2015 IRB Junior Rugby World Cup - Italy

[Lee Grant]

Abrahams started in the 20's last year,and played strongly for the Rays development team in a trial against this squad.
At least 2 of the centres that remain in the squad,played poorly in this game and looked well out of their depth.
Yet they remain,and he is gone.

It's odd that Ellis A missed out as he was in the 2014 NSW U20 team in his U19 year.

I'm surprised a few of the big boppa's from Souths have been omitted.​

Lukhan L-T is big and made the squad. This training will be good for him but he is still just 18 (or was at 31st Dec) - and is still learning the game. I don't know if he ever played 1st Colts.

Souths LHP Matt Elliot is also in the squad, but I thought that Rahboni V must have been a chance.

​

They look small in the 2 row & 8 to me.​

I wrote about this a few days ago and it is a notable weakness.

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The back 3 looks strong though.​

All the Aus teams at the nationals will be able to say the same, but it's the numbers 1,3, 4 and 5 dominance that is missing, on paper.

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Centres are also interesting.​

Yeomans, as a 2014 schoolboy, is a bit of a bolter, but he is one of the most improved players of his age in NSW. He was chosen as one of the U20 players to mix it up with the senior Waratahs a couple of weeks ago - and on the wing if I remember - and he did well.

Not bad for someone who left school recently.
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[Monty Python]

Does anyone know what the current protocol is for releasing the under 20's? .....

Releasing them from......colts? NRC? Shute Shield grade? Who has the final say / seniority over this sort of decision? Does Aust U20 work like wallabies and all have to let them go because it's representing your country?

 

[Lee Grant]

^^^^^^^^^^
The Aus U20s would have priority over anything below Super Rugby and I am sure that the players would approve of that.

But Super Rugby? They are contracted to the Super Rugby outfits.

I remember that CFS was withheld from the Aus U20s by the Reds in 2013 with the proviso that he may be available later if an U20 player was injured in the tournament.

It turned out that he was injured himself later so the matter didn't arise.

Contracted Super Rugby players Jonah Placid (Rebels) and Andrew Kellaway (Tahs) are an obvious pair of youngsters who may be called upon by their Super teams in they have injuries, especially Placid since the Rebels are skinny at fullback the last time I looked.
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[Lee Grant]

I have deleted my post above giving the U20 trial game details because they have to be wrong …….

March 20 - March 26, I believe.

…… and Monty Python was right about the date of the National Under 20 Championships.
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[Jagman]

I thought it worked the other way around. The U20 squad is picked and then the Super Rugby team applies for them to be retained and if they can show that they need that player their request is granted. That's just what I gauged from what happened with CFS.


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[TOCC]

I thought it worked the other way around. The U20 squad is picked and then the Super Rugby team applies for them to be retained and if they can show that they need that player their request is granted. That's just what I gauged from what happened with CFS.


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I would hope that the dialogue is sufficient so that they don't have to go to those lengths, if the Super Rugby coach and the U20's coach aren't communicating over player availability then something is broken in the system.

 

[TOCC]

Jason Gilmore will be the Reds U20 coach in 2015, he was the coach of the premiership winning Churchie in 2014 and has previously been involved in the 2010 Australian U20 JWC campaign as the backs coach.

 

[Lee Grant]

Gilly is an outstanding coaching prospect and hopefully it won't be too long before he gets involved in senior coaching.

He was highly regarded at TGS also.
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[Forcefield]

WA U20 squad (to be reduced to 25 by next Monday):
* Denotes 2014 U20 squad member
# Denotes 2014 Southern States squad member

ADAM MARSHALL
AUEGA SEUMANUTAFA
CARL FITZPATRICK
CHAD RAMSAMY
CODY COE-BAKER*
CONALL BOOMER
CONOR SPENCE
DANIEL REDMOND
GERARD DE KLERK
GUS TAYLOR#
HAYDEN ANDERSON
HORATIO INGO
ISAIAH PEDERSEN
IVAN WRIGHT
JACK WEIR
JAROME LENARD TE-KANAWA
JEAN-CHARL SMITH
JERMAINE AINSLEY*
JOHNNY VAN DER WIELEN
KAURI CUDD
KRISTIAN REEDY
LEIGHTON SHORT
LIAM HUSBAND
LORENZO MARIO
LUKE FOUWLER
NICHOLAS WARD
NICK JOOSTE
OSCAR BACKHOUSE#
RILEY WINTER*
RUBAN BIRCH
SAM OFFER
SAMUEL SMITH
SERGE SAPSFORD
SIU-DONG LI
TASMANIA LAALAAI
TERRELL SHORTLAND-BERRYMAN
TEVIN FERRIS*
TEVITA SIFA
TIMOTHY KOIATU#
TORO REEDY
TRISTAN SCHNEIDER*
TUHOE MAHAKI

 

[Monty Python]

Lee, a little birdie told me you may have been out observing the U20s first training run for 2015 at Moore Park yesterday. Any morsels to throw those suffering from cricket and soccer overload...

 

[Lee Grant]

^^^^^^^^

Not really. What's interesting is that the Waratahs finished their session and then the U20s started and did more or less the same programme with the individual contests and the group games they were playing.

One message makes sense.

Geez I didn't realise how big prop Francis Brown was. He's put on a bit of weight since I saw him playing for NSW II Schools last year.

He played for Oz A Schools in 2013 when he was 16 and looked very fit then but now he looks about 130kgs and needs to lose a bit. I hope he can lose some in the next month because he could miss out otherwise.

