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2015 IRB Junior Rugby World Cup - Italy

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Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
The NSW Under 20s had a good hit out at Moore Park this afternoon.

Some of the boys were guilty of making calls to be passed the ball from old school chums (or school opponents, but they knew the nicknames) who were playing for the other side, but the players got wise soon enough.

As usual the quality outside of the tight five looked outstanding but Lukn L-T looked ominous in the second row. For those who don't know him he is a Skelton type and could be a smokey for the NSW team despite being an Under 18 player presently.

I was yarning with Oz U20 forwards coach Cam Blades watching the hit-out and he said the Kiwis would be over here for warm-up games after the Aussie team was picked (and Japan), though details are sketchy.
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Hans

Fred Wood (13)
@Lee Grant, any idea of team lists for the boys who played? Any surprise packets? Any notable omissions?
 
T

TOCC

Guest
That's good that New Zealand have agreed to warmup's, they opposed the concept last year didn't they?
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
That's good that New Zealand have agreed to warmup's, they opposed the concept last year didn't they?

According to coach Thompson, that was the case. If it happens it will be a good thing for both parties I reckon—there's nothing official at the moment.

I think the Kiwis are getting a bit nervous about their recent performances in the JWC (i.e. not finishing first). Although our results haven't been laudable in the last couple of years, some of the games we played in NZ in 2014 with our best side were strong performances and must have made us worthy protagonists for a trial for them, in their eyes.

@Lee Grant, any idea of team lists for the boys who played? Any surprise packets? Any notable omissions?

Naturally I asked for team lists but all I got was a grin. I can understand the reluctance to circulate the names of the players they are looking at, with club politics being what they are.

I recognised many of the players from their school days but as one who doesn't watch Colts rugby (because I watch either schools or Grade every week) it is not that easy put a name to a lad outside of playing for his school side, or school rep side, a year or two later - especially for a bloke like me who is closer to 80 than to 70.

Flyhalf/fullback Adrian Delore was outstanding for Combined States schools in 2013 and it was good to see him back getting a run in both positions. He should be a strong contender for the NSW team (and a decent future option for Oz Sevens in the Stannard role, just quietly).

Flyhalf Corey Tulloch looked in great touch, and I think it might have been his old Kings' scrumhalf Rory Davis serving him well, but I could be mistaken. Oz Schools' flyhalf this year, Connor O'Shea, did nothing wrong but his chance may come in 2016 because NSW will be well-served in 2015 with the more experienced Deegan, Tulloch - and Delore as backup.

Vuni Fifita, had Cam Blades cooing at scrum time when he came on but it may be a year early for him since he was at school this year. Second rower Ned Hanigan was a dynamo, but he hasn't grown a lot since his school days. He's an excellent lineout man and I think that for the 2015 U20s he should be considered a good lineout 6, who can also play lock during a game if required.

As mentioned Lukn Lealaiauloco-Tui was a promising Skelton type of an U18 player, but he is like a blank canvas. If there's any possibility of getting a better picture of him on it I would back the setup they have at the Tahs to do so.

Harry Jones (in a moon boot now), and Andrew Deegan, weren't there yesterday but are in the group. Andrew Kellaway already has a big training load with the Tahs and didn't play. He may not have much participation with U20s until the final camp of the Oz 20s if the Tahs have injuries.

Tyson Davis (HJ's mate from Barker and the Rats) had some good runs but so did many of the other wingers. Ned Yeomans who was called into the Oz Schools' side this year looked very handy on one viewing at this level, but the players who have had experience already in Colts or Grade will probably be considered first.

Matt Sandell is one of the Invited Players at Tahs training until the New Year and I didn't see him on the park either. Nor did I notice Cameron Orr - but players were coming and going.

