2018 New Zealand U20s

[Stargazer]

@98blueandgold One of the stars of last years Hastings Boys' squad. That lad has some future in rugby. To think he's one of the youngest in this squad and is eligible again next year!

[Stargazer]

14 - 3 to NZ after 15 minutes.

[Stargazer]

Penalty goal Plummer: 17 - 3 NZ

[Stargazer]

Try from the Aussie no. 7, after a grubber kick was kept in play by - I think - one of the wingers.

Not converted: 17 - 8 NZ after 30 minutes.

[Stargazer]

Australian scrum still better than ours.

[Stargazer]

Oh oh, scrum close to our try line ...

[Stargazer]

And another one.

[Stargazer]

Penalty try to Australia. The question really is: is our scrum really crap, or is the Aussie scrum just really, really good? Credit where credit is due, I think.

Anyway, it's 17 -15 to NZ after 38 minutes.

[Machpants]

Shiite, C'mon boys

[Stargazer]

Mafileo has ended up in the bin due to that penalty try. I assume it's for collapsing the scrum?

Now a new scrum, so one of the backs goes off and Uluilakepa has come on.

[Toddy]

Bloody hell the Ozzies are destroying our scrum. It's constantly our Achilles heel at this level.

[Stargazer]

Half time: NZ 17 - 15 Aus

[cgrant]

So the scrum woes have not been sorted out. From where does the problem come ? The props are big and the locks do not look too skinny either. A question of technique ?

[Stargazer]

One of our players is being treated for an injury. Lock Akauola-Laula?

[Stargazer]

He's replaced by Will Tucker.

[Stargazer]

Ha, penalty to NZ and they get an extra 10 metres because of Aussie backchat.

[Stargazer]

And another scrum, anothe penalty awarded to Oz.

We're back to 15 men.

[Stargazer]

I wish Koroi would stop kicking possession away. Great tackle from him there, though.

[Stargazer]

Trask replacing Gregory, who has been a bit invisible.

[Stargazer]

Interesting. One of the commentators just said that NZ can afford to lose this game and only need to get one point to go through to the semi finals. Aussie must win.

Penalty goal Plummer: 20 - 15 NZ

Akauola-Laula back on; Tucker off.