Young Gun: Josh Sharp – Saracens England U18s fly-half

Josh Sharp capped a season of European U18 glory with a first full-time contract at Saracens – but the young fly-half knows the hard work starts now.
The younger brother of former England U20s and current Bedford fly-half Jake, Sharp has enjoyed a stunning season, the highlight coming in Grenoble as he helped England to victory over France in the FIRA Championships in March.
That day he kicked three conversions and two penalties, including one three-pointer ten minutes from time which proved crucial in a 27-22 success.
He will join the England U18s for their tour of South Africa this summer, and is looking to take his European form into the Southern Hemisphere.
He said: “The FIRA competition was definitely one of the highlights of the season and a great experience. Now it is a brilliant opportunity to go to South Africa.
“We’ll be playing them, Wales and France out there, so it will be three big games, but it would be great to get a win over the South Africans in their own backyard. After that I’ll be looking to get involved in the U19s next year and if the chance comes maybe even try to push for the U20s.
“I’ve been involved in the Sarries academy since I was about 13, but as of next season I’ll be there full-time, so that should be a huge step-up for me.
“I’m going to give it everything to try to show why they have given me this opportunity.
“Don Barrell is in charge of the academy and I know him pretty well. He’s helped me a lot.”
Like his brother, Sharp has looked at home in the play-making role, and he revealed that Jake has helped him reach his current position.
He explained: “I’m really grateful to Jake, he’s helped me a lot, especially in the last couple of years. He’s the backs coach at my school, Oaklands, so I’ve been working with him a lot.
“It was a bit strange at first, having your brother as a coach, but I’ve got used to it now and he’s really helped my game.”
Having joined the Saracens academy, the next step for Sharp will be to get his first taste of adult rugby with Old Albanians.
James Shanahan has just left OAs after combining his role as first-choice fly-half with director of rugby.
Shanahan has taken over at Plymouth Albion and OAs have appointed his right hand man Andy Holloway as head coach.
The fly-half berth is still to be filled, and Sharp is eager to make the role his own on a dual-registration deal from Sarries.
He added: “I’m really looking forward to getting a chance at Old Albanians. It will be the first time I’ve  played men’s rugby and I know I’ll learn a lot.
“It’s worked out really nicely in terms of the timing with the fly-half spot opening up, so I’ll need to take my chance.
“I know how tough it is to make it at the top level though, so I’ve been working hard this year academically. I’ve just finished a BTEC in Sports Science.
“For now, though, I want to make the most of my opportunity with Saracens. Later this year all the new guys in the academy are going to move into a shared place, a bit like the American collegiate system, so that should be good fun for us.”