As we do every year we kick off by naming 100 Under 20 internationals to watch, from that list we select a XV to watch and finally from this list we will name our number 1 global prospect for the 2022 season.
Herewith is NextGenXV’s 15 to watch in 2022:
15) Davit Niniashvili (Georgia)
Niniashvili is considered to be the most talented player to have come out of Georgia in recent memory and judging by recent performances one feels that it is only a matter of time before he becomes a household name.
After some promising performances for local team Khvamli the starlet was offered terms in France where he signed with Lyon making 13 appearances for the team thus far.
Despite being only 19 years old Niniashvili has already earned himself 5 caps with the Georgian senior team and has 23 points to his name so far. Blessed with speed, excellent handling ability and a solid kicking game he is certainly a prospect to keep a close eye on.
14) Henry Arundell (England)
Normally a full back, Arundell’s recent performance for England U20 and London Irish meant we simply had to find space for him in this back three, despite strong competition from the likes of his international teammate Deago Bailey of Bristol Bears.
A former pupil at Harrow, Arundell has been thrilling with his pace and running lines for a long time now, but this year he has made some eye-catching displays and it was notable that he was one of those name-checked by London Irish Academy coach Declan Danaher in a recent appearance on BT Sport. His try against Scotland in the opening round of the U20 Six Nations was a real sign of all that makes Arundell such a thrill to watch.
13) Emilien Gailleton (France)
The quality and depth that exists right now in French rugby is truly frightening with the nation experiencing a true reinassance with back to back Under 20 World Cup wins and a plethora of young stars on the horizon but in Emilien Gailleton they have perhaps the most frightening backline prospect in World Rugby right now.
What makes this all the more frightening is the fact that Gailleton is still only 18 years old and currently occupies the French Under 20 captain’s armband, such is the faith that the coaching staff have in him. Blessed with exceptional speed, incredible maturity and the ability to rip open opposition defenses there is little doubt that should be continue on his current run of form there is no reason why he cannot become a legend of the game.
12) Riley Higgins (New Zealand)
Higgins like his peers on this list was unfortunate to have had the pandemic curtail his quest for higher honours with no official gametime for the New Zealand Schools team although he was named in what was termed a “paper team”.
With New Zealand having had exceptional centres over the last few years Higgins looks to be the player on the cusp of joining other established players from the Wellington region in making the step up onto the global stage.
His footwork is his real strength, able to snipe his way around defenses that reminds one of Conrad Smith in his early days he combines this with a high rugby IQ and exceptional pace off the mark. He was the leading points scorers in the 2020 Wellington Premiership schools division with 138 points which included 15 tries.
11) Canan Moodie (South Africa)
The former Boland Lanbou star has long been known as a player that had amazing potential but took things up a level after leaving school.
One of the stars of the Junior Springboks during the 2021 Under 20 series with some outstanding performances an untimely injury curtailed his international window but Moodie has since made the step up to senior rugby with relative ease including a try on his debut.
10) Fin Smith (England)
Smith became Worcester Warriors’ youngest every starter last year before then going on to claim the starting 10 shirt for England U20 ahead of the likes of Charlie Atkinson and Dan Lancaster, who ended up being used at 12. Those were two sure-fire signs of the quality of the youngster, who had been displaying performances of real maturity for Warwick School throughout his school career.
Still eligible for the U20s, Smith has not been featuring in the U20 Six Nations as he is now running the show at Worcester Warriors from fly half, and while results may not be going their way at the moment, his performances and potential have been earning race reviews all season. International caps will surely come, and if not for England then perhaps for Scotland, for whom Smith’s grandfather Tom Elliot played – he then went on to represent the British and Irish Lions.
9) Noah Hotham (New Zealand)
The son of legendary schools coach Nigel Hotham, Noah has long been earmarked for greater things in the game. A standout at Hamilton Boys where he was a key player in yet another Super 8 trophy for the school.
Not one to rest on his laurels the youngster has already made his NPC debut for Tasman and looks set for a bright future in the game where many feel that he is on the pathway for higher honours.
8) Theo Ntamack (France)
Son of France legend Emile and brother of current maestro Romain, Ntamack has the burden of a familiar family name to bear but has done so with ease showing that brand Ntamack is set to continue to be written into French rugby folklore.
