Top 100 U18 Prospects

[Epaminondas Pules]

From NextGenXV. A very good list, with some serious talent. The list is limited to those who are 18 this school year.

NAME POSITION SCHOOL
Bailey Williams Prop Truro College
Ben Rowley Prop Ellesmere College
Dan Clements Prop. Brooksby Melton College
Ehimen Osebor Prop. Haileybury
Josh Marsden Prop. Malvern College
Mark Dormer Prop. RGS Newcastle
Mikey Summerfield Prop. Hartpury College
Ned Hawker Prop. Woodhouse Grove
Seb Smith Prop. Stamford
Tim Hoyt Prop. Brooksby Melton College
Will Hobson Prop. Wellington College
Zack Hill Prop. Oaklands College
Archie McCusker Hooker Warwick
Jasper Spandler Hooker Beechen Cliff
Joe Plunkett Hooker Langley
Nathan Jibulu Hooker Seaford College
Ollie Fletcher Hooker Newcastle School for Boys
Sam Westmacott Hooker Uppingham
Alfie Bell Lock. King Henry VIII, Coventry
Callum Oakden Lock. Brooksby Melton College
Charlie Hagen Lock. Bishop of Hereford Bluecoat
Emeka Atunya Lock. Northampton School for Boys
Fyn Brown Lock. Shiplake College
George Taylor Lock. Bristol Grammar
Kaden Pearce-Paul Lock. Ravens Wood
Leo Johnson Lock. Sedbergh
Lewis Chessum Lock. Brooksby Melton College
Mackenzie Graham Lock. Beechen Cliff
Milo Hallam Lock. Truro College
Obinna Nkwocha Lock. Felsted
Olly Tomalin Lock. St Peter’s, York
Phil Tandoh Lock. Stamford
Sam Harding Lock. St Paul’s Catholic College
Aaron Florestein Back Row Merchant Taylors’, Northwood
Ben Copley Back Row Hymers College
Ben Grubb Back Row Truro College
Epi Rokodrava. Back Row City of Oxford College
Fin Thomas Back Row Stourport High
Finlay Lock Back Row Wellington College
Freddie Fearnley Back Row St Paul’s Catholic College
Geordie Irvine Back Row Oundle
Greg Fisilau Back Row City of Oxford College
Guy Pepper Back Row Barnard Castle
Josh Dingley Back Row Marlborough College
Kofi Cripps Back Row Rugby
Noah Leo Back Row Brooksby Melton College
Rob Nixon Back Row Sir Thomas Rich’s
Seb Murphy Back Row Manchester Grammar
Tom Ahl Back Row Dauntsey’s
Ben Douglas Scrum Half Gosforth Academy
Harry Williams Scrum Half St Joseph’s College
Jake Garside Scrum Half Norwich
James Naylor Scrum Half Sedbergh
Jed Gelderbloom Scrum Half Oakham
JJ Williams Scrum Half Colston’s
Matty Jones Scrum Half SGS Filton College
Nye Thomas Scrum Half Liverpool College
Ollie Royer Scrum Half Trent College
Tom Miles Scrum Half King Henry VIII, Coventry
Ben Simpson Fly Half Manchester Grammar
Ciaran Donoghue Fly Half Millfield
Harry Read Fly Half Denstone College
Jamie Benson Fly Half Hampton
Joe Woodward Fly Half Brooksby Melton College
Louie Johnson Fly Half Sedbergh
Matt Arden Fly Half Stamford
Monty Bradbury Fly Half Wellington College
Morgan Adderly-Jones Fly Half Hartpury College
Tom Lynagh Fly Half Epsom College [now an Aussie potential]
Bryn Bradley Centre Epsom College
Charlie Wardie Centre Altrincham Grammar
Cormac Calnan Centre Stamford
Dylan Power Centre Colston’s
Ewan Greenlaw Centre Durham
Freddy Clark Centre Woodhouse Grove
George Loose Centre Langley
Henry Joule Centre/Full Back Oakham
Jacob Cusick Centre Oakham
Jasper Hartikainen Centre Hampton
Josh Clarke Centre Sedbergh
Oli Spencer Centre/Full Back Sedbergh
Ollie Dawkins Centre RGS High Wycombe
Rekeiti Ma’asi-White Centre Harrow
Sonny Rodella Centre Bedford
Tom Parkin Centre Rishworth
Will Cusack Centre Hartpury College
Cassius Cleaves Wing Wellington College
Frankie Sleightholme Wing Northampton School for Boys
Jai Thompson Wing Sherborne
Jake Sterland Wing Brooksby Melton College
Kian Gentry Wing Exeter College
Kitan Ojo Wing Epsom College
Roman Priestley-Nangle Wing Worksop College
Tobi Wilson Wing Stourport High
Connor Slevin Back Three Whitgift
Henry Arundell Back Three Harrow
Sam Harris Back Three Millfield
Tobias Elliott Back Three Berkhamsted
Will Mobberley Back Three Warwick

