Young Gun: Elliot Stooke – Gloucester lock

If Elliott Stooke is after an example to follow in his rugby career he can look close to home with fellow Hartpury College graduate Tom Savage now an established first-team regular at Gloucester.
Savage has this season been likened to Richard Hill and while the praise that second-row Stooke has received may have been less high profile, there is little doubt that Gloucester hold him in a similar regard.
Director of rugby Nigel Davies picked him out after a comprehensive A League success over Worcester as someone who could emulate Savage in being fast-tracked into the Cherry & Whites first team.
Just to prove that he wasn’t talking in platitudes, Davies has promoted Stooke to train with the first-team squad, and he made his debut in last week’s Amlin Cup clash with Bordeaux-Bègles.
And the towering 19-year-old admits it’s been a whirlwind season. He said: “My ambition coming into the season was to see if I could get a bit of first-team recognition but even so I’d have never expected to get that chance so soon.
“It really was an incredible opportunity to get the chance to play against Bordeaux. The French supporters were incredible, it was an atmosphere that was different to anything I’ve played in before.
“The A league has been great for me in that respect. It’s perfect for us academy guys, we play at pace and it suits the sort of game that I was used to playing at Hartpury College.
“On the back of that it’s nice to have got the recognition from Nigel Davies. He’s shown that he’s not afraid of giving the academy players an opportunity.
“Tom Savage is someone I know and for all us young guys who came through at Hartpury it’s good to see an example of someone like that doing well and getting a chance.”
While the Hartpury College production line is better known for its ability to produce exciting backs – Jonny May, Henry Trinder, Charlie Sharples and Alex Cuthbert to name but four – Stooke is proof they can also turn out tight five forwards.
Hartpury’s attacking philosophy might go against the received wisdom that conservative play will produce consistent results – but during Stooke’s time in their Under-18s squad they went unbeaten in two seasons.
And it’s that will to win which the second row claims was the biggest thing he learned in his time at Hartpury.
He explained: “Playing at Hartpury I don’t think we lost a game when I was there and I really took that winning mentality with me to Gloucester.
“I was never a fan of losing but I’ve really developed that since Hartpury and now Gloucester.”
His ambition doesn’t just stop with making his mark at Gloucester, and Stooke has already made an impact in the international age groups.
Last season he was a surprise inclusion in the U20s squad for the Six Nations.
He added: “The support I’ve had at Gloucester has been really important. Guys like Alex Brown, Jim Hamilton and Will James are always there to help you, and I feel that my set-piece is a strong part of my game.
“I need to get my fitness up and work on my speed, but hopefully that is something that will come.”