Stars will be born.
Remember Jonah Lomu in 1995? Or George North in 2011?
Every World Cup sees the breakthrough of a new generation of rugby heroes and the 2015 edition will be no different.
Here’s our selection of the top players at this year’s tournament yet to hit their 23rd birthdays.
10: Tomas Lavanini (22)
At 6ft 7in and 118kg, the Argentina lock forward is already an imposing presence on the field and looks like being one of the stalwarts of the Pumas pack for the next decade.
9: Vasil Lobzhanidze (18)
We’ll ready admit knowing next to nothing about the Georgian scrum-half, but any 18-year-old playing Test rugby wins our seal of approval. The teenager has been learning from ex-Ireland international and current Georgia assistant coach Michael Bradley and already has six caps to his name and is the Lelos’ first choice No.9. The moment he takes the field in Pool C he will become the youngest player in the history of the World Cup.
8. Michele Campagnaro (22)
The Italian centre, who has four tries in his 14 caps, missed most of this year’s Six Nations after picking up a knee injury against Ireland. But the Exeter midfield man is back and will likely be manning the outside channel when the sides face off again in Pool D.
7. Hallam Amos (20)
Prop Samson Lee also qualifies at just 22 and, if fit, should get more game time than Amos, but the powerful young back-three player is the one with the potential to make a name for himself. With Leigh Halfpenny ruled out of the tournament and Liam Williams still recovering from his own injury, Amos could be pressed into action to win his fourth cap in Wales’ opener against Australia.
6. Jonny Gray (21)
Richie’s younger brother is every bit the physical specimen of his second row partner and there are high hopes that, having already been shortlisted for Six Nations player of the year in 2015, Jonny will end up having an even more impressive career.
5. Anthony Watson (21)
The hosts go into the tournament with one of the youngest squads, with backs Henry Slade and Jack Nowell and thundering number eight Billy Vunipola all just 22, but Watson has the potential to outshine them all if he can continue his recent form.
The Bath flyer has gone from November debutant to first-choice England winger and the way he took his try against Ireland in the warm-ups, his fifth in ten caps, points to a potential break-out World Cup.
4. Gael Fickou (21)
When Fickou broke English hearts on his fourth Test appearance 18 months ago, it looked like marking the arrival of a new force in northern hemisphere rugby, but the Toulouse back has somehow won just nine caps since (most off the bench), with coach Philippe Saint-Andre typically preferring the brute force of Mathieu Bastereaud alongside the magic of Wesley Fofana in the French centre.
3. Handre Pollard (21)
Already one of South Africa’s key men, the fly-half is battling another young rival in Pat Lambie for the No.10 jersey and will be asked to step up and engineer a serious improvement in Springbok form following their dismal Rugby Championship. There are still concerns about his game management but his goalkicking is rock solid and South Africa are a more dangerous attacking force with Pollard pulling the strings.
2. Robbie Henshaw (22)
Henshaw announced his potential to the world with his performances in the Six Nations and will need to reproduce that dazzling form if Ireland are to break down the opposition at the World Cup. Long touted as the successor to Brian O’Driscoll in the Irish midfield, the powerful Connacht man can seize that mantle over the coming weeks.
1. George Ford (22)
England’s hopes of winning the tournament on home soil have been placed firmly in the hands of Bath out-half Ford, and little in his international career to date suggests the task will be too much for him. Ford has relegated Owen Farrell to bench duty and helping inject new life into Stuart Lancaster’s England back line. If England do end up lifting the Webb Ellis for a second time, it’ll be a good bet that Ford will be among the big reasons why.
