Halrequins kids will make it tough for Paul Doran Jones

Paul Doran-Jones might be on his way to Harlequins to replace James Johnston but he will have to get past two home-grown props.
Johnston’s departure to Saracens in the summer will leave quite a void at The Stoop – not least because the Samoan tighthead weighs in a 21st 10lb – hence the anticipated move from Northampton of England international Doran Jones, 27.
But Quins academy chief Tony Diprose insists that his young charges Will Collier and Kyle Sinckler  can step up to the first-team squad, as his players have been doing for years.
Chris Robshaw, Joe Marler, Rob Buchanan, Luke Wallace, Jordan Turner-Hall and Mike Brown are all testament to the academy’s success.
And Diprose, who also serves as defence coach, claims both Collier, 21, and Sinckler, 19, are well on their way to emulating England’s  No.1 prop Dan Cole.
He said: “It’s a pressure that we enjoy, the Quins academy has shown what it can do and what it can produce with the England captain progressing all the way through. We are a club who will prioritise bringing players through and we have shown that we can be successful but we’re not going to expect five or six players to come through every year.
“In James’ case, he’s a very big player for us, especially when he gets on the scales, but he wanted a better contract and we weren’t in a position to give it to him.
“But we look to the next generation and have players like Will and Kyle, who have a number of appearances for the first team, come through the academy and have also learned their trade on loans and dual-registrations lower down the leagues.
“Dan Cole is a great example of going down the leagues, he went to Nottingham and Bedford, played against big, old, experienced props and came back and made himself an England international.
“Both Kyle and Will have started that pathway and while not every player who performs well when they’re young makes it as a top senior professional, we’re very happy with how they are progressing at the moment.”
Collier, who spent last season at Esher, is two years older and has made 19 first-team appearances to Sinckler’s seven but it is the latter who many have heralded as a future England regular.
A regular fixture for England U20s last year, Sinckler, who was at Richmond last term and Esher this year, shone at last year’s Junior World Championship in South Africa, scoring tries against Italy and Ireland despite playing up a year.
He joined the academy at the start of last season but he has been affiliated with the club since U13 level – and Diprose believes that will prove crucial in his long-term development.
Should either Sinckler or Collier become first choice next term, Quins would have one of the Premiership‘s youngest front rows with Marler 22 and hooker Joe Gray, 24.
But Diprose again points to Cole in claiming age should be no barrier. He said: “We do try to educate our young players the Quins way and feel Kyle will benefit from that.
“Despite his age he’s been given plenty of game time and coped with everything.
“Dan Cole is 25 and he’s one of the more experienced and best performing front rows in the division so there are no undue worries about the age of the front row.”
GERARD MEAGHER