Northampton Saints scrum-half Jonny Weimann is set to start alongside his familiar partner Ben Coen for the second straight game at the World Rugby U20 Championship, having impressed in the opening win against Scotland.
Despite the sweltering heat of northern Italy, Weimann showed composure and sharp decision-making in that first outing. “I thought I did alright,” he said modestly.
“There were things I could do better, but for a first game in the heat like that, it’s definitely a good place to start off.”
Adapting to the conditions has been part of the challenge, but one which is getting easier with time.
“It’s been good. It’s been very hot, I haven’t really trained in conditions like this before, but it’s been a good experience, good to be in an international environment for more than a week,” he said. “It kind of links with the senior team, so it’s a good way to link in with the pathway to that.”
That pathway became more tangible when he was invited to train with the senior England squad a few weeks ago, after Jack van Poortvliet was called up to the British and Irish Lions for a week ahead of their game against Argentina.
Training with England
“It was good, definitely a Test match environment – the way they trained, the meetings, the stuff they talk about,” Weimann said.
“It’s definitely a lot more tactical. Training is more intense as well. It was a good experience. I wasn’t expecting it, but it was definitely a good thing to have.”
The call came unexpectedly on a Monday night. “I got a call from Phil Dowson and he was like ‘Do you want to go and train with the England senior team?’ and I was like ‘Yeah, of course’. So I was down on Tuesday morning and was in on Tuesday and Thursday for a bit of training.”
The step up, though significant, felt manageable. As a scrum-half, much of the job remains the same regardless of the level.
“For a nine, it’s never going to be too dissimilar to what you do in training, your passing and kicking is always going to be a heavy feature,” he explained. “That probably made it a bit easier to step up rather than being a forward where it’s a physical test all the time.”
Playing in Italy
Playing in Italy offers an additional layer of complexity. The heat is still “pretty tough,” he admitted, but England have adapted well and tomorrow’s clash with South Africa will require another level of precision.
“They’ve got a pretty elusive and dangerous back three,” Weimann said.
“For my position, the kicking game is going to be important – making sure all our kicks are spot on, not giving them much time to run and take off because that’s when they’re at their best.
“And then our kick chase as well, shutting them down. Just driving the tempo, because it is going to be a big pack, so hopefully we can tire them out in the first 50 to 60 minutes and hopefully the bench can make an impact when they’re all tired.”
South Africa arrive in form, fresh off a statement 73-17 win against Australia, but Weimann isn’t fazed. “It’s going to be hard for them to replicate that performance again. Australia didn’t look up to the task so it’s going to be a different challenge with us playing them,” he said.
“But you want to play the best teams and showcase yourself against the best. We’re all looking forward to it.”
Northampton Saints
At Saints, Weimann has developed in a competitive environment that’s mirrored in his England U20 setup. He and fellow U20 scrum-half Archie McParland both play their club rugby at Northampton and know each other well.
“I actually lived with him last year so it’s definitely friendly,” Weimann said. “But it’s always going to have that competitive edge.
“I feel like anyone in your position is always going to have that bit of competitiveness – that’s just the nature of the sport. It’s good to have that here and back at Saints because at the end of the day, you’re only going to make each other better fighting for the same spot.”
His time in the Premiership has already yielded a personal highlight, with his first league try coming against Gloucester.
“I was pretty knackered so I didn’t really get a chance to celebrate and take it all in,” he laughed. “But after the game, I was pretty proud. It was something you dream of as a little kid, scoring your first try in the Prem.”
By Charlie Elliott
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