YOUNG GUNS
DANNYEITE GLOUCESTER & ENGLAND U20 LOCK
Danny Eite spent much of his childhood playing sevens in Qatar and has transferred those skills to the 15-a-side game with Gloucester and England U20s.
Eite, 19, has enjoyed a breakthrough season with both club and country as he made his Gloucester debut in the Premiership Cup against Exeter before playing in four of England’s five games in the U20s Six Nations.
He said: “Against Exeter I managed to get my first appearance with 35 minutes off the bench. It was a tough result because they had a strong team out but it was a great experience playing against players you’d grown up watching on TV which was crazy but I thought I played really well.
“All the boys in the U20s camp were amazing. In the U20s they take in different styles from different clubs and encourage playing and moving the ball which is the sort of rugby I enjoy. There’s not that much to lose, they just want to see you play. It was a good challenge physically and mentally and we played some good rugby.”
The 6ft 6in, 17st 8lbs second row was born in Tamworth before relocating to Qatar in Year 6 due to his dad’s work and didn’t return to England until he joined Hartpury College when he was 16.
Eite played multiple sports in Qatar but opted to focus on rugby due to his size and despite playing predominantly sevens, he now sees himself as a modern day lock trying to emulate the likes of Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes.
He said: “All sport was encouraged growing up. I was playing rugby, football, volleyball, basketball, the lot and it was only after senior school that I decided to pursue rugby. I enjoyed the physical aspects, I was never going to be a good footballer as I was too big and slow. Basketball and volleyball didn’t have enough contact for me, so I was constantly getting pulled up for fouls. Rugby was perfect as I loved the contact.
“I was only really playing sevens in Qatar, I played two 15-a-side games in the eight years I was out there. I absolutely loved playing sevens as it developed my skill set, it was tough in 50 degree heat running around but chucking a ball about was great fun and really developed me as an all-round player.
“I didn’t know my position until coming to Hartpury College as before that I was just in the scrum in sevens and that was it. You didn’t have dedicated positions, the two 15s games I played in I was in the back row but going to Hartpury and being 6ft 6 the coaches decided I was made for the second row. I look up to the likes of Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes who have completely changed the dynamic of being a second row, getting turnovers and showing their handling skills.”
For a big man, Eite possesses an impressive engine that allows him to go the full 80 minutes and his speciality is his defence. But with little 15-a-side experience, Eite’s biggest area to improve is his lineouts.
He added: “Not having years of lineout jumping due to playing sevens, that’s my work on. I’m comfortable jumping I just need to get my knowledge up to scratch.”