2019 under 20's
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Just love u20 rugby, always excited to see the future.
Interesting to see what schools they attended
1 Ollie Norris - St Peters Cambridge
2 Kianu Kereru Symes – Hastings Boys
3 Kaliopasi Uluilakepa - Fiji
4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi - Wellington College
5 Tupou Vaa’i - Wesley College
6 Samipeni Finau St Peters Cambridge
7 Jeriah Mua Hastings Boys
8 Devan Flanders Hastings Boys
9 Leroy Carter- Tauranga Boys
10 Fergus Burke - St Pauls Collegiate
11 Sam Gilbert - St Andrews
12 Dallas McLeod - Christs College
13 Quinn Tupaea - Hamilton Boys
14 Lalomilo Lalomilo De La Salle
15 Danny Toala - Hastings BoysReserves:
16 Shilo Klein - St Andrews
17 George Dyer - St Pauls Collegiate
18 Fletcher Newell - Rangiora
19 Tamaiti Williams - St Kents
20 Taine Plumtree - Wellington College
21 Cullen Grace - Timaru Boys
22 Kaylum Boshier - New Plymouth Boys
23 Kohan Herbert - Australia
24 Simon Parker - St Peters School
25 Taufa Funaki - Sacred Heart
26 Rivez Reihana - St Kents
27 Chay Fihaki - Sacred Heart
28 Cole Forbes - Tauranga Boys -
@98blueandgold Geez, Auckland/Blues have only retained one of those guys.
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I hope the Canes have Flanders locked up on a long term deal. He just seems class and has a massive work rate.
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Half back is Marshall Mark 2. likes to run alot!
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interesting half. set piece ok but maybe tactics wrong. We looked good when just let forwards go forward, seemed to be going sideways before earning right to. Flanders and Toala the best. Big issue for this team is 9-10, dont really look like we have any this year they can run a game. Fiji have improved so much at this age level though, playing well.
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@98blueandgold What type of first five is Reihana?
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better evn with the red card to the Fiji player. go forward first. great run by Norris who has impressed.
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@98blueandgold I missed that, what was the card for?
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Really bad tackle by the winger, lifted and driven into ground.
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Biggest work-on for this team is decision making and hands, been very poor.
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Overall NZ got through game but wont be happy with aspects. Fiji were very good though and have improved immensely in the last few years at this level.
Positives - Defence and set piece great (even at this torny in past we have looked poor. I remember last year our scrum getting beaten by Fiji)
The negative - attack, especially catch and pass, looked poor when went wide which is very unlike u20 teams of the past. We do have most of our first choice backs out however.
Names who stood up for coaches. All F/R used, Flanders, Toala (before inj), Lamilo.
overall I would say things went as planned with team named. F/R I thought was going to be a strength this year and it showed. Big issues around middle row 4,5,6,7. Only Vaai showed anything. the main issue with this group is lack of X-Factor. No ball carriers and no fetchers at the next level. Mua, Ah-Khoi and Finua showed nothing that would scare Nth Hemp Teams.
Other issues this year was 9-10. Both Funaki and Carter are runners and more Pulu type players then Smiths. Not sure we have a combo that can work for us this year. Maybe Trask as a 10 when back. -
@98blueandgold said in 2019 under 20's:
no fetchers at the next level
Thought this was noticable when I watched the 1st half. We struggled to turn over their phase posession.
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I thought the half back had a very good game and was involved in a lot.
Just wondering how many 1st choice players were in this team? -
@Canes4life said in 2019 under 20's:
I hope the Canes have Flanders locked up on a long term deal. He just seems class and has a massive work rate.
This year, he's on a development contract. He has a full contract for 2020-2021.
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Finally managed to watch the game. My 2 cents:
- Starting frontrow was good. Captain Kereru-Symes showed great communication and leadership skills. Noticed him talking to his pack after Fiji dominated a few scrums in the first 10 minutes and it had immediate effect. The scrum improved a lot. Don't know what they changed, but it worked.
- Line-outs were good, too (there weren't as many in the 2nd half, so hard judge the reserve hooker's throws; he scored a nice try, though).
- Second row improved when Ah Kuoi was replaced and Grace came on. Vaa'i was good, but should have received a yellow card for that dangerous challenge in the air. There's no way he had a reasonable chance of catching that ball, and the Fijian fullback landed on his back. Fortunately, he was okay and got back up.
- Loosies, apart from Flanders, no stand-outs. Mua deserves some leniency here; he only recently returned from a bad injury that kept him from playing for close to a year. Didn't really notice the bench players either.
- Halfbacks: Carter - his decision making was good, some good breaks, that kick for Tupaea's first try was brilliant, but I still prefer Funaki. Carter's passing is too sloppy. Wish Fakatava was eligible (yes, I know, broken record).
- First five-eighths: Burke and Reihana are both good kickers, but their game management is well below par. I knew this would happen as soon as I saw the team selection. Stupid not to pick McClutchie, who has proven to have those game management skills during NPC.
- Midfielders: Tupaea - can be held responsible for allowing the Fijians to score their only try (bad defence), but scored two nice tries. A keeper. McLeod was seriously disappointing.
- Outside backs: Gilbert - nice try, but hasn't convinced me yet. Lalomilo - awesome tackle in the 2nd half, but also showing defensive weaknesses; very promising on attack. Toala standing out; pure class.
It's hard to judge the reserves (apart from Grace), because that - well-deserved - red card probably affected the game (we don't know how Fiji would have fared in the 2nd half with 15 men on the paddock).
Best NZ forward: Flanders
Best NZ back: Toala
Weakest link in the forwards: Ah Kuoi until he left the field; after that probably Finau.
Weakest link in the backline: McLeodWorst parts of our game: sloppy ball handling and lack of game management.
The game against Japan probably won't tell us much, but at least all will get a run. Hopefully, Gregory, and - if released - Nanai-Seturo, Clarke and Proctor can provide some much-needed spark to our backline.
I think a backline of Funaki - Reihana (lacking a better option) - Clarke - Gregory - Proctor - Nanai-Seturo - Toala can be deadly. -
@Stargazer good analysis, agree that McLeod was VERY disappointing after watching him play for Crusader Knights. Also Faingaanuku in that backline and we are all go!
Agree we need to try McClustie now or risk disappointment.
