Johann van Graan was full of praise for Welsh prospect Louie Hennessey as he put on a show for Wales boss Steve Tandy in the final Gallagher PREM game before the Six Nations.
Hennessey opened the scoring for Bath in their 30-26 win over West Country rivals Gloucester at Kingsholm. This was the 21-year-old’s first try of the season and Bath’s quickest of the campaign.
Usually used at centre, the Welshman played out on the wing in Bath’s derby win where he put on a performance that will have Tandy scratching his head over picking the matchday squad for the Six Nations.
Van Graan was quick to praise Hennessey for his hard work, saying: “Louie is one of our best trainers. He’s breaking through the system and you just can’t ignore him.”
The South African also reflected on Hennessey’s other tries this season, one in the PREM Cup, and the other coming away in the Champions Cup.
“Last month, he came up against Toulon, he ran a fantastic line to score our fourth try.”
Hennessey has also featured against Leicester Tigers, Newcastle Red Bulls and Exeter Chiefs as the youngster is becoming more and more prominent in Bath’s matchday squad.
Van Graan has also been impressed with Hennessey’s domestic performances, “He played on the wing against Newcastle, it was a really good performance and he came off the bench against Exeter where he punched a hole to put Santi away.”
Despite Hennessey’s preference being at centre, van Graan has been impressed with player’s versatility and being able to quickly transition between the wing and the centre throughout Friday night’s win: “Tonight he started out on the wing and he won the first aerial turnover that gave us the entry on the left after Finn’s kick, before moving to play centre later on.”
This versatility could boost Hennessey’s chances of making the matchday squad for Wales this Six Nations after recently receiving his first call up. With the 21-year-old being used more regularly on the wing this season, the ability to play in two positions could make Hennessey a very useful number 23 to have.
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The ability to cover two positions in the backs is now more crucial than ever, with the rise of the 6/2 split on the bench, meaning there is one less back on the bench. This means Hennessey’s ability to excel either at centre or on the wing, could be a very tempting reason for Tandy to pick the young star.
Van Graan ended his comments on Hennessey, saying: “He’s got a big future ahead of himself, I really hope he gets his first cap for Wales in the Six Nations.”
Bath have notably integrated a lot of youth into their matchday squad this season, giving these younger players valuable experience of playing in the PREM alongside a strong title winning squad, breeding a confident and winning mentality into the youth.
Van Graan firmly believes in using the young players such as Hennessey, stating that “He’s another one of our younger lads. Arthur Green, Ethan Staddon, Kepi Tuipulotu and Billy Sela. These guys are all breaking through and that is the sign of a good system.”
Hennessey will be hoping that his performances in blue, black and gold will earn him his Wales debut this Six Nations, as Tandy’s side will be aiming to avoid a third consecutive wooden spoon.
