Young Gun: Tom Howe – Wasps and England U18 wing

Wasps wingers are all the rage and their depth of talent doesn’t stop at Christian Wade and Tom Varndell – just ask France U18s who must be sick of the sight of Tom Howe.
Howe, 18, played a key role in helping England U18s to European glory in March, seeing off France in the final, and last weekend he was at it again, scoring a crucial try in the 12-8 win over les Bleus.
That was the third match of England’s tour to South Africa, where they lost to the Springboks but defeated Wales and France, proving that it’s not just at senior and U20 level, where the Red Rose is flourishing.
Dai Young has already handed him his senior first-team debut in the LV= Cup at Leicester, aged 17, albeit in a 34-8 defeat.
And while he will soon head to Henley Hawks, newly promoted to National League One, to cut his teeth, Howe is convinced he’s at the right club to continue his upward development.
“Wasps is a great club in the sense they are always bringing through young players, the coaches will give you a chance, even if you’re pretty young,” said Howe.
“Looking at what players like Elliot Daly, Christian Wade and Joe Launchbury, have all done in recent years makes you hopeful that you can do it.
“I’m still very young and I’m lucky I’ve already played in the first-team, getting into the seniors permanently is a bit of a way off yet, but to get that opportunity was amazing, especially with so many good wingers here.
“But this season for me is all about game time and I want to make the most of my chance at Henley. You see quite a lot of Wasps lads head there and it has a good impact on their careers and so I think it will be a really good experience, playing at that level, and hopefully getting a regular game.
“Liam O’Neill, another winger at Wasps, was there on loan last season so it’ll be good to follow his path, he had a really good season with them and hopefully I can do so.
A student at Shiplake College in Henley, Howe’s move should be all the more smooth, while it’s Beaconsfield RFC where he has been nurtured since the age of five.
Part of the England U18 set-up since making his debut against Scotland in March, Howe has been a regular at age-group levels, heading to Dubai with the England Sevens Development team last autumn and also played for England U16s and 17s.
But travelling to South Africa to take on the Boks was beyond anything he had experienced before.
He said: “It was a step into the unknown, that’s for sure, but we’re a confident side as the European champions and we like to just think about ourselves, rather than the opposition.
“We’re a successful side and it was good to meet up again with the lads, most of them had been at the European Championships in France and it was great to join forces again.
“Just being part of the England set-up is fantastic at the moment. You look at the seniors and how well they’re doing at the moment and then the U20s as well and it makes you want to be successful as well.
“Now that the tour is out of the way, I’m focused on doing well for Henley and then the long-term aim is to get some more minutes on the pitch with Wasps, the club is in a really good place at the moment.”