My personal ones to watch in bold.

You might notice the odd famous surname in there.


NextGen did their XV to watch and their top prospect, which was Jamie Benson. He's a very talented pup, who kept Lynagh out of the FH spot for Quins kids.

[Epaminondas Pules]

NextGen XV's 15 top prospects (alphabetically) were:

Henry Arundell - London Irish, back three player, equally adept at wing or fullback. Very elusive runner and with some serious gas. Good under the high ball.
Jamie Benson - Harlequins, Fly Half. Been playing first XV schools rugby from fifth form. Very mature game management for his age. Good off either hand, good turn of pace and step.
Monty Bradbury - Wasps, Fly Half. A similar all round skill set as Benson, though maybe not quite as electric.
Cassius Cleaves - Harlequins, Wing. Lightening! Absolute lightening! But much more than just speed. Really exciting wing. Great feet and vision, but gas, gas, gas!
Kofi Cripps - Wasps, Flanker. Really destructive flanker. Great over the ball. Very strong ball in hand.
Oli Dawkins - Wasps, Centre, and wing and fullback. Rapid, great hands and feet. Can play anywhere from 13 out.
Mark Dormer - Newcastle, TH Prop. Another off the RGS production line. Played TH to Phil Brantingham's LH last season. Really dynamic in the loose and formidable in the scrum. Similar excitement about Dormer as there is about Baxter from the year before.
Tom Lynagh - Aussie
Reiketi Ma'asi-White - Wasps, Centre. Brings the power, but more than that. Good hands and footwork. He and Arundell looked like a superb partnership at school. Similar with Dawkins at Academy. Got the physical prowess to step up.
Obinna Nkwocha - Saracens, Lock. Yet another Saracens lock talent. Proper physical specimen. My life he looks a good one.
Kaden Pearce-Paul - Saracens, Lock. All the power, but with a cracking skillset too. Elder brother Kai is on Wigan Warriors books.
Guy Pepper - Newcastle, Flanker. You've probably heard of Pepper. Really exciting flanker. Hard to find a weakness in his game. He excels in every facet.
Conor Slevin - Harlequins, Back Three, or anywhere in the backs frankly. Not quite as X Factor as Cleaves, but still a bloody good and versatile prospect.
Seb Smith - Leicester Tigers, LH prop. Another dynamic prop with a huge amount of power. Really one to watch.
Olly Tomalin - Leeds, Lock or Backrow. Not sure where he will end up. I'd edge towards lock. Really good in the tight exchanges, but equally adept in the open.

[twitchy]

Thanks for that EP.

[Epaminondas Pules]

No worries. Mostly copy and paste

I'll see if I can do it by club, although I would caveat to say there is some movement between clubs for school leavers, but not too much.

