Youngest debutant at tests

Reading this on another post...

HammerofThunor wrote: replaced by 16 years olds,

Got me wondering who is the youngest test debutant, in recent times that is last 30 years or so, .. googled it and it came up with a couple of 14 year olds!!!

Baptiste Bernichan at 14y 328d for Netherlands v Russia in 17 Feb 2002 as a winger, and S Tupuola at 14y 97d for Samoa v Fiji in 2 Jun 1982 as a number 8!!

This site shows the 10 youngest debutants in each position, and the English I can find are
GH Marsden 19y 82d England v Wales 06-Jan-00
RC Stafford 18y 181d England v Wales 20-Jan-12


What a thrill it must be for a 14 year old to be playing test rugby, and one as a number 8 as well!!! Wonder how their career went?

Gordan Darcy was called up to the Ireland touring squad to South Africa in 1998 while he was still in school. As far as I know he was the last schoolboy to be invited to join the team. However, he turned the opportunity down to finish out his studies.

...he was 18 at the time.

18 is still young, but wow, at 14!!! Even Dan's comic wouldn't have him playing, what about Tom Brown????

You'd think at 14 they'll be absolutly slaughtered in the forwards, after playing at number 8 Tupuola then went on to lock, whilst still 14. That's amazing

I think those two Englishmen were in the 1900's not the 2000's?

Jonny Wilkinson was 18 on debut, though.

Prydie was 18 yrs 25 days when first capped, he is also (or was at time) the youngest player to play in the history of the HC - 17 yrs 292 days.

He was capped at full International level before he got an under 20s cap

Ahhh explains why I never heard of them!! Cheers Dubbe...

Was JW debut at 18 as a starter or a sub? the list were for starting positions. Well we saw how good JW did with his career, good man!

Yeah the aussie shad JoC at 18y 126d, and a coupl emore 18 year olds in the early 70s, they didn't stay though, of course was not pro those days so they prob went back to their stations out west

And why would you be capped full international then play for the U20s?? Or was he demoted?

I am surprised the IRB would allow a 14 yr old to be capped at full level, there could be some serious damage done.

Imagine a young kid (as that what they would be) be smashed by someone like say Chabal at full pelt.

How reliable are Samoan birth records? Could be a bit like those Kenyan and Ethiopian runners who burst on to the scene when they are reputedly 16 or 17 but turn out to be about 23.

Of course England's two youngest debutants since WW2 are Wilkinson (dob - 25/05/79, debut 04/04/98, so 18 yrs 314 days) and Matthew Tait (dob - 6/2/86, debut 5/2/85, so 18 yrs 364 days)

Well I guess Bernichan wasn't teir 1 rugby, whereas you don't know how big these Samoains kids can be!!

Ah Sepe played Samoa v Fiji at Apia, Jun 2, 1982 and Last Test Romania v Samoa at Bucharest, Oct 14, 1989 so quite a career from a 14 year old

Bloody hell Tait was very young when he played according to those dates...

Straight from his mother's titties you might say...

bedfordwelsh wrote:Prydie was 18 yrs 25 days when first capped, he is also (or was at time) the youngest player to play in the history of the HC - 17 yrs 292 days.

He was capped at full International level before he got an under 20s cap

I remember him. Where is he now?

He's doing very well down at Dave for the Dragons, was quite surprised not to see him in the AI squad ahead of Harry Robinson but hopefully he will continue his good form and get the nod for the 6 Nations.

Did he play for Wasps last season?

Not gonna get too many caps playing for the Dragons I suppose.

Yappy,

He was on loan at Wasps I think after a rather long spell out with injury.

Guns,

He wasn't getting hardly any gametime when at the O's where at least he is first choice with us and putting himelf in the shop window so to speak so he can't do anymore than that.

He has had a very good season in fact and with our poor showing in the AIs who knows, after all he is still only 20.

Personally I would like to see Halfpenny battling it out with North and Cuthbert for the wing berths whilst Prydie and Liam Williams slug it out for the XV shirt

yappysnap wrote:Bloody hell Tait was very young when he played according to those dates...

blydi dyslexic fingers

Tait's mum must've been a legend, making him debut 3 months before conceived, what a pushy cow!

I used play rugby with a youth teammate of D'arcy... he said at the time he was far superior to BOD at siimlar ages and was tipped to out shine him once he became a full test player. Not saying he's not been successful but truth be told he doesn't even come close.

fa0019 wrote:I used play rugby with a youth teammate of D'arcy... he said at the time he was far superior to BOD at siimlar ages and was tipped to out shine him once he became a full test player. Not saying he's not been successful but truth be told he doesn't even come close.

I played with Darcy myself from ages 13-18 and I can confirm that he was in my opinion anyway he was better than Drico.

Drico was good but he kinda exploded onto the scene at International level completly bypassing club level at age 20.
He was capped for Ireland before he was capped for Leinster for example. At schoolboy level he played outhalf and was in and out of the Blackrock senior team. He failed to win a senior cup medal in his final year because he missed multiple drop goals to win v Clongowes in a very tight game.

Darcy by contrast played fullback for Clongowes a much smaller side but he was an absolute sensation scoring ridiculous trys against all teams he faced including a brace v Blackrock who clongowes trashed on route to one of the most convincing campaigns of any team since the Blackrock dream team. On foot of this Darce was asked to join up with the Ireland team on route to SA. He declined, finished school then went on a bender for a few years before hitting rugby hard again and becoming a Leinster and ireland stalwart.

fa0019 wrote:I used play rugby with a youth teammate of D'arcy... he said at the time he was far superior to BOD at siimlar ages and was tipped to out shine him once he became a full test player. Not saying he's not been successful but truth be told he doesn't even come close.

FA
I think both BOD and D'arcy showed a lot of talent as young players - D'arcy probably had a bit more handling skill and BOD clearly the edge in pace as young players (both have always had very good footwork). The difference is that BOD has developed his game hugely from the point of being (for example) one of the poorest tacklers on his first Lions tour to his defensive skills now being one of his biggest assets - similarly his handling skills have improved enormously. D'arcy by comparison is still quite a similar type of player to what he was at the start of his career (bar the loss of a yard or two of pace).

Darcy was faster than BOD in school. One of Darcys schoolmates was on the Irish underage sprinting team. They both trained together. Darcy consistently outsprinted him over 100 meters. He was very fast.