His dad told me that he could bench press 160 kgs which sounds a lot to me. Has good hands for a big guy and played Colts rugby in Terrigal when he was 16 and Grade when he was 17 - he turned 18 in Nov 2014. His dad is the Terrigal coach.

Chris Yassmin, who had a good season with Uni Colts last year and was the leading try scorer for the whole club, is smashing them at training.
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[Learned One]

Terrific to hear Christian is doing well, hope he makes the final cut.
Interesting to note Christian didn't come through the NSW schoolboy teams.
Just shows there are talented players who are missed by selectors but flourish when given a chance in a good program.

Considering he only carries 1 point, a very cheap talented player for 1st colts or will he play Grade. Uni have some very talented back three players moving to Grade this year so it will be interesting to see where Uni play Christian.

 

[Lee Grant]

Interesting to note Christian didn't come through the NSW schoolboy teams.
Just shows there are talented players who are missed by selectors but flourish when given a chance in a good program.

Some fellows get overlooked when they shouldn't have been but there were some pretty good wingers in GPS that year, as there are most years, and some develop faster than their peers when they leave school, and even overtake them.

It just proves that you don't have to be a rep schoolboy star to get noticed when you leave school. There's nothing like Colts to develop good young players and to sort out who the good ones are.

Whatever, he looks very handy now.
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[BigSteve]

Queensland Countrys 25 man squad for southern states, does anyone have much insight into some of these players?

http://www.redsrugby.com.au/News/Ne...uad-named-for-Southern-States-Tournament.aspx

 

[Wilson]

There's a Nucifora there, anyone know if he's related to David?

 

[Charlies son Bob]

Hey all

Found this in the depths of ARU.

NATIONAL U20 CHAMPIONSHIP
Follow the live results here - link coming soon!
Follow the live ladder here - link coming soon!

The 2015 National U20 program will see a return to a significant competition focus for players at State and National U20 level. U20 players across Australia will have the opportunity to be involved at various regional and state levels with the running of three key Championships – the Southern States U20 Championships (20-25 February 2015), the National U20 Championships (20-25 March 2015) and the International U20 Championship (28 April-9 May 2015). Whilst the end goal is to produce a high performing Australian U20 squad to contest the World Rugby Junior (U20) World Championship to be held in Italy in June 2015, the program has been developed in line with other pathway strategic initiatives to:

1)Maximise access and opportunities to more talented players across Australia2)Provide high level training and competition exposure to Australia’s talented U20 players3)Create high level challenge for selection into State and National U20 teams (and therefore enhance Australia’s talent pool)4)Link Australia’s best U20 talent with respective Super Rugby clubs5)Provide motivation/aspiration for all players to achieve high level development and to seek selection in the highest program possible within an accessible and progressive national pathway6)Produce a high performing Australian U20 team7)Provide high level exposure and development opportunities for Australia’s talented coaches, management and match officials
2015 National U20 ProgramSouthern States U20 Championship - 20-25 February 2015 – Adelaide
*Competing teams: Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, ACT, NSW Country, Qld Country
National U20 Championship - 20-25 March 2015 – Canberra
*Competing teams: NSW, Queensland, Australian Barbarians (selected from the Southern States Championships, Tonga (invited team) & Fiji (invited team)

International U20 Championship - 28 April-9 May 2015 – Gold Coast
World Rugby Junior (U20) World Championships - 2-20 June 2015 – Parma, Italy

NATIONAL U20 CHAMPIONSHIP MANUAL PAGE - LINK COMING SOON


VENUE

Residence: Australian Institute of Sport, Leverrier Cres, Bruce ACT

The Australian Institute of Sport is a world-class facility, ensuring Australia’s current and emerging high performance athletes have access to the right support at the right time in their pursuit of excellence. It has outstanding residential and sporting facilities, including many rugby ovals and state-of-the-art aquatic centre and gymnasium. See AIS site map.
Match days: Tuggeranong Vikings Rugby Park, cnr of McBryde Crescent and Amsinck St, Wanniassa ACT
Viking Park is a six million-dollar multi sports facility consisting of a main Rugby ground with a fully fenced perimeter. This quality sporting facility can hold up to 8000 people with 1000 people being seated in the grandstand. There is also a canteen, first aid rooms, player and referee change rooms, a baseball diamond and the ground also has state of the art competition standard lighting.
DATE

Thursday 19 March 2015 – Wednesday 25 March 2015
ARRIVAL

Australian Barbarians arrive Tuesday 17 March, The remaining teams arrive Friday 20 March.
DEPARTURE

All teams depart Wednesday 25 March, post the Cup Presentation (approx 5:40pm)
MATCH DAYS

Saturday 21 March, Monday 23 March & Wednesday 25 March
CHAMPIONSHIP INVITATIONS

Australian Rugby Union have offered invitations to State/Territory representative team/s to attend the National U20 Championship, including:

New South Wales
Queensland
Australian Barbarians
Tonga
Fiji

 

[TOCC]

It's good to see Fiji and Tonga invited to play in the National Championships

Is the International U20 Championship on the Gold Coast a new tournament for 2015 and who is included? New Zealand?

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[Delphy]

There's a Nucifora there, anyone know if he's related to David?

Nephew of David, son of Garry as I understand it.

Harry was a very handy scrumhalf in the Qld 1 Schoolboys side in 2014.

 

[Forcefield]

Why do they have to call the Southern States team the Australian Barbarians? Southern States was fine.

 

[TOCC]

Why do they have to call the Southern States team the Australian Barbarians? Southern States was fine.

It's a team made up of players from QLD, NSW, WA, SA, VIC and ACT.. Barbarians seems a bit more of a apt name then just the southern states.


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