[Epaminondas Pules]

NAME POSITION CLUB
Jasper Spandler Hooker Bath
Mackenzie Graham Lock Bath
Tom Ahl Back Row Bath
Josh Dingley Back Row Bath
Ciaran Donoghue Fly Half Bath
Sam Harris Back Three Bath
Jai Thompson Wing Bath
George Taylor Lock Bristol
Dylan Power Centre Bristol
JJ Williams Scrum Half Bristol
Kian Gentry Wing Exeter
Bailey Williams Prop Exeter
Ben Grubb Back Row Exeter
Milo Hallam Lock Exeter
Morgan Adderly-Jones Fly Half Gloucester
Will Cusack Centre Gloucester
Matty Jones Scrum Half Gloucester
Rob Nixon Back Row Gloucester
Bryn Bradley Centre Harlequins
Kitan Ojo Wing Harlequins
Jamie Benson Fly Half Harlequins
Jasper Hartikainen Centre Harlequins
Nathan Jibulu Hooker Harlequins
Cassius Cleaves Wing Harlequins
Finlay Lock Back Row Harlequins
Will Hobson Prop Harlequins
Connor Slevin Back Three Harlequins
Ben Copley Back Row Leeds
Tom Parkin Centre Leeds
Olly Tomalin Lock Leeds
Freddy Clark Centre Leeds
Ned Hawker Prop Leeds
Callum Oakden Lock Leicester Tigers
Dan Clements Prop Leicester Tigers
Jake Sterland Wing Leicester Tigers
Joe Woodward Fly Half Leicester Tigers
Lewis Chessum Lock Leicester Tigers
Noah Leo Back Row Leicester Tigers
Tim Hoyt Prop Leicester Tigers
Harry Read Fly Half Leicester Tigers
George Loose Centre Leicester Tigers
Joe Plunkett Hooker Leicester Tigers
Henry Joule Centre/Full Back Leicester Tigers
Jacob Cusick Centre Leicester Tigers
Jed Gelderbloom Scrum Half Leicester Tigers
Cormac Calnan Centre Leicester Tigers
Phil Tandoh Lock Leicester Tigers
Seb Smith Prop Leicester Tigers
Ollie Royer Scrum Half Leicester Tigers
Sam Westmacott Hooker Leicester Tigers
Roman Priestley-Nangle Wing Leicester Tigers
Henry Arundell Back Three London Irish
Mikey Summerfield Prop London Irish
Freddie Fearnley Back Row London Irish
Sam Harding Lock London Irish
Monty Bradbury Fly Half London Irish
Tom Lynagh Fly Half Melbourne Rebels
Guy Pepper Back Row Newcastle Falcons
Ewan Greenlaw Centre Newcastle Falcons
Ben Douglas Scrum Half Newcastle Falcons
Ollie Fletcher Hooker Newcastle Falcons
Mark Dormer Prop Newcastle Falcons
James Naylor Scrum Half Newcastle Falcons
Louie Johnson Fly Half Newcastle Falcons
Oli Spencer Centre/Full Back Newcastle Falcons
Sonny Rodella Centre Northampton
Emeka Atunya Lock Northampton
Frankie Sleightholme Wing Northampton
Jake Garside Scrum Half Northampton
Geordie Irvine Back Row Northampton
Matt Arden Fly Half Northampton
Archie McCusker Hooker Northampton
Will Mobberley Back Three Northampton
Charlie Wardie Centre Sale
Sam Carleton Full Back Sale
Nye Thomas Scrum Half Sale
Ben Simpson Fly Half Sale
Seb Murphy Back Row Sale
Josh Clarke Centre Sale
Leo Johnson Lock Sale
Tobias Elliott Back Three Saracens
Obinna Nkwocha Lock Saracens
Ehimen Osebor Prop Saracens
Zack Hill Prop Saracens
Kaden Pearce-Paul Lock Saracens
Harry Williams Scrum Half Scarlets (signed 5 year contract aged 15!)
Epi Rokodrava Back Row Wasps
Greg Fisilau Back Row Wasps
Rekeiti Ma’asi-White Centre Wasps
Aaron Florestein Back Row Wasps
Ollie Dawkins Centre Wasps
Kofi Cripps Back Row Wasps
Fyn Brown Lock Wasps
Charlie Hagen Lock Worcester
Ben Rowley Prop Worcester
Alfie Bell Lock Worcester
Tom Miles Scrum Half Worcester
Josh Marsden Prop Worcester
Fin Thomas Back Row Worcester
Tobi Wilson Wing Worcester

[Epaminondas Pules]

And sorry, I was bored on a call hence colour

[Epaminondas Pules]

There's a few that are Exiles and likely to be courted by their family nation. Harry Williams is well along that having been signed. by Scarlets as a 15 year old.

