When England U20s take to the field in tomorrow’s JWC final against South Africa at Eden Park, they should do so with confidence that regardless of the result, they are on the pathway to success.

Of course that future success is not guaranteed, nor will it or can it fall to everyone, but all should know that with the right application and a little slice of luck they are on course not just for a rugby career, but for a very good one indeed.

Four times before England have reached the JWC final, in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2013. 101 players have been involved in those squads (Callum Clark, Luke Eves, Ben Youngs, Rob Miller, Charlie Sharples, Courtney Lawes, and Seb Stegman were involved in both 2008 and 2009) and the number of success stories is incredible.

Those four squads have produced five British and Irish Lions, nineteen England internationals (including those Lions), and a Scotland international. When you consider that the 2013 side is mainly made up of players either still in the U20s squad or only just breaking out of club Academies, that number looks even more impressive.

Furthermore there have been fourteen players who have represented England in ‘non-cap’ fixtures, suggesting that they are well and truly on Stuart Lancaster’s radar, as well as a further ten players whose highest honour to date is an England Saxons cap.

That means that having represented the U20s full squad in a JWC final campaign, forty-four of the 101 players involved have gone on to represent England (and Scotland) at a higher level. When the 2013 crop matures, it is likely that that stat will read at pretty much half of those involved across the four finals.

The current crop has plenty in their number who could add to that impressive list, perhaps most obvious at the moment is tomorrow’s captain, second row Maro Itoje.

The Saracens lock is an outstanding athlete who relishes the physical aspect of the game, whilst also being blessed with the ball skills and all round game to be able to play in the back row. In fact the second row is a real area of strength for England, the Bath duo of Charlie Ewles and the injured Tom Ellis are capable of going a long way in the game.

In the centres things also look very encouraging for England. Nick Tompkins is a special talent, the young Saracen has started every match in this JWC and along with Harry Sloan could go a long way. That these two are keeping Tom Stephenson, who was late for the tournament as he was on the bench for Northampton Saints’ Aviva Premiership final (a sign of just how good he is), is an impressive achievement.

Sloan, along with Gloucester’s Ross Moriarty are the only two players to have started both last year’s final and this, suggesting promising signs for both.

Whether they start, are on the bench, or are just in the wider squad though, has not prevented success. Last year Ollie Devoto was on the bench for the final but he played against the Barbarians for England earlier this month, while in 2011 Jonathan Joseph missed out on the matchday squad but has gained several England caps. Glocuester’s Elliot Stooke suffered the same fate last year but has an England Saxons cap to his name now.

The stats for progression to further international representation are impressive and while naturally that is the holy grail for any rugby player, the real bread and butter of their rugby lives is ensuring a long and successful club career, and it is there that the progression statistics from England’s JWC finalist teams really stand out.

Of the 101 different players involved in those four squads, eighty-four have Premiership rugby careers*, while two are currently playing full time in the England 7s squad.

Outside of that eight players are playing in the Championship, one for Edinburgh in the Pro 12, one in Romania, and one with Rosslyn Park at the top of National League One, and one is a multiple Oxford University blue.

That is an incredible strike rate. Essentially, aside from a very small number of anomalies, with the right dedication and commitment over 80% of the players involved with the England U20 set up will end up in the Premiership, with the rest playing Championship rugby.

Only three players to have been part of an England U20s set up that reached the JWC final are no longer in the game. Scott Hobson and Josh Ovens both unfortunately had to retire through injury, whilst having been unable to find any information about his recent career it is assumed that the ex London Irish hooker James Clark has also retired.

For the 2013 crop this is a wonderful opportunity, but for the rest of us as fans it is also an opportunity. An opportunity to see the future of English rugby, and the idols for many of the next decade.

Seven percent of these guys are likely to become British & Irish Lions (calculated excluding the 2013 crop, who were still U20s during the last tour), while 20% are likely to become full internationals with a further 25% knocking on the fringes of the National side.

Yes, these U20s are definitely headed along the path to success. With hard work and a little luck, tomorrow morning we will all be watching the stars of the next few years’ rugby landscape.

*Based on the 2013/14 Aviva Premiership Season.

England U20 XV v South Africa U20

15 Aaron Morris (Bedford Blues)
 14 Howard Packman (Northampton Saints) 
13 Nick Tompkins (Saracens)
 12 Harry Sloan (Harlequins) 11 Nathan Earle (Saracens)
 10 Billy Burns (Gloucester) 
9 Henry Taylor (Loughborough University);  1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Northampton Saints) 2 Tom Woolstencroft (Bath)
 3 Paul Hill (Leeds Carnegie)
 4 Maro Itoje (Saracens, captain)
 5 Charlie Ewels (Bath)
 6 Ross Moriarty (Gloucester) 7 Gus Jones (London Wasps)
 8 James Chisholm (Harlequins).

Replacements:  16 Jack Walker (Leeds Carnegie) 
17 Alex Lundberg (London Wasps) 
18 Biyi Alo (Saracens) 
19 Hayden Thompson-Stringer (Saracens)
 20 Joel Conlon (Exeter Chiefs)
 21 Callum Braley (Bristol) 22 Sam Olver (Northampton Saints)
 23 Henry Purdy (Leicester Tigers).

Further Squad: Harry Rudkin (Leicester Tigers)  Cameron Neild (Sale Sharks, injury rep), George Catchpole (Leicester Tigers, injury rep)  Jordan Onojaife (Northampton Saints, injury rep).

Injured: Tom Ellis (Bath)  Jonny Hill (Gloucester)  Harry Thacker (Leicester Tigers)  Tom Fowlie (London Irish).

Year by Year stats breakdowns:

2008

Lions = 2

England = 8

England Non Cap = 1

Saxons = 4

7s = 1

Premiership = 16

Non Prem = 7

Left Game = 1

Unknown =1

2009 (excluding ’08 representatives: Clark, Eves, Youngs & Miller, Sharples, Lawes, Stegman)

England = 1

Scotland = 1

England Non Cap = 4

Saxons = 4

Premiership = 14

Non Prem = 3

Pro 12 = 1

Left Game = 1

2011

Lions = 3

England = 9

England Non Cap = 5

7s = 1

Premiership = 24

Non Prem = 1

2013

England = 1

England Non Cap = 4

Saxons = 2

Premiership = 29

U20s = 8

2010 Squad (4^th Place):

Joe Marler, Lee Imiolek, Jamie George, Arthur Ellis, Shaun Knight, Calum Green, George Kruis, Mako Vunipola, Charlie Matthews, Jamie Gibson, Jacob Rowan, Will Welch, Alex Gray, Jackson Wray.

Sam Harrison, Charlie Davies, Freddie Burns, Rory Clegg, Andrew Forsyth, Tom Casson, Tom Catterick, Jonny May, Christian Wade, Sam Smith, Will hurrell, Tom Homer.

2012 Squad (7^th Place):

Dom Barrow,
Koree Britton,
Jack Clifford,
Luke Cowan-Dickie,
Max Crumpton,
Ross Harrison, Alec Hepburn, George Merrick,
Nathan Morris,
Ben Nutley, Kyle Sinckler,
David Sisi,
Sam Twomey,
Billy Vunipola,
Chris Walker.

Will Addison, 
Josh Bassett, 
Tommy Bell, 
Jamie Elliott,
Tom Heathcote, Sam Hill,
Ryan Mills,
Ben Ransom,
Dan Robson,
Henry Slade,
Ben Spencer,
Charlie Walker, Marland Yarde.

By Angus Savage

@AngusSavageXV