Henry Trinder’s elevation to the England squad for the Autumn Internationals will not have surprised anyone at Billesley Common who can recall the young Gloucesterman taking his first, baby steps in senior rugby wearing Moseley’s Red and Black.
They were pretty fast steps mind, even as a tot the centre had the pace to singe eyebrows and feet quick enough to make Michael Flatley look a lumbering giant, which is exactly how he made National One’s part-time defenders appear during his spell under Ian Smith.
That was between 2008-10 when Trinder was one of several play-mates to escape the Kingsholm Creche in the early days of dual registration, a system that allows young talents to play for both their parent Premiership club and another lower league outfit.
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The practice has its critics but most coaches and players are in favour and while the academy system remains in place, it’s here to stay. Rugby correspondent Brian Dick picks his top five dual registered favourites.
1. Matt Kvesic (Stourbridge, Worcester, Gloucester and England, 2 caps)
Having captained England age groups at nearly every level the back rower was earmarked for greatness even before he arrived at Stourton Park at the start of the 2010 campaign.
He played just four games for Stour before Richard Hill decided he could no longer do without his 18-year-old tyro and he not only blooded him when Warriors were in the Championship but watched him emerge as their most important player in the Premiership. Until he left this summer.
Remarkably assured and confident off the pitch, he is a royal pain in the posterior on it, with his unrelenting physicality and combativeness.
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2. Jonny May (Moseley, Gloucester and England, 1 cap)
Maverick May has a reputation for being as yampy as a box of frogs, both when he’s playing and when he’s not and while he has unrecognisable from his early days at Moseley, he still has the ability to stun – for better or worse.
Moseley’s first sight of May was at Twickenham in the match before their National Trophy final win over Leeds when his hat-trick inspired Hartpury College to win the Intermediate Cup in 2009.
The next few came in the 2009-10 campaign when he was as much a danger to his own team as the opposition. But boy was he dangerous, a lethal cocktail of audacious, confident and blazingly quick. May played 15 times for Moseley over the next year and scored some sensational length-of-the-pitch tries.
3. Henry Trinder (Moseley, Gloucester and England Saxons)
Unbelievably gifted, Trinder oozed class from the moment he stepped out at Billesley Common – against Coventry as an 18-year-old in February 2008.
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The Swindon-born centre spent two years between Birmingham and Gloucester and few Moseley fans will forget the flying hat-trick he scored against Manchester in 2009 or his composed performance at Twickenham.
Could be the long-term answer to England’s search for a new Jerry Guscott.
4. Ethan Waller (Coventry, Moseley, Northampton)
Not an international yet. Not even a Premiership regular yet, Waller has the small matter of his brother and Lion Alex Corbisiero in his way at Saints.
However, things don’t tend to stay in the young loosehead’s way for too long and I’d be amazed if he doesn’t make it all the way to the England squad in a few years. Unbelievably destructive in the scrum and a superb ball carrier.
5. Alex Grove (Stourbridge, Bees, Worcester and Scotland)
Maybe hasn’t got the X Factor as an outside centre but his defence is outstanding. A crucial part of the Warriors midfield for several years and played a massive role in the Scotland side which in 2009 beat Australia for the first time since 1980.