Young Gun: Rory Lynn – Nottingham fly-half

Nottingham fly-half Rory Lynn admits he is relishing the opportunity of first-team rugby at Meadow Lane – and stepping out of George Ford‘s shadow at Leicester.
It was Lynn’s misfortune to be competing for the same shirt as Ford in the Tigers academy and there was little shame in acknowledging he was always going to play second fiddle behind arguably the most naturally talented teenager England has produced.
Plenty of Tigers have taken spells out of the Premiership, whether on loan or permanently, and come back stronger such as Billy Twelvetrees, Dan Cole and Tom Youngs.
And Lynn,19, admits he is in desperate need of game time to progress – a commodity in short supply at Welford Road.
He said: “I haven’t had a huge amount of senior rugby and I know that’s what I need in order to progress. I was playing in the academy and a bit of A League and in two LV=Cup games.
“But George was pretty much the reason I left – the club explained they didn’t feel they had room for two 19-year-old fly-halves.
“It’s a difficult one – it’s obvious how good he is and will become. He’s a good lad and I learnt a lot off him but it’s hard to know that he was always going to be in front of me.
“At a club like Nottingham, I know I’ve the chance to play a lot more first-team rugby in a good league.
“Game time is crucial for any player’s development. I knew a couple of players here in Joe Cobden and Finlay Barnham and they have both progressed so much and established themselves.”
However Lynn’s patience may have to stretch a bit further with Japan international James Arlidge the incumbent No.10 at Meadow Lane.
But as the Green & Whites attack coach Ben Johnston, the former England centre, made clear, Lynn is being groomed for the role in the long-term.
He said: “James is a great player but he is heading towards the back end of his career and he is keen to impart as much of his knowledge as possible.
“In terms of a mentor you could not ask for anyone much better than James as a guy who has gone to World Cups and played against some of the very best.
“They are both similar players – their first instinct is to run rather than kick and neither are big-hitters defensively. There’s no doubting Rory’s talent and hopefully working alongside James will be the best way to realise that.”
There remains the possibility of the two playing together with one at fullback as in the pre-season game against the Tigers.
In that match it was Lynn at 15 and it did not take long for him to discover what it is like to play against his boyhood team.
He said: “In the first five minutes, Toby Flood sent up a bomb and although I caught it I got absolutely smashed by Manu Tuilagi and Martin Castrogiovanni.
“But even though we lost quite heavily in the end we more than held our own for the first 60 minutes.”