IF Hartpury College was the launch-pad for Ellis Genge’s career, then Clifton College has proved to be the springboard for Wales U20 prop Louie Trevett.
And as Trevett heads off to Italy this week with the Wales squad to play in the World Rugby U20 Championship, he will have some tips and tricks from the top to help him tackle Argentina, France and Spain in Pool B.
“Ellis took me under his wing because we’re from similar backgrounds. He’s a brilliant guy who goes out of his way to make everyone comfortable and he’s given me some great technical advice,” said the Bristol Bears senior academy loosehead.
While Genge came from the renowned Knowle West council estate in Bristol, and swapped the John Cabot Academy for Hartpury at 16, Trevett, right, left his home in Tremorfa and Willows High School for the slightly plusher surroundings of Clifton College at the same age.
While he was there Trevett earned a place in the Bristol Bears academy and also played for England U18. That brought him into contact with another British & Irish Lion heading to Australia, Henry Pollock.
They were team-mates for England and rivals in the Premiership U18 championship. Trevett always knew the Northampton Saints flanker was destined for great things.
“Henry is a very good player and was always a boisterous sort of character. It was just a question of when he would break onto the scene, not if,” he added.
“From the first game I played with him I thought ‘this kid is very good’. At Bristol we played Northampton Saints in the Premiership U18 final and he was playing against us.
“Our whole tactical preview to that game was, if we can stop Pollock, we’ll win the game. That day we managed to do it, but it’s easier when you have got 15 players trying to nail one man.
“I was playing with him two years ago and some of the Welsh boys played against him at The Rec in Bath last year. That shows that it isn’t that far a step from where he was last year to where he is now playing with England and the Lions.”
