2019 under 20's
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@canes4life said in 2019 under 20's:
I'm thinking Flanders will captain the side.
There are 2 NZSS captains amongst the 50 players, and others who would have captained their provincial U19 team.
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@canes4life I suspect Baby Ice will be off to uni next year, playing for a Development team of a Super franchise and a bit NPC.
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I've re-ordered the list to show the player positions:
PROPS
Finlay Brewis (Canterbury) - TH?
Robert Cobb (Auckland) - LH
George Dyer (Waikato) - LH
Fletcher Newell (Canterbury) - TH
Oliver Norris (Waikato) - LH
Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe (Hawkes Bay) - TH
Kaliopasi Uluilakepa (Wellington) - TH
Tamaiti Williams (Canterbury) - LHHOOKERS
Tane Te Aho (Wellington)
Sam Cooper (Waikato)
Kianu Kereru-Symes (Hawkes Bay)
Shilo Klein (Canterbury)LOCKS
Samipeni Finau (Waikato)
Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Wellington)
Iosefa Maloney-Fiaola (Bay of Plenty)
Taine Plumtree (Wellington)
Tupou Vaa'i (Taranaki)LOOSIES
Iona Apineru (Wellington) - blindside
Kaylum Boshier (Taranaki) - no. 8
Samuel Dickson (Otago) - openside
Lesinali Faleafa (Auckland) - no. 8
Devan Flanders (Hawkes Bay) - blindside and no. 8
Cullen Grace (Canterbury) - blindside
Kohan Herbert (Bay of Plenty) - openside
Shamus Hurley-Langton (Wellington) - no. 8?
Michael Loft (Taranaki)
Simon Parker (Waikato) - blindside and no. 8
James Thompson (Waikato) - blindsideHALFBACKS
Leroy Carter (Bay of Plenty)
Luke Donaldson (Canterbury)
Taufa Funaki (Auckland)
Brad McNaughten (North Harbour)FIRST FIVE-EIGHTHS
Fergus Burke (Canterbury)
Chay Fihaki (Auckland) - also 12
Cole Forbes (Bay of Plenty)
Callum Harkin (Wellington)
Jack Heighton (North Harbour)
Lincoln McClutchie (Hawkes Bay)
Rivez Reihana (Auckland)MIDFIELDERS
Lalomilo Lalomilo (Bay of Plenty) - 12
Dallas McLeod (Canterbury) - 12
Isaiah Punivai (Canterbury) - 13
Dennon Robinson-Bartlett (Bay of Plenty)
Danny Toala (Hawkes Bay) - 12, also fullback
Quinn Tupaea (Waikato)OUTSIDE BACKS
Connor Garden-Bachop (Canterbury)
Samuel Gilbert (Canterbury) - fullback (also 1st 5/8?)
Jack Gray (Auckland) - fullback?
Reuben Va'a (Wellington) -
@nepia said in 2019 under 20's:
Is Fakatava too old for this team? Just checked and he was still 18 in March this year so he should be eligible.
Oh wait, I just checked who the coach is.
I had a big WTF moment when I saw his naming was missing from the list, especially considering the halfbacks that have been named. Of those four, only Funaki stands out. He turns 19 in December, so Fakatava will still be eligible next year.
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@stargazer Maybe there is a reason behind his non-selection as he surely would be first choice. I hope this means the Canes have snapped him up, but they also have Flanders on their books and he was selected so who knows.
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@canes4life Yeah, there may be good reasons. I just find it so hard to believe he hasn't been named. I was hoping they'd just forgotten to put him on the list. Wouldn't be the first time.
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@stargazer Donaldson only turned 18 in July so he has another year. I don’t think he’ll make this team but he’s a great talent
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@chchfanatic That's very well possible, but without further explanation, I see no reason why any of those halfbacks would have been picked ahead of Fakatava, who played very well during his first year of Mitre 10 Cup as Brad Weber's back-up.
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Not sure on squad, you need a cple of players who are starting super rugby or dominating ITM cup to win championship,
The front Row will be better with those returning players plus HB hooker. We are very poor at lock I think looking at those players. Flanders will be good next year but is not a game breaker like Iaone was in 2015 ( although I believe he is next Kieren Read long term)
Tupaea, Faainganuku, proctor, Mclutcjir Nanai shld be very strong next year. Also surprised with Fakatava, i know Naholo is not eligible like Reece wasn't before him. -
@98blueandgold Can you explain what the rule is that makes Naholo ineligible? Residency rule? When does that start to run? He has at least 2 years of 1st XV and one year of club rugby/Mitre 10 Cup under his belt, so he'll be in NZ for almost 3 years (at least).
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Jordan Joseph will be eligible for France again. He is only 18 so they must be favourites for the championship.
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@stargazer unlike nz schools u20 is an international comp so you must abide by irb rules I believe which means resident or 5 years of living (maybe wrong). NZ schools is not a irb sanctioned event so rules can be decided by union. It has changed over time, previously you to be a resident which is why Waisake Cldnt play but when went from 21s/19s to 20s all rules changed. Now schools anyone can play ie Sagner from Germany this year for schools but Sevu Reece who played schools Cld not play sevens or 20s for NZ. Make sense?