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One year can make or break a rookie player

22nd October, 2014
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Kurtley Beale could be headed off-shore. (AFP / Juan Mabromata)
Roar Rookie
22nd October, 2014
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Almost a year ago, I chronicled the journey of two young scrum-halves and their attempts to further their careers.

At that point, Rhodri Williams was a few months out from starting in Wales’ Junior World Cup march to the final, had started two Heineken Cup games for Scarlets – scoring two tries – and was justly rewarded with a place in Warren Gatland’s international squad.

Conversely, Kieran Marmion – despite an extra year out from U20 level – had started a full year for Connacht in the Heineken Cup and Pro 12 was not part of Joe Schmidt’s 41-man squad announced for 2013’s end of year Tests.

What a difference a year makes.

Since that time, Marmion participated in every game for Connacht, eventually forcing his way into the Ireland squad and finally being capped against Argentina this summer.

There is no doubting that the Marmion of October 2014 is a better player than the October 2013 version.

His slow rise has come about through the benefit of playing consistently against top level players in the Heineken Cup and Pro 12 and getting better coaching – both from increased resources at Connacht and the meticulous attention to detail of Joe Schmidt. His rise is also due to his own dedication and training that he undergoes on a weekly basis.

Marmion is fully deserving of a place in Ireland’s squad, and will be pushing for a matchday spot. But what of Rhodri Williams? Williams made his Welsh debut against Tonga that November, coming on as a replacement.

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That is where the rise finished. Williams lost his Scarlets place to Gareth Davies and was then relegated to third in the pecking order, behind being relegated to third choice behind Aled Davies.

Gareth Davies was in fantastic form, finishing as the league’s top try scorer. Rhodri Williams however only made a handful of Pro12 starts from then on, with all of his remaining Heineken Cup appearances coming as a sub. He did manage to make Wales’s Six Nations squad, and has a grand total of three replacement caps for Wales.

Despite Williams’s fall in Scarlets, Gatland curiously continues to pick him, although he may now get his chance given that both of the Davies’s in Scarlet’s ranks are now injured.

With the comparative rise and fall of these two young athletes, is is better to throw young players in the deep end, or is their development better suited to easing them into it?

Other players I mentioned have also had interesting years. Tom Prydie is back in the Wales squad, James Coughlan is now in Pro D2, Aaron Cruden has had recent disciplinary problems, Victor Vito is now back in the New Zealand squad ahead of Steven Luatua while Scotland’s Mark Bennett had a dreadful season, but is now shining after another year’s experience.

Danny Cipriani was denied his place in the England squad, although he has been included in the previous year, while Kurtley Beale is in even more trouble with the ARU and has a hearing on Friday which will determine his future.

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