Premiership 'Ones to Watch' XV 2017/18

[Scrumhead]

Who are you looking forward to seeing in action this season and why? This doesn't have to be young English players, but that's the flavour I'm going with ...

1. Lewis Boyce - Harlequins: Has made the Championship 'team of the season' twice on the bounce so I'm keen to see if he can establish himself as Marler's understudy.

2. Jack Walker - Bath: Last season should have been a breakthrough for him but for injury. I'm looking forward to seeing if he can back up his fast-track development through the age grades.

3. Simon Kerrod - Worcester: The best tighthead in the Championship. Should be a good understudy to Schonert and is EQ.

4. David Ribbans - Northampton: Looked very good after signing at the end of last season. Another EQ South African and IMO, he could play his way onto Eddie Jones' radar if he keeps it up.

5. Nick Isiekwe - Saracens: 'The next Itoje' looked accomplished on his senior England debut. Hard to say how much game time he'll get but an obvious one to watch.

6. Lewis Ludlam - Northampton: I'm going to go with Ludlam one last time ... he has to move if he spends another season wasting away in the reserves.

7. Sam Underhill - Bath: Obviously ... of course I'll be keeping a close eye on the Currys but this season will be our first extended look at whether Underhill can live up to the hype.

8. Sam Simmonds - Exeter: Looked excellent last season and I'm looking forward to seeing him continue his development this time out. Mercer is obviously another to keep a close eye on.

9. Jack Maunder - Exeter: Another obvious choice TBH.

10. Max Malins - Saracens: How much game time he'll get is highly debatable but looks a massive talent and must break through at some point soon.

11. Joe Cokanasiga - London Irish: Raw but has the potential to be a one man highlight reel.

12. Johnny Williams - London Irish: Almost a forgotten man. If he can recover fitness and form, he's definitely one to watch.

13. Joe Marchant - Harlequins: Obviously ...

14. Perry Humphreys - Worcester: Looked excellent in flashes last season. I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.

15. Jamie Shillcock - Worcester: Like Humphreys, he looked excellent pre-injury.

[Banquo]

How many will actually get enough time to stake some of claim though? genuine question? Assume the likes of Faz will be playing at sarries if not involved in the AI's.

[Scrumhead]

The ones at most risk when it comes to game time are Malins, Isiekwe, Ludlam and Maunder.

Walker is impossible to say given that he was out for the whole of last season.

The others will all play pretty regularly I imagine.

[Banquo]

The ones at most risk when it comes to game time are Malins, Isiekwe, Ludlam and Maunder.

Walker is impossible to say given that he was out for the whole of last season.

The others will all play pretty regularly I imagine.

ironically three are huge talents; Marchant and Williams will pretty obviously get to play, ditto the Worcester guys I'd think. There's a likely league position trend there

[Timbo]

Isiekwe will get a fair bit of first team rugby I'd imagine. Itoje and Kruis are lock ins for England, which will take them away from Sarries for around 8/9 league games. I expect he'll have chunks of the season where he's very uninvolved and then chunks where he's in the 23 every week...injuries permitting etc.

At 19 as a tight 5 forward I'd say that's about right, plus Anglo-Welsh and u20 duties.

[Tigersman]

Looking at a more breakthrough XV than just ones to watch would go with
1. Boyce
2. No idea
3. No Idea
4. Ribbans
5. Hill
6. Ludlow
7. Underhill
8. Chisholm
9. Maunder
10. Marshall (L.Irish)
11. M.Watson
12. Williams
13. Marchant
14. Earle
15. Shillcock

[Banquo]

Isiekwe will get a fair bit of first team rugby I'd imagine. Itoje and Kruis are lock ins for England, which will take them away from Sarries for around 8/9 league games. I expect he'll have chunks of the season where he's very uninvolved and then chunks where he's in the 23 every week...injuries permitting etc.

At 19 as a tight 5 forward I'd say that's about right, plus Anglo-Welsh and u20 duties.

wonder if Kruis and Itoje will play AI's tho? But fair enough on workload

[Scrumhead]

Isiekwe will get a fair bit of first team rugby I'd imagine. Itoje and Kruis are lock ins for England, which will take them away from Sarries for around 8/9 league games. I expect he'll have chunks of the season where he's very uninvolved and then chunks where he's in the 23 every week...injuries permitting etc.

At 19 as a tight 5 forward I'd say that's about right, plus Anglo-Welsh and u20 duties.

In theory yes, but then Saracens signed Skelton and Day.

[Timbo]

Isiekwe will get a fair bit of first team rugby I'd imagine. Itoje and Kruis are lock ins for England, which will take them away from Sarries for around 8/9 league games. I expect he'll have chunks of the season where he's very uninvolved and then chunks where he's in the 23 every week...injuries permitting etc.

At 19 as a tight 5 forward I'd say that's about right, plus Anglo-Welsh and u20 duties.

In theory yes, but then Saracens signed Skelton and Day.

With Isiekwe leaves them 3 match day locks for when Itoje and Kruis aren't there...that was my thinking. Not wholly convinced that Day will be considered over Isiekwe either.

[Adam_P]

I am very much hoping that Tom Stephenson can have an uninterrupted year staying injury free and push on from where he left off. A very talented young midfield player. Also, as mentioned, hoping Ribbans gets good game time.