As indicated I see NSW's main problems as lack of experienced tall timber in the second row, though they also need some line benders at no. 8, and generally in the pack, rather than just big-engined ball players.
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redhead

Herbert Moran (7)
Qld under 20 squad has also been busy. The "core" players (Fakosilea, Paua'aia, Magnay, Korczyk, Gunn, Wilkin, Tuttle) has been put through gruelling training with Reds. They will be strong contestants for Aus jersey in 2015. The rest is having a joint session with REDS/EPS this saturday. The likes of Pleash, Sikimeti, Mafi, Potgieter, Dalgleish, Quick should be there. If you add NSW contigent (Kelleway, Jones, Deegan, Orr, Sandell, Hanigan) and few others (Placid, Saaga, Tanuvasa, ?) into the mix this team has chance to go the whole way in June. I hope that NZ will bring their junior AB over, this is long overdue. It would be nice to meet Kiwis again in Italy? Say in final.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
That's good that New Zealand have agreed to warmup's, they opposed the concept last year didn't they?

They're left with no choice after their decline, about time!

We didn't finish higher because our pool/draw but IMO we had a better side than NZ last year. I think we were arguably as good as SA but England were light years ahead of everyone (despite scoreline in final).
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
Qld under 20 squad has also been busy.

etc

Those players mentioned will be strong contenders and if there are others better than them it will be "betterer" still for Oz. Likewise for my comments on NSW players.

Am I right in saying that there were more Queenslanders playing in the 2014 NRC that are U/20 candidates for 2015, than NSW did? It seemed to be the case but I haven't done a forensic analysis.

Whatever, the experience will serve them well.

The backs from both states will be terrific in the national championships as will the flankers be. I just worry about the quality of tight-five players who will turn 20 next year (not 19) - and I'm not talking about players who "can" play in the second row but locks who can dominate physically the likes of the Poms and SAffers, or at least attain parity.

The trial for the Southern States team will be held again in Adelaide - expect some smokies to come out of that meet, as Rowan Perry (ACT) and Ross Haylett-Petty (WA) did in 2014.

These were two players who may not have been identified under the old system, and chuck in second row Jack Payne (Qld) who grew in stature in the national championship and never looked back.
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T

TOCC

Guest
These were two players who may not have been identified under the old system, and chuck in second row Jack Payne (Qld) who grew in stature in the national championship and never looked back.
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Jack Payne has signed with Scarlets and qualifies for Wales through his father.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
Jack Payne has signed with Scarlets and qualifies for Wales through his father.

Boo - I can't give that a "like", but good luck to him.

I'm not saying he was Super Rugby material but it was a comfort to see a good no-frills second rower come out of nowhere and serve Australia well in his Under 20 year.

I hope that there are one or two similar second rows who will appear for 2015 also, as well as the odd tighthead prop.

I had never heard of Payne 12 months ago and the same goes to the aforementioned Perry and Haylett-Petty.

Whatever valid criticisms we have of the ARU you have got to like what they did for the Under 20 programme with the cash they had.
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Forcefield

Ken Catchpole (46)
I'm pretty sure Oscar Backhouse will still be eligible from WA. He's a second rower who played a little bit in the NRC (off the bench). He's also ginger. Nothing beats a ginger lock. Their skin is hardened by a world with little sympathy for red hair.

Call him a smokey.
 

Micheal

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
I'm pretty sure Oscar Backhouse will still be eligible from WA. He's a second rower who played a little bit in the NRC (off the bench). He's also ginger. Nothing beats a ginger lock. Their skin is hardened by a world with little sympathy for red hair.

Call him a smokey.


Where there's fire there's smoke.

Or perhaps its the other way around.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
I'm pretty sure Oscar Backhouse will still be eligible from WA. He's a second rower who played a little bit in the NRC (off the bench). He's also ginger. Nothing beats a ginger lock. Their skin is hardened by a world with little sympathy for red hair.

Call him a smokey.

My missus was a redhead before she turned blonde - they can be fiery, which has some connection with smokey.

I looked up Backhouse in one of my old programmes and he was playing Under 16s in the nationals in 2011 as a second row, which would make him Under 20 in 2015 - but I can't remember him; so I hope he's a good 'un.

He must have been handy in the position to have been considered for the NRC in his Under 19 year.

