New Zealand under 20

Ruthless

...Interesting u20s article <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11636651'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11636651</a>

Brian9848

Surprised Leger was included. He did not impress at all in the 2nd game against Aus. Also thought the wings were very poor in their basic kick chase.

Unco

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Ruthless1" data-cid="578550" data-time="1462860885">
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...Interesting u20s article 'n' travelling gang cried
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11636651'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11636651</a>
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Completely forgot Jarrod Hoeata somehow managed to get capped. Hopefully his little bro has a fair few more brain cells.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Ruthless1" data-cid="578550" data-time="1462860885">
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...Interesting u20s article 'n' travelling gang cried
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11636651'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11636651</a>
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They seem to have missed another family connection: Jonah Lowe is the younger brother of former Maori All Black and Hurricane Karl Lowe.

Wurzel

Wasn't Karl Lowe an All Black?
 
Oh that's right. It was just Magpies fan assuring us he ought to be.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Wurzel" data-cid="578775" data-time="1462944950">
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Wasn't Karl Lowe an All Black?
 
Oh that's right. It was just Magpies fan assuring us he ought to be.
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??

Bovidae

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Brian9848" data-cid="578655" data-time="1462906090">
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Surprised Leger was included. He did not impress at all in the 2nd game against Aus.
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I didn't see the game but I'm surprised Leger is listed as a midfielder in the squad. I saw him play a lot for HBHS and he usually played 1st 5. As someone else said earlier, they've picked a lot of utility players.

cgrant

Alex Fidow should convert to hooker as did Liam Coltman at the same age. He has too many issues with his scrummaging which could be inacceptable at a higher level.

Canes4life

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="578821" data-time="1462953147">
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I didn't see the game but I'm surprised Leger is listed as a midfielder in the squad. I saw him play a lot for HBHS and he usually played 1st 5. As someone else said earlier, they've picked a lot of utility players.
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Surely Umaga Jensen is more worthy than Leger if he is picked as a Centre. Crazy selection.
 
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="cgrant" data-cid="578839" data-time="1462961104">
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Alex Fidow should convert to hooker as did Liam Coltman at the same age. He has too many issues with his scrummaging which could be inacceptable at a higher level.
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He is way too big for hooker. At college he weighed around 140kg.

bobily

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Canes4life" data-cid="578844" data-time="1462962797">
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Surely Umaga Jensen is more worthy than Leger if he is picked as a Centre. Crazy selection.
 
 
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Yep, given what someone has said before about Robertson (telling a player he needed to quit uni if he wanted to be selected, if I recall correctly), it wouldn't surprise me if he picked almost solely on versatility rather than ability or form.

Immenso Rapido

Do they still have the policy of favouring the older player in u20 selections? 
These guys you guys are agonising over may have a chance next year? 
Although one of the Jacobsen's is at his 3rd JWC ... ??

bobily

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Immenso Rapido" data-cid="578898" data-time="1463007064">
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Do they still have the policy of favouring the older player in u20 selections? 
These guys you guys are agonising over may have a chance next year? 
Although one of the Jacobsen's is at his 3rd JWC ... ??
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Nah, they got rid of that policy a few years ago for both NZ Schools and the U20 team.
 
And Umaga-Jenson will have a chance next year, but Emerson won't. The problem isn't to do with them not getting a chance, just that someone who didn't play that well made it ahead of them.
 
And yep, this is his 3rd year.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.worldrugby.org/u20/teams/2746'>http://www.worldrugby.org/u20/teams/2746</a>
 
Quite a few of the squad have 1997 birth years so are around next year, too :)
 
Possible team for next year, so far:
 
1.Pouri Rakete-Stones?
2.Asafo Aumua
3.Alex Fidow
4.Isaia Walker-Leaware
5.?
6.Luke Jacobson
7.Dalton Papalii
8.Marino Mikaele Tuu
9.Ere Enari
10.Stephen Perofeta/Orbyn Leger
11.
12.Jordie Barrett
13.Rieko Ioane
14.
15.Peter Umaga-Jenson

Immenso Rapido

Read a stuff article which stated that Dalton Papalii is the only Auckland player in the squad. And it was dated before it was trimmed down to the final JWC squad. 
Hope that's just a blip, or that it included other Auckland products now signed for other provinces. Because we need more from Auckland than that.