[Banquo]

I am very much hoping that Tom Stephenson can have an uninterrupted year staying injury free and push on from where he left off. A very talented young midfield player. Also, as mentioned, hoping Ribbans gets good game time.

aye, always thought he looked the part- though not that young any more at 23?

[Mellsblue]

Here's hoping Makins is DR with Bedford. Same for Isiekwe but less likely.

[Scrumhead]

I am very much hoping that Tom Stephenson can have an uninterrupted year staying injury free and push on from where he left off. A very talented young midfield player. Also, as mentioned, hoping Ribbans gets good game time.

aye, always thought he looked the part- though not that young any more at 23?

Indeed, but Stephenson is one of those players who has had his career (so far) seriously curtailed by injury.

I've had him in my 'breakthrough' XVs on different sites for a couple of years now. Not his fault mind.

[Banquo]

I am very much hoping that Tom Stephenson can have an uninterrupted year staying injury free and push on from where he left off. A very talented young midfield player. Also, as mentioned, hoping Ribbans gets good game time.

aye, always thought he looked the part- though not that young any more at 23?

Indeed, but Stephenson is one of those players who has had his career (so far) seriously curtailed by injury.

I've had him in my 'breakthrough' XVs on different sites for a couple of years now. Not his fault mind.

indeed and indeed.

[Digby]

Maunder has his work cut out for him. It's not just a tough bunch to push past it's that none of them are likely to be called away

[Scrumhead]

True. I'd like it if Exeter sold Chudley to make it a three way fight between White, Maunder and Townsend.

Chudley's a decent player, I just see him as the least useful of the four. He could do an excellent job for someone like London Irish or even as a back to Fotuali'i at Bath.

[fivepointer]

I want to see Paul Hill step up next season. Its time we found out if Ludlam really is up to it.
At Newcastle i'm interested to see Witty and Chick move on, plus seeing a lot more of a fit Scott Wilson.
Hopefully Will Evans will get a game or two at Tigers, along with Worth.
Obviously the Currys will be centre stage at Sale, but i'm hoping Haley can rediscover his best form.
Henry Thomas missed most of last season after looking pretty good. I havent given up on him.
Exeter have a few players worth looking out for. I'm hoping Johnny Hill can take a step up.
Brophy-Clews, along with Williams and Cockanasinga, at Irish are ones i'll be looking out for.

[Scrumhead]

Some interesting ones there fivepointer.

I'm hoping that the competition from Sinckler, Williams and Collier lights a bit of a fire under Paul Hill. Not so long ago, he looked like the heir apparent to Cole, but his form really fell off a cliff last season. Given Brookes' did too, you have to wonder whether it's part of a bigger problem with Saints. Still, Hill needs to step-up to avoid slipping down the pecking order on a more permanent basis.

On the subject of tightheads, I was/am a fan of Thomas but I'd be very surprised if he can get back on to the radar for England in the short-medium term. We're building really good depth and he'd have a lot to do to dislodge enough of his competitors to be in with a real shout.

I completely forgot about Chick TBH. I'd rate Simmonds and Mercer as the more exciting prospects at 8, but Chick started ahead of Mercer for the U20 World Cup winning side in 2016, so there must be something about him.

Will Evans is unlucky that Underhill's arrival and the emergence of the Curry twins has completely stolen his thunder as a serious, up-and-coming option at 7, but I wonder whether that might actually do him a favour? Potentially it gives him the opportunity to develop under less pressure out of the spotlight. Obviously if he plays well enough, the attention will come straight back to him, but at least it might be a little less fierce to begin with.

[Beasties]

Henry Thomas was showing signs of getting into the Eng squad before he got injured last year. His scrummaging had improved a lot (admittedly from a low bar) to the point where he would've held his ground at int'l level. Quite where he stands after starting the season well is anyone's guess. He may well have been superceded by others in EJ's mind already irrespective of whether he plays well. Others' injuries look like his best hope at this moment in time.

[Mikey Brown]

It seems unfair as I've seen so little of Simmonds but can't believe he's really an 8.

[twitchy]

It seems unfair as I've seen so little of Simmonds but can't believe he's really an 8.

Yeah long term he is a flanker.

[Peej]

Isiekwe will get a fair bit of first team rugby I'd imagine. Itoje and Kruis are lock ins for England, which will take them away from Sarries for around 8/9 league games. I expect he'll have chunks of the season where he's very uninvolved and then chunks where he's in the 23 every week...injuries permitting etc.

At 19 as a tight 5 forward I'd say that's about right, plus Anglo-Welsh and u20 duties.

In theory yes, but then Saracens signed Skelton and Day.

With Isiekwe leaves them 3 match day locks for when Itoje and Kruis aren't there...that was my thinking. Not wholly convinced that Day will be considered over Isiekwe either.

Except Sarries showed last year they'd rather play Rhodes at lock over him too, so even without Kruis or Itoje about he might not make the 23

[twitchy]

I think being at saracens is a huge plus in itself for any young player. They are incredibly well coached and prepared. I'm sure he will get minutes.

[Mellsblue]

Can we all stop forgetting Mark Flanagan.

[twitchy]

Who?