Picking our his XV of talented youngsters under 25, England legend Will Greenwood singled out these five for extra praise in his assessment of their abilities.
1. Cameron Redpath (Bath Rugby)
- Age: 20
- Position: Centre
"What a player. This is a lad who always seems to have time on the ball. For someone so young it is as though he has been around for a decade. He is not a lad who switches off or loses concentration, and is completely comfortable in his skill-set and punches way above his weight for someone who is not physically huge."
Did you know? He is the son of former Scotland international Bryan Redpath.
He has won four turnovers since joining Bath, more than any other back has managed for the side in that time
2. Jacob Umaga (Wasps)
- Age: Fly-half
- Position: 22
"Umaga has been at the heart of Wasps’ charge towards the top of the table. An effortless mover with a cracking kicking game, he stands up to the physical stuff and plays what he sees, no matter the stage."
Did you know? He is a 1st cousin once removed to the late Jerry Collins
Umaga has made 16 passes that have directly led to a clean break in the Premiership
3. Joel Kpoku (Saracens)
- Age: 21
- Position: Lock
"Kpoku is a heavy man who locks out a scrum and hits things hard. Second rows tend to be either the bean pole line-out guru or the heavy lump who hits hard. Kpoku will do some damage for years to come."
Did you know? He was called up for full England training in August 2018 after impressing in the 2018 World Rugby Under 20 Championship
He made 101 tackles and missed just nine for a 92 per cent success rate
4. Jack Willis (Wasps)
- Age: 23
- Position: Back-row
" Jack never takes a backward step. He is king of the turnovers, and happy to go into hand-to-hand combat with anyone. He has a rangy running stride in the loose and is a great line-out option."
Did you know? He actually started off with London irish's famed academy before making the move to Wasps.
Willis has won 43 turnovers this season, over twice as many as any other player
5. Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
- Age: 22
- Position: Back-row
"His brother Tom gets all the headlines, but his club know Ben’s value and have made him an ever-present, and given him the captain's armband when the opportunity arises. Lethal at breakdowns, he never stops moving and is properly tough."
Did you know? Along with his brother, they had a trial at Manchester City, who the twins support. However, it was scuppered by Tom scoring an own goal. Probably for the best in the end.
Ben Curry has won 18 turnovers in the Premiership this season, with only Jack Willis and Blair Cowan winning more
