2021 New Zealand U20s

[Bovidae]

@crazy-horse Yes. Dominic is the son of Angus.

[Crazy Horse]

@bovidae thanks mate. Didn't notice the Gardiner name so thanks for that too 😀

[Stargazer]

[Stargazer]

Nice for the U20s players to get a run, but pretty meaningless playing against teams like that Harlequins team. Maybe a Ta$man Mako XV, depending who are playing, might offer some opposition, but today's game will be very lopsided. Couldn't they form a NZ Barbarians U20 team from all the U20 players that didn't make the NZ U20 squad? Are some of them in that Harlequins team?

[Bovidae]

I will try to go to this game. I was expecting a more senior Harlequins team, not full of U20 players and in some cases, schoolboys.

[mikey07]

@bovidae Naholo and Milner Skudder aren’t school boys last I checked.

[Bovidae]

@mikey07 Of course not, but the majority are young. Wrampling is the St Paul's Collegiate no.8.

[Stargazer]

NZR seems to have learned nothing from 2020, when about every team of every level livestreamed games when no crowds could attend. This is the 2nd NZ U20s game, and it looks like it's not going to be livestreamed again. Bunch of amateurs!

[Bovidae]

This match was much different to the U20s first game. The final score was 52-33 (HT: 40-26).

Both teams made a lot of changes at HT with only Holland, Morgan, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Fihaki coming back to start the 2nd half. That meant the 2nd half was disjointed.

Wrampling was the captain to start the game. The U20s started fast and led 21-0 in quick time before the Harlequins got into the game and scored some good tries of their own. Their first was by Naholo from a cross-kick. He had been caught from behind just a few minutes earlier with the goal line in sight. Went off injured not long after that.

The 2nd half U20 scrum got monstered at times so that is a big work-on. The Harlequins reserve props were big.

I liked the look of the Harlequins no.7 Finua but the biggest oh ah from the crowd was when Malachi Wrampling used Grindlay as a doormat.

[bobily2]

@bovidae said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:

Wrampling was the captain to start the game. The U20s started fast and led 21-0 in quick time before the Harlequins got into the game and scored some good tries of their own. Their first was by Naholo from a cross-kick. He had been caught from behind just a few minutes earlier with the goal line in sight. Went off injured not long after that.

Sounds very typical of him. Hopefully it isn't too bad.

[Stargazer]

This game will be livestreamed on the the Ta$man Community Rugby page on Facebook.

[Stargazer]

Livestream (at least one of the links should work):

https://fb.watch/6G45hiSM7N/

Mako XV v NZ U20 | Watch the Mako XV play NZ Under 20's live from...

Watch the Mako XV play NZ Under 20's live from Lansdowne Park, Blenheim

[Tim]

Nice play from NZ U20 12 Corey Evans there, has some size.

[Tim]

U20 backline looks slick.

[Tim]

Beautiful offload from Fihaki.

[Tim]

Zach Gallagher is big.

[Tim]

17 - 0 after 20 minutes, conversion to come.

[Chris]

@tim said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:

Zach Gallagher is big.

Likely to get a Crusaders contract for 2022

[Stargazer]

@chris Luke Romano's spot?

[Chris]

@stargazer said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:

@chris Luke Romano's spot?

Yep

Edit
Romano likely to take on a mentoring role for the forwards.