Theo hungry for lead role in season run-in
YOUNGSTERS usually improve through playing, but London Irish fly-half Theo Brophy Clews is determined to prove the off-field work during his seven-month injury lay-off has been just as beneficial as he targets cup glory and promotion in the coming weeks.
After the Exiles’ relegation to the Championship was confirmed last season, the highly-rated playmaker, who turned 20 only two weeks ago, was earmarked by director of rugby Nick Kennedy as the player to lead Irish to better days.
However a knee injury in the opening game of the Junior World Cup with England U20’s last June saw him sidelined for the remainder of 2016.
To compound the issue, a minor foot injury in January set him back after his return against Connacht.
But after completing three games in the last three weeks, two of them to help England U20s claim the Grand Slam, he is now looking to fulfil his mission starting with today’s British and Irish Cup semifinal against Jersey.
“I couldn’t learn by playing as such this season but I’ve spent a lot of time with some really good players like James Marshall, Tommy Bell and Greig Tonks and I’ve learnt a lot about game management,” he told The Rugby Paper.
“Putting the team in the best position possible on the pitch is key as a fly-half so while I haven’t been able to learn about it by playing I’ve done a lot of analysis and feel like I’m a better player for it.
“Now it’s up to me to show it on the field towards the end of the season. Hopefully I can play as big a part as I hope to.
“To win a Grand Slam in Ireland on St Patick’s Day just before the women did the same was pretty special. The World Cup in Georgia is my big goal for the summer so I really hope I’ll get selected.
“I definitely felt part of the winning squad last year but not being able to play was bitter sweet. I’m really keen to help the team achieve the best we can and hopefully I’ll play more than 30 minutes this time.”
Last Saturday, Irish and Jersey had a live rehearsal in the league and the Islanders came out on top 15-11 in what was only the Exiles’ second defeat of the season.
Playing the same opposition in consecutive games will give Irish a taste of what the promotion playoffs will be like and Brophy-Clews expects his side to be up for the fight this time.
He added: “Jersey played really well last week but we didn’t put in a performance to be proud of. We lost most of the collisions and they deserved the win.
“We realise that any team in the top four or five are strong teams and if we’re not on the ball they can beat us.
“I don’t think there was complacency but you could see in training last week that we weren’t in the right mindset. We didn’t train as well as we planned and it translated on the weekend.
“It’s good practice for the play-offs; we got to look at the game, see where we need to do better and we get a chance put it into practice straightaway.
“It’s a semi-final and it’s not everyday you’re only one game away from a Cup final.”
Brophy-Clews is handed the reigns by Kennedy, starting at fly-half with fellow England U20s stars Joe Cokanasiga and Tom Parton on the wings.
Jersey have made two changes to their starting XV with wing George Watkins and scrum-half Kieran Hardy coming in.