les joueurs à surveiller en 2006

[moza de Tlse]

Ready to take 2006 by storm

Monday January 02 2006

We give you the rising stars of the rugby world

George Gregan, Fabien Pelous, Os du Randt, Matt Dawson, Tana Umaga, and we dare not forget that most battled stalwart of all, Gareth Llewellyn.

All great players, and all now reaching the wane of glittering careers. But as they prepare to depart the centre stage, there are plenty jostling on the turf behind them.

They may still be comparative babes-in-arms for now, but is 2006 going to be the year that these players rocket to stardom?

With names like Yannick Nyanga, Drew Mitchell, Tom Varndell and Andrew Sheridan already familiar in the mouths of rugby fans of every hue, we've decided to focus on the lesser-known tyros as we peer into our crystal ball.

These are our tips for 2006 - send us yours...

Florian Fritz (France) - In a year that precipitates greatness, 2005 saw Fritz win his first three France caps, and saw him voted both Player of the Year in the Top 14, and Newcomer of the Year in the Top 14. The try he recently scored against Edinburgh in the Heineken Cup shows just how deceptively strong Fritz is, and his partnership with Yannick Jauzion at club level could be a rehearsal for the Six Nations. If that partnership in a French shirt is as good as it is in a Toulouse one, sit back and enjoy the show.

Romain Millo-Chluski (France) - Another home-grown Toulouse talent, Millo-Chluski is benefitting enormously both from Fabien Pelous's enforced absences. Bernard Laporte has plenty of experienced locks, but only Lionel Nallet has emerged as a young specialist in the position over the last couple of years. MIllo-Chluski should be the next.

Maxime Médard (France) - Médard also made his mark at the U21 World Championship, and put in several good performances in the Six Nations as well. Equally adept at fullback or centre, Médard is still finding it hard to get beyond the fringes of Guy Noves' Toulouse team, but considering what is ahead of him in the pecking order, fringes are an achievement for someone who is still only 19 years old. His chance will come.

Lionel Beauxis (France) - The France U21 fly-half has baled his club Pau out with the boot on a number of occasions, and that despite playing behind a pack that is consistently on the back foot. Although Michalak remains the undisputed number one for les Bleus, behind him jostle five or six players, of which Beauxis is by some distance the youngest. He is possibly a little restricted by playing for the struggling Paloise, but of all positions, it is handy to have a fly-half who truly knows what it is like to have backs against the wall. Pau probably will not survive the Top 14 this season, but Beauxis will.

David Marty (France) - Marty has run in try after try for Perpignan this season, and, like Florian Fritz, made a breakthrough into the French team during November. Bernard Laporte is spoiled for choice in the centre admittedly, but Marty, at 23, is another of those with time on his side.

Samueli Dawai Naulu (Fiji) - A little-known teenager, who signed for Perpignan as a flanker in July 2005, Naulu was apparently put on the wing after his initial training sessions because he was just too fast to waste in the forwards. He is scoring at a more than healthy rate in the Top 14, and Leeds fans will remember the man whose tries stole victory from them at the Aimé-Giral in December. Assuming Perpignan do not succumb to the yips on the road again, Naulu will have the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with which to advertise himself in April.

Phil Godman (Scotland) - It's not all doom and gloom in Scotland, quite the contrary. 2004 saw the rise of Chris Cusiter, 2005 brought us Sean Lamont and 2006 will belong to Edinburgh's exciting fly-half, Phil Godman. The 23-year-old is a tidy player with a good appreciation of the game, great speed off the mark and a knack of unlocking the tightest defensive patterns - see Edinburgh's defeat of Wasps for details. Dan Parks's days are numbered.

Chilliboy Ralepelle (South Africa) - The young hooker was the very heartbeat of the South African sides that won the U19 and U21 World Championships in 2005. Yes, Ralepelle featured in both! With a hugely mature head screwed onto a very powerful body, the Blue Bulls newbie is the brightest star in South Africa's brilliantly bright future. It may take a couple of years, but Ralepelle is destined to succeed John Smit - not only as Bok hooker but as Bok captain. Mark these words...

Lloyd Johansson (Australia) - The centre made a dream Australia debut on the wing in Spetember 2005, scoring a try in Auckland against the All Blacks during Australia's 34-24 defeat. He is still only 20 years old, but an impressive 110kg frame puts paid to anybody who dares to think he might be just another young lightweight who needs teaching a lesson. Did not get too much game-time under Eddie Jones, but the new Australia coach may change that for the Reds player with Tongan lineage.

Leroy Houston (Australia) - This versatile back-row player was one of three non-Super 12/14 capped players to go on the Australia senior tour, having signed a two-year contract with the Waratahs, all before his 19th birthday. Powerful and physical, Houston is able to play flanker or No.8. He represented both the Australian U19 and U21 in 2005.

Gareth Delve (Wales/England) - After two years of injury woe, Bath's young Welsh loose forward is now busy making a name for himself. The 22-year-old has earned rave reviews for his ability to cross the gain-line, his eye for the intercept and his flawless defence. A full cap beckons - as does a starring role at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The only variable is his shirt colour - reports suggest that England are keen to lure the Cardiff-born tyro to Twickers.

Valerio Bernabò (Italy) - Calvisano's lanky lock is the latest in the Italians' crop of tall timber able to catch well at line-outs. Bernabò is now 21, has a couple of international caps to his name, and when he fills out properly, his frame will be unmissable on a rugby field. As, apparently, will his swagger.

Juan Manuel Leguizamon (Argentina) - Shot to prominence by being head thief when the 'second-string' Pumas stole possession from the Lions fifteen times in June, and was subsequently rewarded with a lucrative move to London Irish. The Lions performance was backed up by a couple of good shows in the Churchill Cup, and at 23, Leguizamon already has the pace and handling skills to cement his place into the Pumas team. If only the Pumas would have a competition in which to show them off.

