The South Africans constantly bombed him, but he was more than up to the challenge, proving to be safe under the high ball. Also a very good kicker of the ball, expect to see him in this year's ITM Cup and in Super Rugby in the not too distant future.
