Delighted to scoop super Carnegie duo
Harry Davey (right) has signed dual registration forms for Huddersfield Rugby Union Club from Yorkshire Carnegie, as has Ollie Fox (pictured below)
“I’ve been fortunate to spend some time with the coaches over at Kirkstall, picking up some new ideas, and Steve Boden has come over to Lockwood Park to work with our forwards.
“To bring in two of the brightest young talents in the country at Under 18 level is great news for the club.
“Having met the lads and their parents we hope to support both Oliver and Harry in their rugby developments, while also adding to the squad in readiness for our return to National II North.
“They both have extremely professional attitudes towards their rugby and that is what will be required next season.”
Huddersfield kick off the campaign with a trip to South Leicester on Saturday, September 2.
Lewis is working on more signings both from within and outside the club.
Davey has been a regular for Carnegie in the Premiership Rugby Under 18 Academy League.
A Silcoates student, where he was first-team captain, his crisp goalkicking helped lead the school to the NatWest Vase semi-finals, where they narrowly lost out to Royal Latin School from Buckinghamshire at Saracens’ Allianz Park.
He has been a part of the England Under 18 training squad along with Fox, who was in the party which faced Scotland and France in March.
Fox, a student at Pontefract New College, has previously been on dual registration with Sandal.
He has captained the Carnegie Academy and made his first-team debut against Dragons Premiership Select in the British and Irish Cup – also playing in the return fixture at home.
When Fox was selected for the England squads recently, for which Davey was not included, Yorkshire Carnegie Academy manager Jon Pendlebury said: “To be involved in both match squads is an outstanding achievement and recognition for Ollie’s development and performances this year.
“Harry Davey was very unlucky to miss out on selection for these squads, he has been involved in the camps and has been exceptional for the Academy this season.” WARREN GATLAND has insisted it would be “unfair” to write off Johnny Sexton’s challenge for a British and Irish Lions Test shirt after a wretched night in Whangarei.
Ireland fly-half Sexton struggled in the Lions’ opening match over the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians, with Owen Farrell stepping off the bench to salvage a 13-7 victory.
The Barbarians led 7-3 at half-time thanks to Sam Anderson-Heather’s try, but the Lions scraped home thanks to a late Anthony Watson score initiated by Farrell.
Boss Gatland hailed Saracens talisman Farrell’s “big match temperament” in digging the Lions out of a hole but insisted Sexton can still compete for a Test shirt.
Asked if Sexton’s difficult night leaves him trailing Farrell for the Lions’ Test number 10 jersey, Gatland replied: “I think that’s pretty unfair in making an assessment like that.
“These guys arrived on Wednesday and are still recovering from travel, they haven’t got into regular sleep patterns yet. We knew it would be difficult in terms of that.
“Owen Farrell has a big match temperament, there’s no doubt.
“I would have been happier of course if he’d knocked over that one he put against the post, that might have given us an easier last 10 minutes.
“But he’s played some pretty good rugby in the last 18 months, and he’s one of the standout performers in northern hemisphere rugby anyway.”
Gatland did however admit the Lions management will still gauge future selection decisions on what unfolded against the Barbarians.
“There are certain things we’ll look at individually, to some decision-making from tonight’s game and where we can improve,” said Gatland.
The Lions will move swiftly from Whangarei to face Super Rugby outfit the Blues in Auckland on Wednesday night.
Boss Gatland insisted he will stick to his plan of fielding an entirely different starting XV at Eden Park.
Asked how many changes he will make on Wednesday, Gatland said: “Fifteen. The plan is everyone gets a start in the first three games, and I’ve been continually saying that.”