2013 IRB Junior World Championship - France

[latrell247]

Wow we lost to Argentina. Aus 20s win 1 out of 4, Shocking.

 

[Honest John]

looking at the highlights, the pack was great and the backline could not tackle its way out of a bag full of candy floss... a game where they gave the Argentinians three trys. You cant win a game where guys run through five tackles.

 

[Zander]

The pack has been good all tournament. The backs are the poor ones.

 

[Stallion]

I

I guess a lot of it comes down to the resources you have available to select the squad in the first place.

I am sure they run the U20 team on the smell of an oily rag and their budget would be well and truly used up on the various camps they have prior to the squad being announced.

I'm only guessing but I would think that it would cost a large amount of money to substantially broaden the selection scope whilst only providing a minor or modest improvement to the quality of the squad.

It only costs a few bucks to make a phone call to young lads club to record a game to watch over to determine if a kid is legit. This farce in the 20s over the last couple of years is rubbish. You watch tapes to look over all players, assemble in one location and get em to play a game against others from other States, if it isn't a problem to accomodate such a concept in secondary schools surely it would the same once you reach 20's?

Thomson and his cohorts are quickly establishing themselves as the Junior Dingo Coaching academy.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Wow we lost to Argentina. Aus 20s win 1 out of 4, Shocking.

But we did better than than the 8th we got last year.

Meanwhile both of last years finalists including the perennial champion Baby Darkness were bundled out at Semi Final Time.

Think positive and take small steps.

On this basis of Aust growth and Darkness decline, we will beat them in the 3rd /4th play off next year and take the title in 2016 (8th - 6th - 4th - 2nd - 1st). Can't wait.

 

[Honest John]

Hang on - you cant blame the coaching staff... yet. They were only appointed a week or so prior to the 1st camp. They have had no time to prepare a build up plan or pre season matches at such short notice. I hope that they and the ARU can get it right next time...

 

[Honest John]

But we did better than than the 8th we got last year.

Meanwhile both of last years finalists including the perennial champion Baby Darkness were bundled out at Semi Final Time.

Think positive and take small steps.

On this basis of Aust growth and Darkness decline, we will beat them in the 3rd /4th play off next year and take the title in 2016 (8th - 6th - 4th - 2nd - 1st). Can't wait.

Love the attitude.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

It sounds to me like our tilt at the U/20 title has been a balls up since day one.

 

[Braveheart81]

I

It only costs a few bucks to make a phone call to young lads club to record a game to watch over to determine if a kid is legit. This farce in the 20s over the last couple of years is rubbish. You watch tapes to look over all players, assemble in one location and get em to play a game against others from other States, if it isn't a problem to accomodate such a concept in secondary schools surely it would the same once you reach 20's?

Thomson and his cohorts are quickly establishing themselves as the Junior Dingo Coaching academy.

What makes you think this doesn't happen already?

 

[I like to watch]

Results might not show it, but this year was better than last year.
There were quite a few more WTF selections last year.

 

[Stallion]

I am waiting for the Oz v Fiji U/20 game to start.

The team is listed here:
http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1699/ArticleID/9513/Default.aspx

It's clear to me that they named what they thought was their best starting team for the Ireland game then tweaked it for the NZ game using three new starting players (plus one for a player suspended.)

Then the plan would have been to give everybody else a run in the Fiji game so that all but a few got to start in one game, at least.


I will do a review blog about the U/20 championships and I want to got back to the questions I raised earlier:

- Which players should have gone to France instead of the lads who are there?

For example: someone mentioned Rhys Dombkins. I imagine that Rhys is a backrower exclusively now and not playing in the 2nd row as he did sometimes at school.

He wouldn't be an opensider; is he better now than Michael Wells or Curtis Browning who have worn the 6 and 8 jersey in France?

Or if he can play 7 now - is he better than Jack Dempsey - or Mark Baldwin who plays there today?

For the blog I need a few names of players who are:
- probably better than such and such in France (who are they better than and why?).
- were healthy when the squad was picked
- and were they part of the original 50 players invited to the first camp, or not.
- which eligible 1st and 2nd graders missed out - are they better than a fellow in France? What level rugby does the fellow in France play, that he is better than?

These are the specifics I need.

Or is the main gripe, not that players X, Y and Z are obviously better than A, B and C in France but that X, Y and Z were disadvantaged because they were not in the National Academy and A, B and C were, and progressed more quickly as a consequence - or if they about the same in ability as A, B and C then A, B and C would have got the benefit of the doubt?

Should any credence be given to assertions that the U20 selectors chose Academy player A over non-Academy player Z just because he had to justify the role of the Academy as a pathway?

I need some material.

Thanks in advance.

I'm going to put forward a name I believe was dudded. Scott Malolua, who played Australia schools and has been a stand out at club and with the Reds Academy. I saw a game where GPS trialled against Sunnybank where Malolua came up against Meehan where both packs played strongly and Malolua absolutely and comprehensively outplayed Meehan it was'nt funny.

I also saw Malolua's game against Japan A and again was a stand out. I believe wholeheartedly Malolua should have been picked ahead of Meehan. In all games I have seen Meehan play at the JWC he has lacked the peripheral awareness required to take advantage of half gaps or opportunities for his outside men. I don't doubt Meehan will get there eventually but just like any other Union player returnimg from league in such a crucial position it takes a while to readjest and re train the little things in your game you can only get by being in the code.

