Young Gun: Dominic Morris – England U20s

Being injured at the start of the season, Dominic Morris would not have expected to have made his Saracens debut, won the Six Nations and earned a new contract by the beginning of March but that is exactly what he has done and he is desperate for more.
The young back, 19, missed England‘s Junior World Championship triumph in Manchester last summer with a foot injury that required surgery and he started the season nursing a shoulder injury.
But hard rehabilitation work saw him come back stronger than ever and he began 2017 with a bang making his first team debut against Scarlets in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
He backed it up against Leicester the following weekend and was subsequently named in the England U20s squad for the Six Nations.
Playing in four of the five matches, he played a key role in England clinching the title and   has now been rewarded by Mark McCall with a new contract at Sarries.
“I had a bit of a tough time with injuries at the end of last season and the beginning of this one but it’s behind me and I’m only looking forward now,” he told The Rugby Paper.
“It definitely wasn’t the start of the season I was after but making my debut in the Cup in January made it worth it. To top it all I’ve just found out that Sarries want to keep me for at least another year.
“It’s great to be in camp with England because I know most of the lads from the U16s and U18s. We’ve come through the ranks together so it’s brilliant to meet up again.
“There’s a second club feel to it and it’s great that we won the Six Nations together. It’d be great to now have a shot to play in the Junior World Cup in Georgia next summer.”
Growing up in Essex, Morris was picked up by Saracens aged 15 after they spotted him playing for New Hall school and he has been in the club’s academy ever since.
He has been getting used to senior rugby playing for Rosslyn Park in National One but he reveals making sure he gets his conditioning right will be a key factor to reach the top of the game.
He added: “Because of my injuries, especially with my shoulders, I need to make sure my body is conditioned properly for professional rugby and having the confidence it will hold up is the biggest things for me right now.
“I spend a lot of time in the gym to get my shoulders as strong as I can. It wasn’t easy to get my head around at first because being young all I wanted to do was play rather than take my conditioning so seriously.
“I fully understand now that it’s not all about the weights in the gym. Elastic bands can be as effective.
“Playing senior rugby is a step up but I’m just looking to push on and develop now to be the best player I can be.”