If you were to name the top few prospects coming from Spain you would get names from almost every major region coming from several different clubs. Madrid (Lucas Paulos, Gonzalo López), Catalonia (Samu Ezeala), Valencia (Alvar Gimeno), Valladolid (Martín Alonso, Juan Martínez), Basque Country (Kerman Aurrekoetxea), or Andalusia (Josh Peters, Tomás Munilla).
Indeed looking at the recent 26 man U20 squad it featured players from 16 different clubs spread in various parts in the country. If you were to add the U18s, the extended squad, along with the clubs abroad who have signed players to offer possible opportunity to further develop in professional rugby to the list of clubs contributing players for Spain grows even longer.
This puts Spain notably in direct contrast to some other Tier 2 nations more focused around certain areas including their big rival at age grade level Portugal. Whilst Spain's age grade sides have featured players from many clubs including those in lower divisions, Portugal's team was nearly entirely from (24 out of 26 players with RC Montemor the exception) just those from the main domestic league.
Portugal U20 this year have just one player from the country's second biggest city Porto with the vast majority of the team all based in or near Lisbon. The starting XV they fielded for the Rugby Europe U20 Trophy qualifying final was all within an hour's drive of each other (according to Google).
Indeed looking at the recent 26 man U20 squad it featured players from 16 different clubs spread in various parts in the country. If you were to add the U18s, the extended squad, along with the clubs abroad who have signed players to offer possible opportunity to further develop in professional rugby to the list of clubs contributing players for Spain grows even longer.
This puts Spain notably in direct contrast to some other Tier 2 nations more focused around certain areas including their big rival at age grade level Portugal. Whilst Spain's age grade sides have featured players from many clubs including those in lower divisions, Portugal's team was nearly entirely from (24 out of 26 players with RC Montemor the exception) just those from the main domestic league.
Portugal U20 this year have just one player from the country's second biggest city Porto with the vast majority of the team all based in or near Lisbon. The starting XV they fielded for the Rugby Europe U20 Trophy qualifying final was all within an hour's drive of each other (according to Google).
Map illustrating the location of clubs providing players to Portugal & Spain's U20 teams this year
Another nation which has even an more narrowly based talent pool is Uruguay. Every year their squad is provided for by the same few clubs all less than an hour drive of each other. If you look at their U20 squad from last year, 16 of their 26 man squad were provided by just two clubs. The sole exception in being some distance away from Montevideo was Dolores Rugby Club in Soriano (a club whose success has been in producing the props of this year's Los Teritos group Ezequiel Ramos and Reinaldo Piussi).
Map illustrating the location of clubs providing to Uruguay's U20 squad in 2018
There are obvious advantages in terms of feasibility of regular training camps and preparation in countries like Portugal and Uruguay with such a close playing base and very few players moving abroad. That has very likely been a factor of them overachieving especially at junior level in picking up some notable scalps you would probably not expect their senior team to be able to do.
After disappointment of another loss this weekend in Rugby Europe U20 Trophy qualifying to Portugal (who could not have wished for more ideal slippery conditions to play perfectly in their favour), some in Spain may complain of the lack of preparation they can afford relative to their Iberian rival.
However longer term moving forward to senior level their position looks to be the stronger and with a higher ceiling for potential progress than those more tightknit closely prepared squads. To get to the highest level requires identifying best talent from as wide a range as possible, plus some having the ambition to move abroad, even if it comes with a trade off with less training time as a squad.
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