Others:
JJ Williams
Bryn Bradley
Archie McCusker
Nye Thomas

[fivepointer]

Good stuff.
Always like to know who to look out for over the next 2/3 years.
I guess these things go in cycles but thats lot of players from Leicester and surprisingly few from Exeter, Glos and Saracens.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Good stuff.
Always like to know who to look out for over the next 2/3 years.
I guess these things go in cycles but thats lot of players from Leicester and surprisingly few from Exeter, Glos and Saracens.

Certainly do. We see different schools rising and of course there is the movement at L6th that for some schools has increased. Brooksby, for example, took four of the Tigers DPP lads from King Edwards Lichfield into their 6th form, one of whom is on this list, another one at least should be on it next year.

From this years crop eyes on Quins and Wasps, who both have some real talent in their batch, whilst two from Falcons look like nailed on (as much as you can at this stage) first teamers if not more.

[Tigersman]

Tigers contracts sorted I believe now for next season.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Tigers contracts sorted I believe now for next season.

Cool. Any insight as to who's bee contracted?

[FKAS]

Tigers contracts sorted I believe now for next season.

Cool. Any insight as to who's bee contracted?

Colnan and Tandoh are not being retained at Tigers it seems. Sterland, Chessum and Hoyt seem very likely but hard to tell. Many thought young Ollie Smith the 13/15 goal kicker from last year would get a contract and didn't.

[Scrumhead]

Good stuff.
Always like to know who to look out for over the next 2/3 years.
I guess these things go in cycles but thats lot of players from Leicester and surprisingly few from Exeter, Glos and Saracens.

Certainly do. We see different schools rising and of course there is the movement at L6th that for some schools has increased. Brooksby, for example, took four of the Tigers DPP lads from King Edwards Lichfield into their 6th form, one of whom is on this list, another one at least should be on it next year.

From this years crop eyes on Quins and Wasps, who both have some real talent in their batch, whilst two from Falcons look like nailed on (as much as you can at this stage) first teamers if not more.

Yep. There’s definitely excitement about Benson, Jibulu, Cleaves and Slevin at Quins. With Riley, Baxter, Hammond and Tizard all breaking through already, I think we’ll see a much higher emphasis on home grown players over the next few seasons.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Tigers contracts sorted I believe now for next season.

Cool. Any insight as to who's bee contracted?

Colnan and Tandoh are not being retained at Tigers it seems. Sterland, Chessum and Hoyt seem very likely but hard to tell. Many thought young Ollie Smith the 13/15 goal kicker from last year would get a contract and didn't.

It's tough, but that's professional sport really. Tandoh looked a solid prospect, but maybe not quite the same level as a Sterland. Any news on Joule?

[FKAS]

Cool. Any insight as to who's bee contracted?

Colnan and Tandoh are not being retained at Tigers it seems. Sterland, Chessum and Hoyt seem very likely but hard to tell. Many thought young Ollie Smith the 13/15 goal kicker from last year would get a contract and didn't.

It's tough, but that's professional sport really. Tandoh looked a solid prospect, but maybe not quite the same level as a Sterland. Any news on Joule?

Tandoh I think posted au revoir on Twitter and Colnan has a highlights reel out which is normally a sign he's moving on.

I think Joule is part of the Joules family clothing empire which sponsors Tigers so I'd assume if that's the case he might get a shot when combined with his ability.

[Bored Falcon]

Lots of Newcastle players there.

I look forward to seeing them play for Exeter, Leicester etc in a few years.

Also, please let the scrum Half's be good!

