New Zealand under 20

bobily

These are the names I'd be picking, though the team will probably be considerably different, especially as most of this is from match reports of various games, rather than having seen these players play.
 
Prop 
Mason Kean - can play anywhere in the front row 
Alex Fidow - a huge prop who got the golden boot for NZ Secondary schools 
Joe Apikotoa - moved to league briefly before representing Wellington last year. Good ball runner. 
Ayden Johnstone - Not sure about these two. I don't know too much about these players. 
Jonah Aoina
 
Hooker 
Leni Apisai - Hurricanes player - his ball running was very good in the ITM Cup (as was his defensive work). 
Asafo Aumua - impressed for NZ Secondary Schools last year.
 
Lock 
Hamish Dalzell - the balding fella that played last year. Will probably get picked, though everyone thought he was useless. 
Sam Ulufonua - A big, 120kg lock. Made the Auckland training squad early last year. Hopefully follows in the footsteps of Tuipulotu rather than Fatialofa. 
Isaia Walker-Leawere - played for Poverty Bay in the Heartland competition. Should still be eligible next year, too. 
Paripari Parkinson - signed for Ta$man for this year's ITM Cup
 
Loose forwards 
Hugh Renton - Hurricanes player, though really needs to impress 
Mitchell Jacobson - Has played in the last two U20 tournaments 
Hapakuki Moala-Liava'a - Played in the ITM Cup - very good ball runner 
Charlie Gamble - Canterbury openside. Won MVP in the U19 tournament last year (Karpik was the previous winner)
 
Halfback 
Sam Nock - Blues player 
Liam Howley - trained with the Highlanders, played alright for Southland (there are several other decent options here)
 
First-Five 
TJ Va'a - Hurricanes player 
Ere Enari - a halfback, though it is my understanding Canterbury are training him into a first-five, though I hear he needs to work on his game management. Scott Robertson is coach, and he might be keen to test him out here (also offers a bit of versatility). Can play in 2017, too. 
Orbyn Leger/Jonathan Taumateine - Both from Counties. Leger is eligible next year. Taumateine can play halfback, and has played for Counties 7s.
 
Midfield 
Thomas Umaga-Jensen - huge, skillful player, huge potential 
Peter Umaga-Jensen - huge, skillful player, huge potential 
Sio Tomkinson - Golden boot in 2014 secondary schools, from memory
Jonah Lowe - Perhaps didn't perform as well as he would have liked in the ITM Cup for Hawkes Bay, but is the most prominent name left. This spot could be up for grabs. 

 
Outside backs 
Jordan Trainor - Blues player, impressed in his few ITM Cup games 
Shaun Stevenson - Chiefs player, had a promising first ITM Cup season 
Mason Emerson - played for Hawkes Bay and did ok 
Malo Tuitama - played a preseason game for the Hurricanes

? Offline

Good writeup, Bobily.
 
Three of those guys made last year's team - Apisai just the Oceania tournament, Dalzell and Jacobsen both the Oceania and World tournments.
 
Jonah Lowe is midfield more than wing.
 
Who are the fullback contenders?

bobily

Cheers, I've edited the post.
 
I should have used the label 'Outside backs', rather than wings. Stevenson and Trainor can both play fullback. I think one of the Umaga-Jensen brothers has also played a bit of fullback.

Dice

Jordan Trainor, Shaun Stevenson, Peter Umaga-Jensen and Shelford Murray would be the contenders for fullback, but I think the first two would be front runners for the position.

Dice

Finn Hoeata(Jarrad Hoeata's brother) would have a good shot of making the team. He was a bit under the radar through school because he went to Dilworth(a 1B school at the time he was there), but when he played for the Blues U18s and NZ Barbarians, he really impressed. Was probably a little unlucky not to make NZ Schools.
 
I'm thinking there is a lack of punch in the backrow. Moala-Liavaa is a decent ball carrier, but not a dominant one. Maybe Razor could add Lona Halaholo to the team to take care of that role. A player who can punish players with and without the ball. I think Halaholo has signed for Canterbury, so maybe Razor might have him as a late inclusion?
 
I really like Jonathan Taumateine as a halfback more so than a 10. I think he is so naturally talented, that if he puts it all together, he could really go far. He can also cover a bit of fullback as well.

bobily

Agreed, Finn Hoeata was impressive for the NZ Barbarians (from the first half anyway - I never got around to watching the rest). I guess he would also add a bit of height to the backrow, as well as potentially being able to fill in at lock.
 
