10 minutes was all Tyler Offiah needed to score on his Premiership debut for Bath yesterday and show why he is such an exciting young prospect.
The son of rugby league great Martin Offiah has some way to go before he reaches his father’s career figure of 501 touchdowns.
Nevertheless, the winger is up and running at the age of 18 and appears set for a bright future as his star continues to rise with Johann van Graan’s title favourites.
Tyler joined Bath on an Academy contract last summer and has made significant strides, featuring in the Premiership Rugby Cup before making his bow in the final league game at Saracens.
Try off the bench
The strapping teenager, who stands 6ft 3in and tips the scales at 98kg, came on in the 55th minute and raced over the line to score in the left-hand corner 10 minutes later.
Leaders Bath lost the game 36-26, but for Offiah scoring on his Premiership bow in a live televised game marked the realisation of a dream.
Offiah, who performed his ‘T-time’ celebration in front of the television cameras, told Planet Rugby: “I came on to play on the left wing and when I found myself in place I was screaming for it!
“Landy (Orlando Bailey) hit me with a long pass and I went over the line.
“It felt amazing and then I saw the big camera in the corner, so I thought ‘go on then, I’ll do my celebration’.
“We were losing quite heavily at that point but I thought ‘it’s my Premiership debut’ so I think I was allowed to celebrate.
“I think my friends would have been more annoyed if I hadn’t have done it!
“I might have had another try late on, but all in all it was a good game.
“Obviously it was disappointing that we lost, but we gave it a very good go and I was really proud of the boys.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a very superstitious or spiritual person but I’ve always been wishing this moment would come and now it has happened.
“The support the boys have given me has been amazing – we’re all mates – and Ruaridh McConnochie is retiring at the end of the season but he’s going to be such a great coach.
“The help he’s given me with my positioning and edge defence has been outstanding.”
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Offiah’s first-team opportunity was reward for plenty of hard work during the past year as he combined his degree in politics and international relations at Bath University with his rugby commitments.
“I feel like I’ve been fortunate this year with – touch wood – not getting any serious injuries,” he explained.
“I’ve just been working hard at training to keep myself fit and then working with the coaches.
“Ryan Davis is someone I have meetings with on my individual skills and I work with a female coach who we call ‘Grow’ on the psychology side of things about how to interact with people at the club and outside the club.
“Obviously the transition at the start was challenging and I had a few ups and downs – ‘organisational issues’ I’d call them.
“But I smoothed those out over Christmas and came back, trained well and got an opportunity to play in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
“I don’t think I took that as well as I could and it made me more determined to seize the opportunity against Saracens on Saturday.
“I wanted to show what I’ve got and I think I did that.
“I’m at the beginning of my journey but all my experiences at Ealing, coming through the academy at London Irish and playing at school for St Benedict’s and Wellington College has helped to get me where I am today.
“I’m proud of myself for how far I’ve come in the past year since joining Bath.
“It’s such a fantastic club and being around so many great players such as Finn Russell, Will Muir and Sam Underhill has been brilliant for my development.
“The advice these guys give you is second to none and the environment is such a high level.”
Offiah is now waiting to hear if he will get selected for England in this summer’s World Rugby U20s Championship.
Whether or not he could be in line to feature for Bath in their play-off semi-final at home to Bristol Bears on Friday remains to be seen.
“It’s just good to be in the mix and hopefully I can go to Italy in the summer with England for the World Championship,” he said.
“I’m just doing the best I can and whatever the future holds, we’ll see.”
Runs in the family
Tyler’s younger brother Phoenix, 15, is a promising striker in the Tottenham Hotspur youth ranks.
He was there on Saturday with parents Martin and Virginia to watch Tyler score against Sarries.
Tyler added: “My grandfather came here from Nigeria in the late 1950s and my dad obviously did great things in his rugby career.
“Hopefully Phoenix and I can write our sporting stories and continue to do the Offiah family name proud.”