Talking about the Oz players only:
Front Row
2. Roach was like a balloon that was let go because he was fizzing around all the time, and over and through. It was a lot better than his churlish, shocker performance for the Oz U/19 team last year. He can't be far off getting a Super EPS gig.
We can't judge the scrummaging until we see them play against a real scrum, but all the props had a fine game otherwise. Once Allan A knocked two guys over guarding their ruck ball and Roach was able to pounce on it.
I hadn't seem 3. Makin since school and forgot how he played then anyway, but he can shift people. He's even got a step on him and runs square to defenders with the ball ready to be passed.
I'd never seen 1. Latu before and had to look him up in a club programme from April. He was the LHP for the Sydney Uni Twos, but he is a hard-head worker and not out of place in an Oz U/20 team. Like Roach 1. Paraka was a bit like the energiser bunny.
Second Row
I can't really split these guys seeing them perform against the team they played. They all looked the goods.
I was impressed by another player I hadn't seen before: Sam Jeffries of Sydney Uni. He's a real bolter: I read that he weighed in at 89kgs (and was 196kgs) when he was in the Nudgee College Twos in 2009 but under the Uni S&C programme, and despite groin injuries, he is now at 120kgs (and 202cms). More importantly he is a TH lock, the ones that pack in the scrum behind the THP and sort opponents out, like Brad Thorn.
Jed Holloway is going to be a good asset for the team. He is uncompromising enough but also plays 8 pretty well - especially getting the ball out of the scrum.
Back Row
I always said that Browning should be a no.8 as a senior player and I'm getting closer to my wish because he was the 6 (of the Dave Dennis type) and there's a bit of Schalk Burger in him when he has the ball in traffic too.
Cusack was outstanding at 8 and arguably the MOTM. This fellow has Super Rugby written all over him. He's hard, skilful and he can shift. 7 Melrose is not really an openside: I remember him as a 6 or 2nd rower at Kings, but he is obviously the backup to Gill. He worked all day, but is nowhere near the quality of the Reds player, though not too many would be in this age group.
Halves
I mentioned scrummies Merriman and Donlan in an earlier post, and as not being in the touring group. M.Lucas didn't train yesterday and didn't play today so he must have a knock. Either he or Frisby will no doubt help to perk the back line up as it needs something.
Godwin, from WA, was assured at 10 today, but it was only later in the game that he made any threatening runs to keep tacklers honest for his outside men or inside men. He made enough inside passes, but in their ineffectual 1st half Oz didn't really make any inroads in the transition area between the breakdown, or scrum, and the backs.
He looks the man for the job, but UJS will have to have a game there to compare.
Centres
Not a great area for this team though 13. Alan F, the Oz 7s stepper, and the ineligible Cox perked things up when they appeared in the 2nd half. Allan is a small person but he plays tough and can make a half break in the tackle (and off load) from nothing much.
Perhaps Allan F should play 12 and CFS 13 to get a bit of juice into the midfield. 13 Hingano didn't play and wouldn't have helped much anyway. 12 Apo L didn't distinguish himself in the 1st half, but 13 Foley from the Oz 7s looked very good.
Back Three
The first half was average at its best. I last saw Dargaville as a 6 or 8 at school but I heard he was playing 12 for Sydney Uni Colts this year. It was a bit much to expect him to make a bird of playing 11 for Oz U/20s.
UJS played fullback. In my first look at him it appeared that he hasn't worn the 15 jersey a lot. He was good enough running with the pill, but he looked like he was learning positional play on the job and didn't do winger Crook any favours a couple of times. Northam, who is not eligible, was better after oranges.
Holland, another from Oz 7s, didn't play but he will be the fullback in the money games of the tournament.
Not counting Sevens on TV, I've seen Crook about 6 times and it's the first occasion I've seen him get any pill - in the 2nd half. He did enough today to put his hand up to start for the Ones, but the other wing spot is a problem if CFS goes to 13 as I suggested earlier; so maybe he has to stay on the wing.
.