Provincial Stalwart

No we don't. We just need the best players regardless of where they come from.

Stargazer

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Provincial Stalwart" data-cid="582356" data-time="1464134887">
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No we don't. We just need the best players regardless of where they come from.
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My thoughts exactly!
But it is a worry that it seems like Auckland - our biggest region with the largest player pool - can't produce more players that are good enough to be selected for the U20s.

bobily

If it makes you feel a little better, Rieko Ioane is from Auckland, but is unavailable.
 
The traditional Hurricanes regions seem to be doing quite well in terms of representation (and that even excludes Barrett, who played his 1st XV rugby in Taranaki, but is now with Canterbury).

KiwiMurph

I think there were 5 players in total that played their Secondary School Rugby in Auckland but some of those were contracted elsewhere (e.g. Trainor, Stevenson, Nock etc).
 
Also - there were quite a few Auckland players in last year's U20 side (Ioane, Gibson, Karpik, T Faiane, Tevia Li if we're counting Harbour, Tuungafasi's brother etc) and last year's secondary schools team that will be eligible for next year's U20s (W Faiane, Vaega etc) plus Rieko Ioane will be eligible though i'm not sure he'll play in next year's tournament.

Canes4life

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="bobily" data-cid="578904" data-time="1463008052">
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Nah, they got rid of that policy a few years ago for both NZ Schools and the U20 team.
 
And Umaga-Jenson will have a chance next year, but Emerson won't. The problem isn't to do with them not getting a chance, just that someone who didn't play that well made it ahead of them.
 
And yep, this is his 3rd year.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.worldrugby.org/u20/teams/2746'>http://www.worldrugby.org/u20/teams/2746</a>
 
Quite a few of the squad have 1997 birth years so are around next year, too :)
 
Possible team for next year, so far:
 
1.Pouri Rakete-Stones?
2.Asafo Aumua
3.Alex Fidow
4.Isaia Walker-Leaware
5.?
6.Luke Jacobson
7.Dalton Papalii
8.Marino Mikaele Tuu
9.Ere Enari
10.Stephen Perofeta/Orbyn Leger
11.
12.Jordie Barrett
13.Rieko Ioane
14.
15.Peter Umaga-Jenson
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Sione Asi from Otago Boys/Manawatu will go close next year as a tighthead prop.
 
Losi Filipo from Wellington will be a good pick for 11 or 14.

Nepia

I'm still bemused how Emerson missed out on this team. I'm not a huge fan of his yet, after all he went to Lindersfarne ... but in the match I watched he was probably the best player on the field and is likely a better out and out winger than Lowe is who did make the team (partially covering wing).
 
As for Auckland's lack of numbers, it's probably just a blip, but Auckland hasn't really dominated at schoolboy level for a while. Yes, there may be 1.5m people but if you take the Super 8 regions as an example there's likely close on 1m people and they probably have per capita higher numbers of players than in Auckland.

cgrant

The squad for the WC is :
 
FORWARDS Prop 
Ayden Johnstone Waikato 
Shaun Stodart Otago 
Sean Paranihi Canterbury 
Alex Fidow Wellington 
Sosefo Kautai Waikato Hooker 
Leni Apisai, captain Wellington/Hurricanes 
Asafo Aumua Wellington Lock 
Quinten Strange Ta$man 
Hamish Dalzell Canterbury Lock /Loose Forward 
Isaia Walker-Leawere Wellington 
Fin Hoeata Taranaki Loose Forward 
Mitchell Jacobson Waikato 
Luke Jacobson Waikato 
Dalton Papaliâ€™i Auckland 
Marino Mikaele Tu'u Hawkeâ€™s Bay 
Hapakuki Moala-Liava'a North Harbour BACKS 
Halfback 
Jonathan Taumateine Counties Manukau 
Sam Nock Northland/Blues First five-eighth 
Stephen Perofeta Taranaki 
TJ Vaâ€™a Wellington/Hurricanes Midfield 
Orbyn Leger Counties Manukau 
Jordie Barrett Canterbury 
Patelesio Tomkinson Otago/Highlanders Midfield/wing 
Jonah Lowe Hawkeâ€™s Bay 
Malo Tuitama Wellington Outside back 
Caleb Makene Canterbury 
Shaun Stevenson Waikato/Chiefs 
Jordan Trainor Waikato/Blues

The Silver Fern

New Zealand under 20