Chris Czekaj (Wales) - After receiving plaudit upon plaudit for his performances in Wales' U21 Grand Slam-winning team, wing Czekaj scored a try on his debut against Canada in June. He has since nailed down a frequent starter spot in Cardiff Blues' line-up, and given Wales's current injury crisis, could be making a Six Nations debut earlier than he thinks.

Zhahier Ryland (South Africa) - Nicknamed 'Kakkerlak' (cockroach) because of his scurrying style of running, the 24-year-old burst onto the Currie Cup scene with a hat-trick of tries for Western Province against the Lions and has not looked back since. Perhaps the only man in South Africa who could keep up with Byran Habana, Ryland proved to be the one bright light in an otherwise dim year for WP and he's sure to inject some much-needed va-va-voom into the Stormers.

Tom Rees (England) - Rees surely only missed a full England debut because of an ankle injury sustained in October, just as the knee injury in last season's Zurich Premiership semi-final scuppered his chances of going to the Churchill Cup. Rees is a flanker with exceptional speed, and has played for England at every age group from U16 upwards, captaining the U21 last year. All he needs to do in 2006 is avoid injury.

Alistair McKenzie (England) - The Wasps prop has made a big impression this season, winning plaudits for his mammoth work-rate and skill in the loose - indeed, at times it seems that there is a digit missing for the 24-year-old's back. Under the tutelage of Craig Dowd and Raphaël Ibanez, McKenzie is sure to go far.

Morné Steyn (South Africa) - Much of the Bulls' revival during the 2005 was down to Steyn's maturity beyond his years with boot and hand. With South Africa struggling for quality fly-halves right now, Jake White will eventually be forced to take notice of Steyn if he can reproduce the form of 2005.

Andrew Trimble (Ireland) - Trimble's performances for Ulster are beginning to speak for themselves. Unfortunately he wears the same number shirt as BOD, but his runs and playing style could easily have less-informed spectators mixing the two up. BOD at 12 and Trimble at 13, perhaps?

Olly Morgan (England) - Impressed at England U19 level enough for Gloucester to offer him a full-time contract last year, and has since displaced the experienced Jon Goodridge as first-choice in the Cherry and Whites' No.15 shirt, causing coach Dean Ryan to note recently that he is playing too well to leave out. Gloucester are getting back to better days this season, and Morgan is getting ever bigger stages upon which to show his attacking prowess.

Jonathan Mills (Wales) - Was an integral part of the back row that helped Wales' U21 to a Grand Slam last year, and has broken into the Scarlets' first team in the absence of Dafydd Jones. Another who could be a beneficiary of Wales' injury problems, Mills is another of the current Welsh back-rows who have the hands of fly-halves, the height of locks, and the speed of centres.

Ben Skirving (England) - Skirving is making a big name for himself under Steve Diamond's uncompromising game plans at Saracens, and although Martin Corry is England's captain, he is getting a tad long in the tooth. Skirving is potentially the next of England's bruising running number eights.

Allister Hargreaves (South Africa) - The captain of the 2005 U19 World Championship-winning baby Boks, Hargreaves possesses not only height, strength, and mobility, but also a certain presence on the field, to which his team-mates were only too happy to respond. Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha are near-undisplaceable for now, but Hargreaves has 2006 to show Jake White what will follow.

Chris Smylie (New Zealand) - Just when you thought that New Zealand couldn't possibly rustle by yet another talented half-back, enter Chris Smylie. The 23-year-old Otago star was shot-listed for New Zealand's Young Player of the Year award, missing out narrowly to Piri Weepu. Expect Smylie to exact his revenge on the pitch.

[Itza]

hum, je crois que j ai deja lu ca ...

[moza de Tlse]

hum, je crois que j ai deja lu ca ...

sur le site de planet rugby mais sinon, je ne l'ai pas vu ici... désolée pour le doublon si doublon il y a!

[nikos]

sur le site de planet rugby mais sinon, je ne l'ai pas vu ici... désolée pour le doublon si doublon il y a!  

doublon il y a

topic original

Modifié 8 janvier 2006 par nikos

[leilei]

Fouyouyou c'est encore de la fote du parigot Jeep (lol) Il a posté l'article dans le topic rugby qui est plutôt dédié au rugby de l'hexagone alors que, vu qu'il y a des joueurs étrangers, c'était mieux ici en internationale. Mais le plus drôle c'est que la cicciolina avait mis un post et qu'elle s'en rappelle même plus

La perte des neurones commence tôt en MIPI hein

Sinon si pour les sud-af je suis entièrement d'accord avec Morné (excellent buteur) et Zhahier (le Zéphyr du Zud qui court zuper vite) je crie au scandale que mon p'tit bébé mimosa, Drew Mitchell , ai été oublié de la liste pour les australiens

[moza de Tlse]

doublon il y a

topic original

mdr! arf oui, je m'en souviens très bien de ce topic mais en fait, j'étais pas allée voir le lien donnée par jeep (je sais, c'est pas bien )

[jeep]

M'en vais etre de mauvaise humeur, pour la peine la prochaine fois que l'on se voit, t'auras droit à tout un paquet de drapeaux du Stade Francais (en plus, on sait plus quoi en faire et ça débarasse) : whist

[nico]

M'en vais etre de mauvaise humeur, pour la peine la prochaine fois que l'on se voit, t'auras droit à tout un paquet de drapeaux du Stade Francais (en plus, on sait plus quoi en faire et ça débarasse) : whist

Bordel, je vais etre tout gentil avec toi a l'avenir!!!