With his brother and father both being backline players Theo is the Ntamack with the size and strength and is an absolute unit of a player despite his young age weighing in at 103kg and standing at 6 feet and 3 inches tall. Already a standout for the French Under 20 team how long will it be before he joins his brother in the French national team?
7) Ruan Venter (South Africa)
What a whirlwind journey it has been for Ruan Venter, a meteoric rise in the game of rugby which looks like it won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Venter is a big talent, literally a big talent with the 19 year old standing at a towering 6 foot 6 and weighing in at 115kg. Despite this size he has incredible speed and agility with his work rate frankly other worldly.
To think that just 2 years ago he was an unknown talent at Sutherland High School defies logic, Venter like many others just needed his opportunity and it came through a scholarship at Paarl Boys. Scoring with his first touch of the ball set the tone for what would an incredible season which included some standout performances for the Lions Under 20 squad. He is already part of the Lions senior URC setup and made an immediate impact, brace for impact because Ruan Venter is going to be a massive name in the world of rugby and will terrorize opposition defenders for years to come!
6) Reuben Crothers (Ireland)
An abundance of top class back rowers sees us select Crothers on the blindside rather than his preferred open. The former Wallace High School man is the current Ireland U20 captain and his incredibly dogged and hard-working performances for Ireland have been a real feature of their U20 Six Nations campaign to date.
As a schoolboy he became the first Wallace High School pupil to lift the Ulster Schools Senior Cup, a shared title with Royal School Belfast in 2020’s Covid hit campaign, and it was his leadership and Peter O’Mahony style back row performances that were a key feature in that run to the final.
5) Reinhardt Ludwig (South Africa)
The former Affies youngster has always hade the attributes to become an exceptional lock with some outstanding displays in 2019 and despite the situation arising in 2020 Ludwig took it in his stride.
2021 he was seen by some as a surprise inclusion in the Baby Bok squad but he quickly proved his detractors wrong but being one of the best players for the Junior Springboks. Having already made his senior debut for the Bulls the 6 foot 6 and 106kg Ludwig scaringly has time to grow and develop his game with some already hailing him as the next Victor Matfield.f
4) Christ Tshiunza (Wales)
It says a lot about the quality of Tshiunza that Wayne Pivac has already capped him at senior level for Wales – and indeed that he called him up before Tshiunza had even started a game for Exeter Chiefs, his call up coming on the same day that he was playing for Exeter University in BUCS Super Rugby. His star status has been known for a while, not least after some eye-catching display for Whitchurch High School in the 2019 St Joseph’s Festival, that prompted Exeter Chiefs to quietly offer him a four year deal to hop across the River Severn.
A man-mountain of a player, who can play both at lock and in the back row, Tshiunza trained with England U20 during lockdown but when the call from Pivac came there was only one answer that this towering forward was ever going to give. A player that we are going to hear a lot about in the coming years.
3) Corne Weilbach (South Africa)
The Junior Springbok scrum was severely tested in last years Under 20 tournament with the Argentinians and Georgians often tormenting their opposition numbers. Weilbach was at just under 19 level put through his paces and as the challenges grew so did his ability.
He was head and shoulders the best prop forward on display at the tournament and with each match his confidence grew and when facing his Argentine foes once again looked like a different player putting in some tremendous work. South Africa is known for producing quality props and in terms of the younger players there are few with the ability of Weilbach, a player who reminds us of a young Steven Kitshoff.
2) Patrick Harrison (Scotland)
Still only 19, Harrison has been a name on the lips of those in the know about Scottish rugby for some time now. He has appeared for Edinburgh Rugby in the front row despite his particularly tender years for a front rower and he looks likely to add to his handful of appearances in the name future.
An ever present in the Scotland U20 team this season, Harrison posses that rare combination of both power and pace and looks ever inch a modern-day front rower, about whom there is a huge amount of excitement.
1) Fin Baxter (England)
The former Wellington College captain has been creating headlines for a long time already. Last year he was required by Harlequins and therefore missed much of the rescheduled U20 Six Nations, however in the final game he was available – and claimed the man of the match award, a measure of his quality.
Named in our 2021 World U20 XV and our 2020 World Schools XV, Baxter’s presence in this side should come as no surprise. After captaining his school and England U18, he now has the distinction of captaining England U20, and it looks certain that further future honours are on the horizon. A true star in the making.
