The BMW Australia U20s beat the NSW Country Cockatoos convincing 66-0 last night at Chatswood Oval in their last warmup match before they head to Manchester for the World Rugby U20s Championship next month.
They won a game and lost one against New Zealand in the Oceania U20s earlier in the month and beat a scratch Australian Barbarians side last Tuesday 45-20.
The Cockatoos were chosen after playing in the Country Championships in Armidale and attending a training camp for 34 players in Sydney last weekend. But the Aussie U20s had been together a month, and before that were training with their state U20 sides and playing in a national U20 competition.
It was going to be tough for Country.
First half
The scoring started early after a lineout in the Country 22 and after several charges across the field lock Ryan McCauley scored handy. The next was after good scrum ball and the pill was moved wide for winger Liam McNamara to dot down.
After 13 minutes the score was already 14-0 and you could see the extra training that the Juniors had was paying off. They swarmed onto passes and the effect of 9 James Tuttle and 10 Mack Mason at the centre of operations was telling.
The Cockatoos did well to stop the scoring in the next twelve minutes by tackling that was sometimes brutal and other times, scrambling, but Country ticker could only do so much. The scoring reopened when a Cockatoo tapped a penalty kick back into play and the U20s acquired it and 15 Jack Maddocks scored.
Country were behind 0-21 with 15 minutes to go in the half. They would get into promising situations themselves but found them difficult to translate into points, being forced into errors by the U20s, though some were their own fault.
After a good period of defence for the rest of the half the Cockatoos had to surrender their fourth try after a long period of residence in their 22 by the Juniors, and LHP Sione Fa’alelei lurched over the line on the hooter. Mason had converted all the tries.
Half-time score: BMW Australia U20s 28 – NSW Country Cockatoos 0.
Despite the resolute defence of the Country lads they could not cope with the occasional lethal raids of the youngsters.
Second half
Country could not cope so well in the second half. The fitness of the U20s clicked in as did their attacking combinations, even with players coming from the bench. And the more they hammered the Cockatoos the more they tired them out.
Country did well to resist for ten minutes until winger Ah Mu Tuimaleafi’iano dotted down after good hands from the scrum. Then from the restart kick the U20s scored raiding down the right for 13 Liam Jurd to get on the score sheet. With 27 minutes to go the Juniors were ahead 42-0.
There was no way the backs were getting the next one as THP Tyrell Lomax did a one metre run to score under the crossbar. Then in one of the more punishing runs of the day reserve no.8 Robert Leota was irresistible as he grounded the ball in-goal from a scrum.
Because all of the tries had been converted the scoreboard read 56-0 with 14 minutes to go in the game.
But the next two were not: Tuimaleafi’iano got his second, and Moses Sorovi his first, in the corner.
Final score BMW Australia U20s 66 – NSW Cockatoos 0.
NSW Country Cockatoos
Head Coach Mat Thomas was philosophical about the result at this time of their programme.
Thomas said to Green and Gold Rugby exclusively:
This was our first hit-out after only two training sessions and to come up against the Under 20s first-up was like hitting a brick wall. They are a classy team and are the best Under 20s we have played against in the last few years.
He thought 13 Filisoni Pauta from Dubbo was dangerous angling in on his runs and lock Aaron Loudon, a Navy lad, was energetic around the field and had soft hands at the lineout. Harry Vietch might be “70 Kilos wringing wet” but was a perfect no. 7 on the ball.
Thomas rued not having more time to prepare:
We were always going to struggle for fitness in the second half because we didn’t have much ball and had to tackle all the time.
After two weeks off the Cockatoos will go to Bathurst to play the Brumby Runners, come to Sydney to play Sydney Subbies—which is all preparation for the grudge match against Queensland Country in Toowomba.
BMW Australia Under 20s
There were too many high-performing players to mention many.
Their best features were attacking as a pack with turnover ball and constantly backing up. The effect was magnified by the service of 9 James Tuttle and 10 Mack Mason, who were like puppet masters—and the generosity with the final pass by several was praiseworthy.
Lock Ryan McCauley played well after coming back from a head knock. The second row should be well-served in Manchester by Harry Hocking and him at LH lock, and Lukhan Tui and Izack Rodda at TH lock. Opensider Liam Wright was noticeable all night, as was newcomer Ikapote Tupai when starting on Tuesday: the 7 jersey will be worn in England by a top practitioner.
The gang-tackling was exemplary and the set-pieces good enough, but they will get tested more sternly by European teams, and the Baby Boks should they meet, in Manchester.
Head Coach Adrian Thompson was more content than he was after the Barbarians’ game, and said exclusively to Green and Gold Rugby:
It was much better than the other night – we were more clinical – and NSW Country were very physical around the scrum and the maul, which we needed. They were probably a bigger side than the Barbarians, so it was much more pleasing.
He praised Mason for his goal kicking and harked back to his winning penalty against the Kiwis at Bond and quipped:
Let’s hope he didn’t use up all his good ones here.
Amen to that.
The young Aussies have had the best selection process and warm-ups that they’ve ever had. Let’s hope that leads to better results this year and all wish the young Aussies the best for the World Rugby Under 20s Championships starting on June 7th.
Photos by Lee Grant
