NZ U20 v Ireland U20
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@Kiwidom said in NZ U20 v Ireland U20:
@sparky Five off the top of my head would be Midfielder Xavi Taele (Auckland), Halfback Dylan Pledger (Otago), Flanker/ no. 8 Johnny Lee ( Canterbury), flanker Jeremiah Collins ( Wgn) and Blindside Andrew Smith ( Waikato )
Too early for super rugby but honourable mentions to the tight five guys : lock Tom Allen ( Hawkes Bay), tight head Josh Smith ( Hawkes Bay ) and hooker Vern Bason ( manawatu) although he will need to fix his lineout wobbles
All of our back three players used(which is usually a strength of kiwi rugby ),were pretty average at the tournament
Still a bit early also for first five Rico Simpson ( Auckland) but he's eligible next year againWill Martin is a very good LH prop : strong at scrum time and powerful in his carries.
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@Dan54 said in NZ U20 v Ireland U20:
@sparky said in NZ U20 v Ireland U20:
Okay, which of these guys will make the step up to Super Rugby and/or International Rugby first?
I reckon Pledger, and hope the Clan have him signed in. I will also add I reckon Rico Simpson will be AB 10 in 2031 1nd 35 WCs. That kids just does little things so wll, and bet Blues will be trying to keep him big time. A few years away from being a super player, but he will be there if he wants to in about 3-4 years I reckon. I also hope Canes got Bason well signed up as he's another looking like he got the goods to me!
Out of the Highlanders three halfbacks, Fakatava is contracted until the end of next season. Hastie until the end of 2026. James Arscott initially penned a two year deal from ending this year. I expect it would have been extended. Pledger is still first year out of school. He has another year at U20 level. I wouldn't be surprised if next year is Fakatava's last at the Highlanders, especially as he is now, at best the sixth ranked halfback in the country.
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@SouthernMann makes sense mate, as a Highlander's man you must be pretty pleased with the young ones you got coming through.
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@Dan54 said in NZ U20 v Ireland U20:
@SouthernMann makes sense mate, as a Highlander's man you must be pretty pleased with the young ones you got coming through.
We are certainly going in the right direction. Just due to population size and demographic, we are never going to develop the sheer numbers of quality players that the Blues, Chiefs or Hurricanes. We only need to bring through a few a year. Then there will always be a few lads from elsewhere in the country who see the Landers as a less congested path to professional rugby than their home franchise. Josh Tengblad is a young one who springs to mind. Well over 2M tall, from the Blues region, NZ Schools last year. Just needs some beef.
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Having just watched the replay, I think this has been an above average year for the U20s (just one loss). As others have said, it is a step in the right direction and hopefully the new coach builds on this. The 9 and 10 will be back next year as well as a few others like M Bason and Vaenuku. Simpson had some bad moments in the France game but was a step above Grant. The subs made a big difference.
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@cgrant said in NZ U20 v Ireland U20:
Will Martin is a very good LH prop : strong at scrum time and powerful in his carries.
Martin plays both sides (reserve TH in this game) so yet to be decided if he specialises.
As to other players we did miss not having Wrampling to provide more go-forward. Lee is more suited to 7.
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@Kiwidom said in NZ U20 v Ireland U20:
Jeremiah Collins been giving a bit of go forward since he's come on and scores a great try with his power
he's a highlights machine.
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Bason is powerful and looks a prospect as well.
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@sparky Charlie Morgan at the Telegraph wrote a good piece on this for the victorious English u20 side, and he rightly points out the importance of the different teams' depth charts as a factor in this sort of discussion.
As there's no loan system in the NZ system, the factor becomes even more crucial.
England U20: Where the world champions will be playing next season
After squeezing France to land a first world title since 2016, class of 2024 face the tricky transition to senior rugby
Andrew Smith, for example, is one of the players in this NZ u20 side you would deem most ready for Super Rugby. He's very physical, strong in the line-out, more than capable as an edge forward, and possesses a big engine. But there a lot of very decent 6/8 options at the Chiefs: Finau, Jacobson, Parker, Boshier and Wrampling-Alec. It'll be difficult for him to immediately surpass these players. But I think he might be a player like Sititi who might have to wait a little bit for an opportunity, but once given a chance can establish himself very quickly.
I also think system suitability is an important factor in a player's progression. The performance of Vernon Bason in both the Rugby Championship as well as the World Cup is a good example of this, I'd say. Bason is a very talented player. He's built like a tank, carries very well and while I can't say this with complete certainty, I think the NZ u20s decent performance in the scrum had a lot to do with him. But I think he struggled at times with the wide role that was asked of him, dropping a lot of ball both on the edge as well as in the middle, as recipient of tip-on passes close to the line. He'll be asked to fulfill a similar role in a Laidlaw-coached Hurricanes side I would assume, which might not be the best use of his particular skillset. (That said, he was phenomenal in this role against the Irish, so grain of salt, etc.)
While I'm certainly not advocating for his move to Cotter's Blues, it's easy to imagine how good someone like Bason would be in the Riccitelli-role. The simplicity of the pick and go would help resolve the issue with the hands, and he's exactly the kind of player you'd want when your pack wants to wrestle the opposition. Again, all of this just to say that different systems would have a strong impact on a player's pathway and development.
