2023 World Rugby U20 Championship

[MiketheSnow]

Brilliant from Morse again

Wal 41-19 Jap
BP win for Wales

Japan architects of their own demise

[NTA]

Have watched back a bit more and Ireland were lucky not to see more cards.

Officials from that game ruling themselves out of finals selection

[akan004]

Wow the Italian pack is beating up the SA pack big time. Not too dissimilar to what the French did to us.

[MiketheSnow]

Huge finish for Italy

[MiketheSnow]

Huge wins for Italy and Georgia

SA 26 - 34 Italy
Arg 0 - 20 Georgia

Currently Eng 10 - 7 Fiji
20 mins

[Bovidae]

Unless Australia beats England, NZ won't be making the SFs, even with a large win over Japan. The draw between England and Ireland means both teams will probably advance.

[antipodean]

South Africans going into meltdown mode after that result against Italy.

[Crazy Horse]

@antipodean said in 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:

South Africans going into meltdown mode after that result against Italy.

Blaming the ref?

[MiketheSnow]

@Crazy-Horse said in 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:

@antipodean said in 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:

South Africans going into meltdown mode after that result against Italy.

Blaming the ref?

They shouldn't

They had their chances

Didn't take them

[antipodean]

@Crazy-Horse said in 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:

@antipodean said in 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:

South Africans going into meltdown mode after that result against Italy.

Blaming the ref?

No, bemoaning losing to Italy. How can they go from Craven to that seems to be the prevailing concern.

[OomPB]

@MiketheSnow said in 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:

@Crazy-Horse said in 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:

@antipodean said in 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:https://www.forum.thesilverfern.com/topic/6027/2023-world-rugby-u20-championship/71#

South Africans going into meltdown mode after that result against Italy.

Blaming the ref?

They shouldn't

They had their chances

Didn't take them

[OomPB]

Actually we played last year in the NH u20 summer series in Italy and they were very good. Many of their u20s played in the URC. Our u20s dont have that kind of experience, so I expect a tough match. We have a good backline but our forwards always will struggle against them.

[ACT Crusader]

Italian forwards are big and mobile. Thought they were very good.

[slammer]

@Crazy-Horse No one blamed the ref ya pillock. SA beaten up fair and square. Italy are a good side. Have come on nicely over the past few years.

[slammer]

@OomPB Next to no experience retained from last year in the forwards - only the hooker (who played prop in 2022) and Paul de Villiers (who has largely been anonymous in the JWC). Some selection errors were made by the coach namely not having Jean Smith on the bench (although he should have started imo)

[OomPB]

@slammer lots of Bulls. Think 13 of the match 23. The only player with URC experience Hartzenberg, is injured. If we want to win this, we'll need to use the backline.

[Tim]

But the under-20s had stumbled well before Covid. The last world championship won: 2017. They won the first four world titles from 2008-2011 before South Africa dethroned them in the final in 2012. Since then – fourth in 2013; third in 2014; won in 2015; fifth in 2016; won in 2017; fourth in 2018; seventh in 2019, their worst placing since the tournament began.

While under-20s dominance does not automatically translate onto the senior world stage, it’s a pretty good indicator. Sir Steve Hansen said this last year, aiming a rocket at NZ Rugby: “Our high-performance department at the moment has to be squirming at our record at under-20 level. Are we getting that business right? I don’t think so. If we’re not winning under-20 World Cups, we’re not producing world-class players at a younger level to bring into this team [the All Blacks].”

Black Ferns, Sport, Rugby

Paul Lewis: The grim under-20 results that indicate where NZ rugby is heading

The men are struggling at all levels - NZ rugby may have more of a female future.

[SBW1]

Last there was no Under 20 World Cup, did we have a stronger group last year that is no longer available this year?

[KiwiMurph]

@SBW1 said in 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship:

Last there was no Under 20 World Cup, did we have a stronger group last year that is no longer available this year?

Not always easy to compare year to year but I would say yes.

Here's the 23 that beat Aus last year 69-12.

1. Josh Bartlett

2. George Bell – captain

3. Seb Calder

4. Tahlor Cahill

5. Fabian Holland

6. Oliver Haig

7. Wallace Sititi

8. Peter Lakai

9. Noah Hotham

10. Lucas Cashmore

11. Macca Springer

12. Jone Rova

13. Riley Higgins

14. Jake Te Hiwi

15. Harry Godfrey

16. Ray Tuputupu

17. Monu Moli

18. Siale Lauaki

19. Josh Beehre

20. Hayden Michaels

21. Adam Lennox

22. Cam Millar

23. Finn Hurley

[Bovidae]

Heading into the last round of games Pool C is the most interesting as all four teams are still in with a chance of winning the group and advancing to the SFs. France to be the No.1 seed and Ireland the no.2 seed. NZ could theoretically get the no.4 seed but need Australia to beat England, Wales to lose to France as well as beating Japan by LOTS to improve their PD. That doesn't even take into account the weather and field conditions.