2017 Under-20 Competitions including Oceania & World U20s

Georgia has been named as the venue for the 2017 Under-20 Rugby World Championships (formerly known as the IRB Junior World Cup).


Pools are likely to be something like these:
Pool A
England (1)
Australia (6)
France (9)
Samoa (12) (Qualifier from Junior World Trophy)

Pool B
Ireland (2)
New Zealand (5)
Scotland (8)
Italy (11)

Pool C
Argentina (3)
South Africa (4)
Wales (7)
Georgia (10)

To do better than our usual 5th or 6th position, we need to make it to the Semi-Finals and this is achieved by winning the two games against lower seeded teams with a 4 try bonus point, and secure one or more bonus points in a loss to the top seeded team in the pool or simply beat them. It also helps if we score a truckload of points against the lowest ranked team in our pool.

Maybe we need to examine out coaching and selection arrangements at state and National level.

Use this thread to track the selection trial process for the Australian State teams who should participate in the 2017 Curtain Raiser Cup, Oceania Championships as well as the build up for the World Championships.

Also discuss similar for the NZL, SAF or 6N U20 teams, and any snippets of information from the 6N U20 tournament.

Aspiring piggies need to start eating meat, and hitting not the gym, otherwise we will see more of this next year.

Who are the 2016 "Incumbents" for 2017?
Based on the AUS U20 v NZL U20 Squad for Bond, these athletes should be back for action in 2017.
4. Harry Hockings
5. Ryan McCauley
6. Angus Scott-Young
15. Jack Maddocks
16. Jordan Uelese
19. Rob Leota
23. Sione Tuipolotu

Announced in the 2016 Squad but joined Team Rehab before playing
Max Girdler

Joined the Squad later (there may be others):
Simon Kennewell, Izack Rodda, Nick Jooste, Harry Chapman

Bear in mind that the 2017 Under 20's covers the Born in 1997 (mostly) and some from the Born in 1998 cohort. This would typically be Class of 2014 (Qld only) , mostly Class of 2015 and some Class of 2016.

We also had a pretty nasty Team Rehab running this season.
From NSW, this included Jack McGregor (with Rebels in 2017) and Guy Porter who will be 2017 U20 eligible.
From North, Reece Hewat has a good pedigree and should be one of the first picked in the State U20.
Not to forget Henry Hutchison from the 7's program. There will be no Olympics to rest him for in 2017.

The State and National selectors tend to prefer players playing in Super Rugby squads (EPS or Supplementary), NRC, or regular Premier Grade rugby, over those who are just playing Colts footy this year.

Over the next week or so, I'll have a pass through this seasons 5 X U20 squads to see who the incumbents may be for 2017, as well as trying to ID any Aus qualified boys that played U20 Rugby World Trophy for Fiji, Samoa, or Tonga as 18 turning 19 years. There are usually about 3 or 5 of these.

NSW had a fair stack of Class of 2015 playing for them this year in the 2016 Gen Blue squad, and the Vics were also quite a young team, so there will be a fair few returning for Curtain Raiser Cup 2.0 in 2017.

^^^From memory, 2016 Gen Bloo played:
V QLD in the Moore Park Car Park
V ACT at an actual stadium, the Canberra Concrete Esky, as a curtain raiser!
V Vic on St Johns College Cow Pasture
V WA at Cottesloe Club Oval.

They were kicked off the main oval in all but the ACT due to concerns with them churning up the main oval, and the Vic and WA games were independent of their respective grown up teams playing each other, so no actual Curtain Raiser.

Maybe future Gen Bloo games should be scheduled to be played in draught affected parts of the country. At least the irrigators will be happy when the inevitable rains happen.

Here is the list of those I think are 2017 eligible from the 2016 NSW U20 Wider Training Group:

Harry CHAPMAN (Prop)* (Call up from Shadows for Aus U20 in Manchester but DNP)
Sama MALOLO (Prop)
Tom HORTON (Hooker)*
Harry JOHNSON - HOLMES (THP)*
Will McRAE (THP)
Cody WALKER (Prop)
Nathaniel GITTOES (4/5)
Jack MARGIN (4/5) (not sure if U20 in 2017)
Ryan McCAULEY (4/5)* (2016 Aus U20 Incumbent)
Tom PIRODDI (5/6)* (Aus U20 shadow called up for warm up fixture vs Barbarians)
Lachlan SWINTON (4/5)*
Lachlan ANDERSON (7)
Charlie SMITH (7)*
Max GIRDLER (6/8)* (Aus U20 but DNP due Injury)
Harrison GODDARD (9)*
Theo STRANG (9)*
Dan ENGLAND (Centre)
Simon KENNIWELL (Centre/wing)# (Released from 7's for Aus U20 in Manchester)
Will LATU (Centre/wing)
Sepesa LOGA-TAROGI (Wing)*
Tim CLEMENTS (Wing/FB)*
Guy PORTER (Wing/FB)* (Injured in Gen Blue trial)

Henry HUTCHISON (Aust 7's)#^
Jack MADDOCKS (10, Rebels) * (2016 Aus U20\)
Jack McGREGOR (10/15, Rebels) (Injured in Gen Blue trial)


Not all of the above made the cut for the 2016 Gen Bloos, but they are at least on the clipboards. They will be joined by the NSW lads selected for the 2016 ASRU rep teams this year if the selectors are true to form, as well as those previously overlooked bolters from 2016 Colts and Grade that have shown some form in Clubland this year and may have caught up to or bypassed some of yesteryears Rock Stars. There are always a few in this category.


*2016 Gen Blue U20
# AUS 7's program
^ AUS U20 2015


Of the above, in 2017:
Harry JOHNSON - HOLMES has had a cameo off the bench in First Grade for Sydney University.
Cody WALKER has played regular 2nd Grade for Eastern Suburbs, with a game or two off the bench for First Grade.
Lachlan SWINTON has played regular First Grade (Run on 15) for Sydney University.
Harrison GODDARD has played regular 2nd Grade for Randwick, and may have had a cameo off the bench in First Grade.

Also
Theo STRANG was selected for Sydney Stars in the 2015 NRC but DNP.

^^^ The Lachlan Anderson (7) in the list above is the Oakhill College graduate, brother of former ASRU rep Joshua, and plays OSF for Eastwood Colts 1 this season.

The Randwick FB version of LA is from Newington, class of 2013 I think, and DNP for ASRU.

They are good acquisitions although there is a bit of sameness about Jack Debreczeni, a big flyhalf who can play fullback, and Jack Maddocks, a big fullback who can play flyhalf. (And not to the point but there is another Jack Deb type - going to the Brumbies - Nick Jooste)

Lomax was a nice U20 surprise for me this year. Hitherto I thought him to be a too-tall, too-young, clumsy THP, but after watching the U20s at Bond, the Sydney warm-ups and the World U20s in 2016 I realised that my opinion was bunk.

And can he scrummage against his age group !!!

He looks promising and the NRC will prove its worth by putting such able youngsters against older players, if it hasn't already.

That was a good crop of front-rowers this year and it was the best unit in the Aussie U20 team in my opinion.
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