NZ U20 v Japan U20 (World Rugby U20 Championship)

[Stargazer]

Lovely stepping from Vai. Flanders has the speed.

57 - 12 NZ

22 more points needed

[Stargazer]

Dammit. That's not helping. Japanese score.

57 - 17 NZ

Back to 29 points needed.

[akan004]

Do they even practice maul defence?

[KiwiMurph]

@Stargazer said in NZ U20 v Japan U20 (World Rugby U20 Championship):

Dammit. That's not helping. Japanese score.

57 - 17 NZ

Back to 29 points needed.

Haha it's been a no hope cause for 20 minutes

[Stargazer]

FT: New Zealand 62 - 19 Japan

That won't be enough for a spot in the semi-finals.

[Victor Meldrew]

@Stargazer said in NZ U20 v Japan U20 (World Rugby U20 Championship):

FT: New Zealand 62 - 19 Japan

That won't be enough for a spot in the semi-finals.

Repeat of the 2016 shambles/flop then ?

[Stargazer]

@Victor-Meldrew 2019 was worse (7th).

[Victor Meldrew]

@Stargazer

Ouch

[Bovidae]

@KiwiMurph said in NZ U20 v Japan U20 (World Rugby U20 Championship):

Wonderful Japanese try

The 12 skinned

Both of Japan's midfield breaks were from Faleafaga missed tackles.

[Machpants]

This post is deleted!

[Bovidae]

A lot of basic errors from NZ across all three games, so they don't deserve to advance.

I'd still like to know who is the forwards coach for this team.

[SBW1]

Real shame this tournament wasn't last year, think we may have had a stronger crop.

[Chris B.]

@Bovidae said in NZ U20 v Japan U20 (World Rugby U20 Championship):

I'd still like to know who is the forwards coach for this team.

That might be a rhetorical question, but this might help narrow the field!

The 2023 New Zealand Under 20 wider squad of 38 players has been selected by Head Coach Clark Laidlaw and Assistants Marty Bourke and Wesley Clarke....

[Bovidae]

@Chris-B Yeah, I posted the coaching group a while back when asking the same question after the problems against Aust. It's probably Wes Clarke.

Wesley joined the Black Ferns coaching team in 2015 and was an integral part of their 5th Women’s Rugby World Cup win in 2017 as their lineout, defence and forwards play specialist coach.

I think he was more defence for the Black Ferns last year as Whitney Hansen was in charge of the forwards.

[Chris]

@Chris-B

Bourke is defence coach.

[Winger]

was Lakai injured

[Stargazer]

@Winger Don't think so. Just rotation.

[Bovidae]

@Winger There are some injuries, particularly amongst the props. Hala was a late withdrawal and replaced by Ake. Will Martin was on the bench, so must have flown over to replace Crichton. He came in to play LH when he is usually a TH prop.

[Auckman]

Isn’t Lakai the best player in this team? He shouldn’t have been rotated out if they needed to score a shitload vs Japan

[Stargazer]

@Auckman On form, I don't think he's been the best player in the team (he's been a bit of a mixed bag for the NZ U20s). He just gets most media attention, because he's a good x-factor player.