Given some of the other powerful ball carriers in the team, I'm not sure the lack of punch in the backrow will be a problem. I'm sure the likes of Fidow, Apisai, Apikotoa and Ulufonua should be able to get the ball going forward. The Umaga-Jensen twins will also be capable of gaining some decent ground further out. However, another option could be Mikaele-Tu'u.
 
The problem that Taumateine might face is that we aren't short of halfback options. Besides Nock and Howley, Levien played last year and may return, and I've heard good things about Milo-Harris. However, he could be there ahead of Enari as a first-five/halfback cover. I don't know too much about the other first-five options, but they should be alright if they are there ahead of Faiane and McKay.

Bovidae

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="bobily" data-cid="556763" data-time="1454743144">
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These are the names I'd be picking, though the team will probably be considerably different, especially as most of this is from match reports of various games, rather than having seen these players play.
 
Prop 
Mason Kean - can play anywhere in the front row 
Alex Fidow - a huge prop who got the golden boot for NZ Secondary schools 
Joe Apikotoa - moved to league briefly before representing Wellington last year. Good ball runner. Ayden Johnstone - Not sure about these two. I don't know too much about these players.
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I've seen plenty of Johnstone as he was the captain of Ham BHS. He's a very mobile prop and a decent scrummager.
 
A couple of other names you didn't mention. 
 
Jahrome Brown - he was also one of the stars of the champion HBHS 1st XV. Brown reminded me of a young Jerry Collins when I watched him play, an abrasive ball-runner and hard tackling 6/8.
Luke Jacobson - Mitchell's younger brother and considered by many to be the best of the 3 Jacobson brothers. They all play for Hautapu and formed their entire loose forward trio in a few games last year.

leytonandamanda

What about dalton papali'i? Rated very highly 
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Canes4life

Likely Starting XV:
1. Joe Apikatoa (Hurricanes/Wellington) 
2. Leni Apisai - (Hurricanes/Wellington)
3. Alex Fidow - (Hurricanes/Wellington)
4. Isaia Walker-Leawere (Wellington)
5. Sam Ulufonua - (Auckland) 6. Mitchell Jacobson - (Waikato)
7. Charlie Gamble - (Canterbury)
8. Hugh Renton (Hurricanes/Hawkes Bay)
9. Sam Nock (Blues/Northland)
10. TJ Va'a - (Hurricanes/Wellington)
11. Jonah Lowe (Hawkes Bay)
12. Thomas Umaga Jensen (Hurricanes/Highlanders/Otago)
13. Peter Umaga Jensen (Hurricanes/Wellington)
14. Malo Tuitama (Hurricanes/Wellington)
15. Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs/Waikato)

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Canes4life" data-cid="556889" data-time="1454793213">
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Likely Starting XV:
1. Joe Apikatoa (Hurricanes/Wellington) 
2. Leni Apisai - (Hurricanes/Wellington)
3. Alex Fidow - (Hurricanes/Wellington)
4. Isaia Walker-Leawere (Wellington)
5. Sam Ulufonua - (Auckland) 
6. Mitchell Jacobson - (Waikato)
7. Charlie Gamble - (Canterbury)
8. Hugh Renton (Hurricanes/Hawkes Bay)
9. Sam Nock (Blues/Northland)
10. TJ Va'a - (Hurricanes/Wellington)
11. Jonah Lowe (Hawkes Bay)
12. Thomas Umaga Jensen (Hurricanes/Highlanders/Otago)
13. Peter Umaga Jensen (Hurricanes/Wellington)
14. Malo Tuitama (Hurricanes/Wellington)
15. Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs/Waikato)
 
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I suspect if you're going to pick a wing from HB you'd take Emerson over Lowe, he seems to be higher ranked as a wing (Lowe seen as a midfielder).

Mister G

If you had to put money on it, name the guys that will play for the AB's.

Higgins

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="556718" data-time="1454736468">
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Interesting to read that Bay players have that clause in their contract. I think it makes perfectly sense for WTG and other fringe Super Rugby players from outside the Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago regions to play their club rugby in their home/NPC province. Probably Guildford could be required to play for a local Chch club in 2014, because he had signed a contract with Clermont and was using an out clause in his HBRU contract, but I'm just guessing.
 
