MAPLETOFT STRIVING FOR FUTURE ENGLAND GLORY
Doom-mongers may insist the dye is already cast for Martin Johnson’s new-look England following heavy defeats to the three Southern Hemisphere super powers, but Mark Mapletoft, the former Gloucester fly-half and now England Under-20 head coach, believes that it is only a matter of time before the senior team ripen and conquer – and he should know.
The 36-year-old, who would have earned more than the solitary cap gained against Argentina in 1997 for England had it not been for injury, assisted Nigel Redman’s near all-conquering U-20s last season and has taken on the top job this campaign, with former Bath and England lock Martin Haag acting as his deputy.
It is their job to nurture and develop the Danny Ciprianis and Tom Reeses of the future. And, after last season’s U-20s won nine out of their 10 games – a run that saw them crowned grand slam Six Nations victors and reach England’s first ever world age group final in the World Junior Championship, swatting aside the Boks and the Wallabies on the way – there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future of English rugby.
“I know I have some big shoes to fill and I learned a lot from working with Nigel over the last two years – he was a fantastic mentor to me,” Mapletoft says of Redman, the newly-appointed Rugby Football Union’s Elite Coach Development Manager.
“We are just about to take the 32 U-20 Elite Squad players to a camp in the Algarve for a week. When we did it for the first time last year, we found it immensely helpful. The climate is good and we will be outside pretty much all day. You just can’t get that over in England at this time of the year!”
There will be another training camp in England after Christmas, before their Six Nations defence begins at home, which this season is Worcester’s Sixways, on February 6 against Italy. Then in June the U-20s will fly out to Tokyo, Japan, to try and improve on last year’s Junior World Championship in Wales, when they were defeated 38-3 by the All Blacks in the final. “I’ve never been to Japan in my life, never mind played rugby there,” grins Mapletoft,” so I am really looking forward to the World Cup. It should be a very interesting and exciting season.
“As coaches of the U-20s we are developing England players of the future, playing a certain type of game and providing important experience, because ultimately that is what we are about.
“In attack we try to be a very dynamic ball-handling side, playing off the floor, looking for the offloads and to score tries. We allay that with a very aggressive defence who try to stop other teams play and to get the ball back so we can attack more!”
When asked whether the greatest satisfaction is unearthing England’s next generation of wunderkinds, Mapletoft is modest, and says: “For me there is no ego – I’m not saying: ‘I’ve played a massive part in Danny Care or Danny Cipriani’s development.’
“It is more about adding something to their development as players. The best players will always come through, with or without the National Academy. We aspire to improve those players, to help create that little bit of difference between being a great player and a world-class player.
“The Under-20 programme provides that competition aspect to their development and hopefully the players enjoy playing for England and it gives them an idea of what competing against the Southern Hemisphere sides is all about. We are breaking down these barriers.”
Mapletoft praises Johnson’s perseverance with England’s seniors and has called for patience, noting that the New Zealand side they lost to in the autumn series finale had on average 25 more caps per player (44 to England’s 19). The success at age group level will eventually work its way upwards, he suggests, adding: “Time is the answer.
“We are only just starting to see players like Toby [Flood], Delon [Armitage] and Tom Croft come through. Pretty much all of the backs from last year’s U-20s have progressed into their Premierships sides so hopefully they will begin to make their name within a season or two and then they will get the opportunity to force their way into Martin’s plans.
“They will take with them the experience of beating the Southern Hemisphere sides and not be overawed to compete with these guys on a regular basis when they play against them for the senior team.”
PLAYERS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Rory Clegg, Newcastle Falcons, 18, fly-half
Born in Germany, the tall (6’ 3”) No10 has been impressing in the Guinness Premiership in the absence of Jonny Wilkinson.
MM: “He has been playing week in, week out at Newcastle Falcons and he has been doing well although the results have not been kind to them. He played an integral part in the Under-18 team last year.”
Calum Clark, Leeds Carnegie, 19, backrow
Darlington-born Clark impressed last season in the Guinness Premiership as Leeds were relegated. Was a team-mate at school, Barnards Castle, with Clegg.
MM: “He had the double disappointment of going down with Leeds and losing in the final of the World Cup against New Zealand. I am looking to see how he bounces back from that disappointment and taking on a big leadership role in the side this year.”
Carl Fearns, Sale Sharks, 19, No8
The former Sedbergh schoolboy (Will Carling’s alma mater) captained England U-18s in the 2007 tour to Australia.
MM: “I’m looking forward to seeing how Carl plays. He has been playing for Sale while the autumn internationals have been going on. We will be expecting a lot of him in the future.”
