Comment

WARRIORS' exciting crop of youngsters have been putting experienced Guinness Premiership opponents to the sword on a regular basis in recent months.

However, Sixways director of rugby Mike Ruddock is now touting them to showcase their skills on the international stage.

Steve Evans, the England Saxons head coach is poised to announced his squad for June's Barclays Churchill Cup in Canada and the USA and Ruddock is convinced at least four of his Warriors are in with a shout for selection.

In fact, Evans had a first-hand view of how good the Warriors young guns are a week ago when the acting Newcastle Falcons director of rugby saw his side blown apart by Worcester in the European Challenge Cup semi-final.

Since taking control at Sixways, Ruddock's ethos has been if you're good enough, you're old enough'. That mentality has paid dividends with a whole host of home-grown talent breaking into the Warriors first XV this season.

The Welshman believes that wingers Marcel Garvey and Miles Benjamin, flanker Tom Wood and prop/hooker Matt Mullan all have excellent cases for a place in the touring squad.

Should they be included when the squad is announced on May 13, it would be testament to what Ruddock has achieved so far at Worcester.

The Warriors chief said: "I'll be disappointed if we don't have a few guys in the Saxons squad.

"There are some really good young players here who we've talked about all season.

"It will be interesting to see the selection and I'm sure some of our boys really have put their hands up and shown the England management team what they can do.

"Martin Johnson is involved in the set-up now. He'll want to put his stamp on things and I'm sure he'll be aware already that some of our younger players in particular are playing good rugby.

"The likes of Miles Benjamin, for example, has been playing so well and Marcel Garvey has been superb too.

"It would be great if those guys make the team, but there are loads of other players worth considering too - people like Tom Wood and Matt Mullan could be potential candidates.

"It depends on what England's rationale is and what they want from it. It depends whether they want to pick a totally second choice squad to shadow the senior team or if they want to use the A' team to bring young guys through.

"If they get the right balance between young players and those on the fringe of the full England team, it will help develop the youngsters. It will be interesting to see the squad. I coached the Wales and Ireland A' teams in the past and I always found the best selections were those with a mix of senior players who are close to the first team and some up-and-coming youngsters who can build their confidence."

England Saxons go into the Churchill Cup as defending champions after beating New Zealand Maori 17-13 at Twickenham in last year's final.

This summer the Saxons face US Eagles (Jun 7, Ottawa) and Ireland A' (June 14, Toronto) in the pool matches. The final is being played in Chicago on 21 June.

8:57am Friday 2nd May 2008

Print

Email this

Comment