Date: Wed 30 Jan 2013

The LV= Cup Breakthrough Player shortlist has reached the penultimate stage, with two further players added to the previous nominees from Round 1 and 2.

London Irish’s Marland Yarde and Harlequins’ Joe Trayfoot join Luke Wallace, Jamie Elliott, Tom Heathcote and Sam Lewis on the shortlist, with two final additions to come following Round 4 this weekend.

Fresh off his impressive performance for the Exiles in their Round 3 win over Worcester, Marland Yarde’s match statistics reflect the winger’s efforts, including two clean line breaks, three dominant carries and evading six tackles. The twenty-year old was the top metre-maker of all players on the pitch, with 90m over the gainline to his name. He also made seven tackles at a 100% success rate, including winning a turnover.

Director of Rugby Brian Smith admitted he was particularly impressed with Yarde.

“Marland’s performance was electric,” Smith told reporters. “There is not another winger in the country who would have scored that try. It was as if his hair was on fire.”

Just in time for his 22nd birthday this week, Harlequins back-row Joe Trayfoot joins Yarde on the shortlist after an equally notable performance in Round 3 of the LV= Cup.

Harlequins produced a comfortable win over Premiership newcomers London Welsh in a game that saw Trayfoot take centre stage, displaying 11 tackles and 10 ball carries. He completed two initial line breaks, beat a defender and made a nuisance of himself at the breakdown to make his mark on the game at Sixways.

The LV= Cup. Watch the next generation break through. For tickets and info, visit www.lv.com/rugby

About the LV= Cup Breakthrough Player Award

The LV= Cup Breakthrough Player Award was launched in September 2012 and is designed to recognise the wealth of impressive young talent on show in the competition. Gloucester’s Jonny May took home the inaugural title after making his mark in the competition last season.

Two players from each round, along with two ‘wildcard’ players, who have strong overall competition statistics will form a shortlist which will be submitted to a fan vote on www.lv.com/rugby. Fans will vote for the winner of the LV= Breakthrough Player Award from the end of round four until midnight after the second semi-final. The winner will be announced prior to the final and LV= will donate £1,000 to a grassroots rugby initiative of their choice.