Doom-mongers may insist the dye is already cast for Martin Johnson’s new-look England following heavy defeats to the three Southern Hemisphere super powers, but Mark Mapletoft, the former Gloucester fly-half and now England Under-20 head coach, believes that it is only a matter of time before the senior team ripen and conquer – and he should know.
The 36-year-old, who would have earned more than the solitary cap gained against Argentina in 1997 for England had it not been for injury, assisted Nigel Redman’s near all-conquering U-20s last season and has taken on the top job this campaign, with former Bath and England lock Martin Haag acting as his deputy.
It is their job to nurture and develop the Danny Ciprianis and Tom Reeses of the future. And, after last season’s U-20s won nine out of their 10 games – a run that saw them crowned grand slam Six Nations victors and reach England’s first ever world age group final in the World Junior Championship, swatting aside the Boks and the Wallabies on the way – there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future of English rugby.
“I know I have some big shoes to fill and I learned a lot from working with Nigel over the last two years – he was a fantastic mentor to me,” Mapletoft says of Redman, the newly-appointed Rugby Football Union’s Elite Coach Development Manager.
“We are just about to take the 32 U-20 Elite Squad players to a camp in the Algarve for a week. When we did it for the first time last year, we found it immensely helpful. The climate is good and we will be outside pretty much all day. You just can’t get that over in England at this time of the year!”
There will be another training camp in England after Christmas, before their Six Nations defence begins at home, which this season is Worcester’s Sixways, on February 6 against Italy. Then in June the U-20s will fly out to Tokyo, Japan, to try and improve on last year’s Junior World Championship in Wales, when they were defeated 38-3 by the All Blacks in the final. “I’ve never been to Japan in my life, never mind played rugby there,” grins Mapletoft,” so I am really looking forward to the World Cup. It should be a very interesting and exciting season.
“As coaches of the U-20s we are developing England players of the future, playing a certain type of game and providing important experience, because ultimately that is what we are about.
“In attack we try to be a very dynamic ball-handling side, playing off the floor, looking for the offloads and to score tries. We allay that with a very aggressive defence who try to stop other teams play and to get the ball back so we can attack more!”
When asked whether the greatest satisfaction is unearthing England’s next generation of wunderkinds, Mapletoft is modest, and says: “For me there is no ego – I’m not saying: ‘I’ve played a massive part in Danny Care or Danny Cipriani’s development.’
“It is more about adding something to their development as players. The best players will always come through, with or without the National Academy. We aspire to improve those players, to help create that little bit of difference between being a great player and a world-class player.
“The Under-20 programme provides that competition aspect to their development and hopefully the players enjoy playing for England and it gives them an idea of what competing against the Southern Hemisphere sides is all about. We are breaking down these barriers.”
Mapletoft praises Johnson’s perseverance with England’s seniors and has called for patience, noting that the New Zealand side they lost to in the autumn series finale had on average 25 more caps per player (44 to England’s 19). The success at age group level will eventually work its way upwards, he suggests, adding: “Time is the answer.
“We are only just starting to see players like Toby [Flood], Delon [Armitage] and Tom Croft come through. Pretty much all of the backs from last year’s U-20s have progressed into their Premierships sides so hopefully they will begin to make their name within a season or two and then they will get the opportunity to force their way into Martin’s plans.
“They will take with them the experience of beating the Southern Hemisphere sides and not be overawed to compete with these guys on a regular basis when they play against them for the senior team.”
PLAYERS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
Rory Clegg, Newcastle Falcons, 18, fly-half
Born in Germany, the tall (6’ 3”) No10 has been impressing in the Guinness Premiership in the absence of Jonny Wilkinson.
MM: “He has been playing week in, week out at Newcastle Falcons and he has been doing well although the results have not been kind to them. He played an integral part in the Under-18 team last year.”
Calum Clark, Leeds Carnegie, 19, backrow
Darlington-born Clark impressed last season in the Guinness Premiership as Leeds were relegated. Was a team-mate at school, Barnards Castle, with Clegg.
MM: “He had the double disappointment of going down with Leeds and losing in the final of the World Cup against New Zealand. I am looking to see how he bounces back from that disappointment and taking on a big leadership role in the side this year.”
Carl Fearns, Sale Sharks, 19, No8
The former Sedbergh schoolboy (Will Carling’s alma mater) captained England U-18s in the 2007 tour to Australia.
MM: “I’m looking forward to seeing how Carl plays. He has been playing for Sale while the autumn internationals have been going on. We will be expecting a lot of him in the future.”
Labels: England, England Under-20s, Mark Mapletoft, Martin Johnson, rugby, Rugby Football Union