Surely, the smartest decision to partner Wessells was Malolua. Not only was he in strong form but I also believe if we are going to take on multiple players to fill one position, there should absolutely be a solid point of difference to cater for unexpected situations in a game. Malolua, is more robust as a ball carrier and in my opinion more creative at the base, which would have been a good compliment to the more traditional skill set of Wessels.

Thompson and his cohorts are absolute mugs, the buck stops with them pure and simple.....more to come.

 

[Zander]

Australia's pack was arguably the 2nd best in the tournament behind England. This is a distinct reversal of previous years. It's something to build on.

 

[Jets]

I'd be keen to see an internal tournament. More of a chance to see all the talent. Could have a Qld, NSW and Combined U20's as curtain raisers for the early rounds of Super Rugby. Play each other twice means 4 games for each team. Would provide more reasonable feedback in my eyes and exposure for more guys.

It could potentially grow from there and become a viable alternative for U20 players other than going to League.

 

[pete muir]

I'm going to put forward a name I believe was dudded. Scott Malolua, who played Australia schools and has been a stand out at club and with the Reds Academy. I saw a game where GPS trialled against Sunnybank where Malolua came up against Meehan where both packs played strongly and Malolua absolutely and comprehensively outplayed Meehan it was'nt funny.

I also saw Malolua's game against Japan A and again was a stand out. I believe wholeheartedly Malolua should have been picked ahead of Meehan. In all games I have seen Meehan play at the JWC he has lacked the peripheral awareness required to take advantage of half gaps or opportunities for his outside men. I don't doubt Meehan will get there eventually but just like any other Union player returnimg from league in such a crucial position it takes a while to readjest and re train the little things in your game you can only get by being in the code.

Surely, the smartest decision to partner Wessells was Malolua. Not only was he in strong form but I also believe if we are going to take on multiple players to fill one position, there should absolutely be a solid point of difference to cater for unexpected situations in a game. Malolua, is more robust as a ball carrier and in my opinion more creative at the base, which would have been a good compliment to the more traditional skill set of Wessels.

Thompson and his cohorts are absolute mugs, the buck stops with them pure and simple...more to come.

Meehans a good 10, and got a good boot, but as a 9, very average. For some reason, a certain guy in the reds academy rates him, but he's generally been outplayed as a 9. I guess it's his versatility that makes him useful, but there have been specialist 9's who have been outplaying him for years, Malolua being one of them. When I saw this years 9/10 combo, the "driving force" behind the oz team named, I just knew it wasnt gonna end well. you gotta have vision as well as talent, and those lads have talent, but no vision. you either have it, or you dont. we reap the rewards of a very selective, and biased, narrow, selection system.......

 

[happyjack]

Stallion, you do realise it was a GPS coaching team.
Thompson played his Rugby at GPS starting in Colts in 1983 and Hedger coached the Colts to a Premiership in the early noughties.
Our results aren't good but we have had some good coaches (including these guys) who have been made to look average along with the players.
Maybe the problem isn't personnel but the system.
Another former GPS person John Ribot once told me that his experience as a sports administrator taught him that the best development program in the world is a quality competition.
Lets get our best players playing competitive Rugby against each other and the cream will rise to the top.

 

[Bardon]

But we did better than than the 8th we got last year.

Meanwhile both of last years finalists including the perennial champion Baby Darkness were bundled out at Semi Final Time.

Think positive and take small steps.

On this basis of Aust growth and Darkness decline, we will beat them in the 3rd /4th play off next year and take the title in 2016 (8th - 6th - 4th - 2nd - 1st). Can't wait.

Aren't Aus in the 7th/8th place playoff against us? Argentina and France play-off for 5th/6th.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Bloody hell Bardon don't bring facts into it.

Is there another game to rub this in even more? Oh the pain, the pain....

 

[Bardon]

Yep the last round of games all take place on the 23rd. Aus v Ireland is on at 3pm local time and is the curtain raiser for the France v Arg game.

The SA v NZ 3rd place play-off is on at 3:15 and is the curtain raiser for the final between Wales & England at 6:45.

 

[bloodred]

Stallion, you do realise it was a GPS coaching team.
Thompson played his Rugby at GPS starting in Colts in 1983 and Hedger coached the Colts to a Premiership in the early noughties.
Our results aren't good but we have had some good coaches (including these guys) who have been made to look average along with the players.
Maybe the problem isn't personnel but the system.
Another former GPS person John Ribot once told me that his experience as a sports administrator taught him that the best development program in the world is a quality competition.
Lets get our best players playing competitive Rugby against each other and the cream will rise to the top.

HJ, you are a Sunnybank boy aren't you? I watched a game of Colts last year and Tom Lucas smashed us in defence. I have always been a fan of his older brother since East Coast Aces days. Tom seems to be getting good reviews in Prems each week. Was he considered for the 20's. We play you guys in a week or two so I dare say I'll be able to judge for myself

 

[Honest John]

With the emergence of the 3rd tier comp, it will be interesting to see how many of these players and the ones being touted as being dudded actually get a gig at this level - all of the current team, in theory, should be playing, if they are at the level to represent their country.