So, you’re looking at the England U20 rugby team, right?
I used to think, ‘Yeah, simple enough.’ Young lads, heaps of talent, straight path to the big leagues. You’d spot a future star, and bam, next thing you know, they’re playing for England seniors. Dead easy.
But then, I actually started watching them. Not just casually, but season after season. And let me tell you, it ain’t that straightforward. Not by a long shot. It’s a real mixed bag, that setup.
One year, you’ve got a squad that looks like they could conquer the world. Seriously. Then the next, it’s like they’re all learning to catch and pass again. Proper up and down.
And I’ve got my theories on why, of course. It’s not just about who’s got the most skill. Nah. You’ve got all the club academies pulling strings, different coaches wanting different things – probably trying to copy whatever the senior team’s doing that month. And the players themselves, they’re not just wearing that U20 shirt for pride, are they? They’re desperate for that pro contract, that nod from a Premiership coach.
Makes it a bit of a headache to follow, if I’m being honest. You get all fired up about a bunch of young fellas, thinking, ‘This is the golden generation!’ And then, blink, and half of ’em have vanished from the top tier a couple of years down the line. Or some quiet lad you hardly noticed suddenly becomes the next big noise. Weird, innit?
I really got my eyes opened a few years back. There was this one player, a fly-half, he was something else. Quick, smart, the works. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was saying he was nailed on for the top. I was totally sold. Told all my mates, ‘Keep an eye on this kid, he’s going all the way.’ I even dragged myself to a couple of their matches, bit of a trek it was, just to see him weave his magic. The buzz around the U20s that year was pretty good, full of hope, you know?
So, what happened to Mr. Sure Thing? Couple of bad knocks, one after the other. Injuries, see. Just rotten luck. Slipped down the pecking order at his club. Never quite made that big splash everyone predicted. I actually saw his name a while later, playing for a team way down in the leagues. It proper made me think. It’s not just about being good enough. It’s about staying fit, getting the lucky breaks, having the right people notice you at the right time.
So now, when I watch the England U20s, I still get that buzz of excitement, don’t get me wrong. But I see it with different eyes. It’s not some well-oiled machine churning out stars. It’s more like a… a brutal, high-stakes audition. A real gamble. And you just sit there, hoping a few of the really talented ones, the ones with a bit of heart, manage to navigate all that chaos and actually make it through.