Unless <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://files.allblacks.com/comms/2016_ISR/2016_ISR_Squad_Naming_Hurricanes-F01.pdf'>this document</a> is wrong, Ben May has a full contract with the Hurricanes. It's strange he's not on the Canes website though. A quick look at the Canes and Lions Facebook feed, tells me he played for the Canes at least twice last year (from the bench); made his Lions debut v Taranaki, started for them at least once and was named on the bench at least twice.
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Not sure how up to date/accurate the link you include above is but it completely excludes Waikato prop Loni Uhilia who I know is part of the set up. Looking at the link it look like there might be a bit of a struggle come time to pick locks for the match day 23s considering two of the four on full contracts simply never play.

Canes4life

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Mister G" data-cid="556904" data-time="1454801821">
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If you had to put money on it, name the guys that will play for the AB's.
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Peter and Thomas Umaga Jensen, Alex Fidow and Leni Apisai sure to be All Blacks in the future.

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Mister G" data-cid="556904" data-time="1454801821">
<div>
If you had to put money on it, name the guys that will play for the AB's.
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TBH, you can't always pick them - Robbie Robinson was fluffed on here as the big star of the future and he didn't kick on.

bobily

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="556882" data-time="1454787806">
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I've seen plenty of Johnstone as he was the captain of Ham BHS. He's a very mobile prop and a decent scrummager.
 
A couple of other names you didn't mention. 
 
Jahrome Brown - he was also one of the stars of the champion HBHS 1st XV. Brown reminded me of a young Jerry Collins when I watched him play, an abrasive ball-runner and hard tackling 6/8.
Luke Jacobson - Mitchell's younger brother and considered by many to be the best of the 3 Jacobson brothers. They all play for Hautapu and formed their entire loose forward trio in a few games last year.
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Yea, I'm sure there are a few I haven't mentioned. I largely mention the players I know a bit about, so I don't really know too much about the younger Jacoson or Brown. Thanks for the info, though. So Jacobson should still be eligible for next year's team, too?

bobily

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="556921" data-time="1454806607">
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TBH, you can't always pick them - Robbie Robinson was fluffed on here as the big star of the future and he didn't kick on.
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Yep, and a lot of those predictions were even after he played in the U20s.

bobily

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Canes4life" data-cid="556889" data-time="1454793213">
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Likely Starting XV:
1. Joe Apikatoa (Hurricanes/Wellington) 
2. Leni Apisai - (Hurricanes/Wellington)
3. Alex Fidow - (Hurricanes/Wellington)
4. Isaia Walker-Leawere (Wellington)
5. Sam Ulufonua - (Auckland) 
6. Mitchell Jacobson - (Waikato)
7. Charlie Gamble - (Canterbury)
8. Hugh Renton (Hurricanes/Hawkes Bay)
9. Sam Nock (Blues/Northland)
10. TJ Va'a - (Hurricanes/Wellington)
11. Jonah Lowe (Hawkes Bay)
12. Thomas Umaga Jensen (Hurricanes/Highlanders/Otago)
13. Peter Umaga Jensen (Hurricanes/Wellington)
14. Malo Tuitama (Hurricanes/Wellington)
15. Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs/Waikato)
 
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I like that team, but I think that Moala-Liava'a should be starting in the loose forwards. I'm not sure who he would replace, though. I'm thinking possibly Jacobson.
 
Additionally, I think Sio Tomkinson (who is in the Highlanders WTG) is likely to start ahead of Thomas Umaga-Jensen. Though Umaga-Jensen could move to one wing. Also you forget Jordan Trainor, who could play on the other wing.
 
Does Apikotoa actually play loosehead, does anyone know? I think I've just seen him play tighthead. If he can play loosehead, Wellington are going to have one great front row in a few years time.

leytonandamanda

No real speedster in that team though is there ? 
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bobily

If you want some pace, I guess you'd go with Emerson on the wing with Thomas Umaga-Jensen on the bench.

Bovidae

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="bobily" data-cid="556947" data-time="1454809598">
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Yea, I'm sure there are a few I haven't mentioned. I largely mention the players I know a bit about, so I don't really know too much about the younger Jacoson or Brown. Thanks for the info, though. So Jacobson should still be eligible for next year's team, too?
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A quick check shows Mitchell turned 20 last month so I assume Luke is 18 or 19. The interesting thing about them is all three brothers have made at least the NZ Schools team from Cambridge HS, which is not one of the traditional rugby schools in the Waikato. I think this is a good thing.

The Silver Fern

New Zealand under 20