Versatile back Tobias Elliott has been thriving on the wing for England in the U20s Six Nations but doesn’t see himself cementing any position soon and plans to keep his options open.
The Saracens flyer has played full-back, inside centre and fly-half in the four appearances he’s made in the Premiership Cup but has appeared on the right wing in all of England’s games in the Six Nations.
Elliott, 19, scored a try in each of the first three games against Scotland, Italy and Wales and has enjoyed crossing the whitewash – something he’s not used to.
He said: “I’ve been all around the backline but credit to coaches that I’ve had in the past that I’ve never been held to one position. I’ve just always said to myself that I’m just there to play rugby but playing in all those positions has really helped me out in my development.
“I’ve always been into my athletics when I was younger, I used to compete in sprinting and high jump which helps with the physical side of it and learning the positions took a bit of time learning through school.
“I’m not usually a try scorer, I’ve been moved to the wing this campaign, so it feels nice to get a few. When you’re playing with a good inside backline it makes your job pretty easy.”
This year’s U20s tournament has mirrored the men’s tournament in its excitement and high quality play with Elliott saying it’s a pleasure to be involved.
“There’s a lot of good players that we’ve played against and that I’ve played with, so I think the standard is really good. It’s quite nice to have a challenge against boys that are a similar age,” said Elliott.
Elliott, who started his rugby at Harrow RFC, is loving his time at Saracens and sees turning out for the club’s first team in the Premiership Cup as a real privilege.
He said: “It was unreal to make my debut for Saracens, it’s an honour to play for them.
“Unfortunately we didn’t have the results we wanted but the silver lining to it is that we’ve all learnt massive amounts and we’re taking it into next year to make sure we know what to work on and correct those wrongs we had this year. Even though we lost a few games, we’re looking good for the future.
“Saracens is one of the best clubs to be at in my opinion. We’re all so connected with each other due to the club’s ethos. Transitioning from the junior teams to the senior setup, there’s the same messages and everyone’s really welcoming and wanting to do well.
“You learn so much being in a senior setup day in day out. People like Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly are there to help and they do a really good job in that. The amount you learn from the coaching staff is great as well.”
In the short-term, Elliott has his sights set on achieving a place in Alan Dickens’ England squad for the U20s World Championship in the summer by progressing his game.
He said: “I’m looking to improve on my front up collisions. There’s so many other aspects I want to improve and get my head around like understanding how wing really works. We’ve got the U20s World Cup later this year, so I’ll be working to get selected for that but in the gap between then I’ll be working on the fundamental skills with Saracens in those 10 weeks.”
He said: “It was unreal to make my debut for Saracens, it’s an honour to play for them.
“Unfortunately we didn’t have the results we wanted but the silver lining to it is that we’ve all learnt massive amounts and we’re taking it into next year to make sure we know what to work on and correct those wrongs we had this year. Even though we lost a few games, we’re looking good for the future.
“Saracens is one of the best clubs to be at in my opinion. We’re all so connected with each other due to the club’s ethos. Transitioning from the junior teams to the senior setup, there’s the same messages and everyone’s really welcoming and wanting to do well.
“You learn so much being in a senior setup day in day out. People like Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly are there to help and they do a really good job in that. The amount you learn from the coaching staff is great as well.”
In the short-term, Elliott has his sights set on achieving a place in Alan Dickens’ England squad for the U20s World Championship in the summer by progressing his game.
He said: “I’m looking to improve on my front up collisions. There’s so many other aspects I want to improve and get my head around like understanding how wing really works. We’ve got the U20s World Cup later this year, so I’ll be working to get selected for that but in the gap between then I’ll be working on the fundamental skills with Saracens in those 10 weeks.
He said: “It was unreal to make my debut for Saracens, it’s an honour to play for them.
“Unfortunately we didn’t have the results we wanted but the silver lining to it is that we’ve all learnt massive amounts and we’re taking it into next year to make sure we know what to work on and correct those wrongs we had this year. Even though we lost a few games, we’re looking good for the future.
“Saracens is one of the best clubs to be at in my opinion. We’re all so connected with each other due to the club’s ethos. Transitioning from the junior teams to the senior setup, there’s the same messages and everyone’s really welcoming and wanting to do well.
“You learn so much being in a senior setup day in day out. People like Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly are there to help and they do a really good job in that. The amount you learn from the coaching staff is great as well.”
In the short-term, Elliott has his sights set on achieving a place in Alan Dickens’ England squad for the U20s World Championship in the summer by progressing his game.
He said: “I’m looking to improve on my front up collisions. There’s so many other aspects I want to improve and get my head around like understanding how wing really works. We’ve got the U20s World Cup later this year, so I’ll be working to get selected for that but in the gap between then I’ll be working on the fundamental skills with Saracens in those 10 weeks.”
BEN JAYCOCK