Perhaps the Perth Spirit policy of using inexperienced players away from home will get an unexpected dividend - if that was the case with Backhouse.
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Forcefield

Ken Catchpole (46)
He was on the bench against the Rays in the NRC. He was also good enough to make the combined Southern States team as a 19 year old. I reckon he'd definitely be an option.
 

redhead

Herbert Moran (7)
Lee is right. Qld had more under 20s actively involved in NRC this year. This does not necessarily mean that Qld will be dominant in national champs in March. I remember that this forum predicted the same for 2014 and Qld came last. However the involvement in "big rugby" post and preseason will only improve their quality.
I share Lee concern re: our second row. I have not yet seen a player with dominating presence. None of the Staniforth physique.
I hope that games with junior AB will go ahead. No doubt this would put the team on another level before JWC.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
Lee is right. Qld had more under 20s actively involved in NRC this year. This does not necessarily mean that Qld will be dominant in national champs in March. I remember that this forum predicted the same for 2014 and Qld came last.

NSW Under 20s had a terrific advantage in 2014 in their warm-up games and I am convinced that flowed through to the National U20 Competition [NUC] in Canberra. Cheika said:

I want them to play games, I want them to play five or six games so we can really see these lads and what they’ve got.

It included a full match against a senior side of Sydney grade players (who called themselves the Aus. Barbarians) and also a hit out against a senior Argentine side (the Pampas XV) some of whose players appeared for Los Pumas against the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship, and/or on their EOYT.

Cheika told me last January that the games they were going to play before the final selection of the 2014 NSW U20s were an integral part of their training programmes as well as being an assessment tool.

It seemed to work a treat.

Getting last of the three Aussie teams was no great shame for Queensland because the Southern States' team was a cracker. They performed well, even though there was a four-week break between when the squad was selected and the start of the NUC.

Cam Blades said he was looking forward to seeing if the team they come up with after the Adelaide meet in 2015 will have the same quality as the 2014 version, and hoped that this year was not just a good one-off vintage.

Head coach Adrian Thompson told me after Adelaide this year that Victoria, WA and the ACT were good enough to compete in the NUC as separate entities.


I have digressed - where was I?

Queensland should come up with something more comprehensive for 2015 than the trial games they had in 2014, especially early on in the culling process.
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redhead

Herbert Moran (7)
This should not be such problem as in 2014 where only few o Qld players had any experience in senior rugby. Many (10) of the current players comes from the winning under 16 team and in 2014 they had to compete against older counterparts from other states.
Games with quality opposition are needed and Nsw did well in 2014. However their game against Samoa A should be never been allowed
 

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
Could anyone shed any light on the front rowers (including hookers) in the Qld squad and if any of them were involved from last year? I have some links to one of the and I am curious as to the others involved.
 

redhead

Herbert Moran (7)
There are few familiar faces: Pleash, Sikimeti, Manu, Mafi, Anae, Sala, Richards. I think first 2 were in 2014 team.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Rebels have announced their U20 Squad:
Andrew BARBER, Hooker
Oscar BRIDGFORD, Hooker
Sam BROWN, Centre (U19)
Hamilton BURR, Lock
Lucas COUSIN, Wing (U19)
Matt EUESE, Scrumhalf (U19)
Alex FOWLES, Openside Flanker
Billy GRAY, Flyhalf (U19)
Mark HIGGINSON, Prop
Ta HOSEA, No. 8 (U19)
Jade MURRAY, Scrumhalf (U19)
Fereti SA'AGA, Prop
RJ SA'AGA, Prop (U19)
Graig SEMISI, Fullback (Website says born in 1998 - U17 - ?? Typo)
George STEWART, Wing
James STEWART, Prop
SJ TAMALA, No. 8
Isi TEVI, Blindside Flanker
Pat TOETA, Flyhalf
Ah-mu TUIMALEALIIFANO, Centre (U19)
Sione TUIPOLOTU, Centre (U18)
Tyrone TUSITALA, Wing (U19)
Bill VALENTINI, Centre
Antonie VAN ZYL, Scrumhalf (U19)
Ollie WALKER, Openside Flanker
Chris WARD, Lock (U19)

http://melbournerebels.com.au/community/competitions/elite/under-20s
 
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