[Tigersman]

Wasps Under 18 graduates
Archie McArthur – Loosehead prop (Oxfordshire DPP / Oxfordshire County / City of Oxford College ACE)
Alfie Bell – Lock (Warwickshire DPP / Warwickshire County / King Henry VIII School)
Fyn Brown – Back row (Oxfordshire DPP / Oxfordshire County / Oxford Harlequins RFC / Shiplake College)
Aaron Florestein – Back row (Buckinghamshire DPP / Merchant Taylors School)
Kofi Cripps – Back row (Buckinghamshire DPP / Buckinghamshire / Amersham & Chiltern RFC / Rugby School)
Greg Fisilau – Back row (Caldicott Prep School / Oxfordshire DPP / St Edwards School / City of Oxford College ACE)
Rekeiti Ma’asi-White – Centre (Caldicott Prep School / Harrow School)
Ollie Dawkins – Full-back (Buckinghamshire DPP / Buckinghamshire / Marlow RFC / Sir William Borlase Grammar School / RGS High Wycombe)

[Epaminondas Pules]

That's a strong intake. Four back row forwards is a lot, but they're all good lads.

[Tigersman]

Northampton Saints intake

Matthew Arden // Fly-Half
Emeka Atuanya // Lock
Jake Garside // Scrum-Half
Geordie Irvine // Back Row
Tom Lockett // Lock

Falcons Intake
OLLIE FLETCHER (Hooker, 9/9/2002, Tynedale RFC and Newcastle School for Boys)
MARCUS TIFFEN (Back row, 3/9/2002, Carlisle RFC and Newcastle University)
GUY PEPPER (Back row, 15/4/2003, Barnard Castle School, Barnard Castle RFC)
LOUIE JOHNSON (Fly-half, 13/6/2003, Penrith RFC and Sedbergh School)
EWAN GREENLAW (Centre, 14/3/2003, Horden RFC and Durham School)

Irish intake
Henry Arundell – Full-back
Monty Bradbury – Fly-half
Mikey Summerfield – Prop
Calum Scott - Hooker

[Adam_P]

Jake Garside looks like a very lively prospect at 9, and the two locks makes it seem that Saints won't be short of line out jumpers for a while - one being 6'7" and the other 6'8"

[Adam_P]

Jake Garside looks like a very lively prospect at 9, and the two locks makes it seem that Saints won't be short of line out jumpers for a while - one being 6'7" and the other 6'8"

[Mellsblue]

What is the consensus on Tom Litchfield. He has been superb for Bedford this season. 18 years old and routinely one of the best players on the pitch.
He is obviously destined for World Player of the Year given he came through the Blues academy and played for Blues on loan but I’m wondering what the Northampton cognoscenti think of him.

[Puja]

Jake Garside looks like a very lively prospect at 9, and the two locks makes it seem that Saints won't be short of line out jumpers for a while - one being 6'7" and the other 6'8"

He looks okay, I suppose.

Puja

[Tigersman]

Worcester Warriors U18s promoted to Senior Academy:

Cheick Kone
Lock
Stourport High School

Theobald Thomas
Hooker
Stourport High School

Tom Miles
Scrum Half
King Henry VIII, Coventry

Tobi Wilson
Wing
Stourport High School

[fivepointer]

Some interesting background on Cheick Kone

Kone has progressed from Warriors’ Diploma in Sporting Excellence programme at Stourport HS & Sixth Form College and club rugby at Wolverhampton into the Senior Academy at Sixways but his route into rugby has been anything but conventional.

He was born and raised in the Ivory Coast, spent time in Bologna in Italy before his family re-located to Wolverhampton.

Kone took up rugby only two years ago when Matt Jones, Warriors’ Academy Outreach Coach, spotted him as part of the Project Rugby programme.

Project Rugby is an initiative between Premiership Rugby and England Rugby to increase participation in rugby by people from traditionally under-represented groups – including BAME (Black Asian & Minority Ethnic people).

Thanks to the work of Warriors Community Foundation – the club’s charity arm – Jones has been able to carry out ground-breaking work in introducing rugby to inner city areas in Wolverhampton and the Black Country where the sport is rarely played.

Kone is the first player in England to progress from Project Rugby to the Senior Academy of a Gallagher Premiership club.