2014 IRB Junior World Championship – New Zealand

[Tahspark]

@Lee Grant

LG is there any particular reason why I can no longer quote other members? As it stands when I hit the 'Reply' link only a blank dialogue box appears without the quote to which I wanted to refer.

This strange phenomena does not occur when I access G&GR from my iPhone and quote and post.

Anybody else experiencing this outcome???

Newbs, I also had this problem until someone on another thread mentioned logging in via Chrome - & hey presto, the quote function works. Your iPhone must be set up through Chrome or similar.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

"The Championship was an excellent opportunity for players to impress National selectors before an Extended Australian Under 20s squad will be named next week to play Fiji and Samoa at Bond University in Queensland in April."

http://www.rugby.com.au/tryrugby/Ne...0/NSW-Win-2014-National-U20-Championship.aspx

Extended Squad announced next week.
Games against Fiji and Samoa for Extended Squad at Bond University in April.

 

[Lee Grant]

It didn't work for me last time I used it so I stopped @Hugh Jarse.

And I guess it didn't work again.

Using Firefox.

Gagger knows about it.

.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Works with Safari and IE Explorer 9.

 

[Lindommer]

The quote function used to work for me (I have IE11) but now it doesn't. Why?

 

[Brian Westlake]

As far as I understand, Tom Wilson sustained an injury to his back (or neck?) last season and has subsequently been told hell never be able to play in the front row, or forwards, ever again. I've heard he's now considering how to move forward in rugby. A great shame, he was a good player and continues to be a great lad.

However, as I understand, Lau Fainga'a was the preferred hooker to him at Sydney Uni and played a large amount of the season in the Colts 1s. I have only seen him play a handful of times, but I know his peers rate him very highly.

As for Vea, I wasn't that impressed with him at schoolboy level. Don't get me wrong, he was a good player and a good leader for Newington, but I wasn't convinced itd translate into higher levels as he progressed. But alas since the formation of the NSW volts squads I've heard very favorable reviews, and apparently he brings a lot of mongrel on the field - something crucial at any level. I often feel that in Australia that raw aggression is trained out of our forwards as they progress - its rare that you see an Etzebeth come out of the Australian system, so it's good to see players like Vea, Dempsey, Buckling etc running around.

Comparing Tevita to Etzebeth is probably not a great comparison. Tevita seems to be a leader amongst his peers, where etzebeth leaves a fair amount behind in this stake.
Tevita Vea is, from what I can gather, working very heavily with PI kids and helping them develop into better men not just "footy" players. Whereas young etzebeth is only interested in becoming the next bobby skinstaad.

 

[Micheal]

Comparing Tevita to Etzebeth is probably not a great comparison. Tevita seems to be a leader amongst his peers, where etzebeth leaves a fair amount behind in this stake.
Tevita Vea is, from what I can gather, working very heavily with PI kids and helping them develop into better men not just "footy" players. Whereas young etzebeth is only interested in becoming the next bobby skinstaad.

Whilst I didn't even actually compare them, the work they do off the field is moot. All I was noting is that I've heard that Tevita's peers value him due to the mongrel he brings, something Australia generally lacks in our forwards. Etzebeth is the embodiment of raw aggression, so he was an example I used to critique our current talent development system.

 

[Brian Westlake]

Whilst I didn't even actually compare them, the work they do off the field is moot. All I was noting is that I've heard that Tevita's peers value him due to the mongrel he brings, something Australia generally lacks in our forwards. Etzebeth is the embodiment of raw aggression, so he was an example I used to critique our current talent development system.

Sorry Michael, but even at this tender age where Tevita Vea has done realistically not a lot. I know whom I would prefer in my team.
Rugby is but a blip on the radar with a top line career spanning maybe 6-7 years.
One injury will cease that, as shown tragically in the other code. Even at the top level it is still about making better men. If proof is needed on this, just ask Ma'a Nonu about being bitch slapped.

 

[tranquility]

Hasnt the quote function just been changed to reply ?

 

[FTS]

I think all the players in the squad have been notified so has anybody heard of any selections or non selections down the grapevine? Royals Rugby club in Canberra posted something on their website about prop Joel Penders (who didnt play at nationals due to injury) and obvious selection Tom Staniforth being selected in the squad. I expect a few Tuggeranong Vikings lads to be included too. I feel like there may be more WA and ACT boys this year than previous years

 

[RugbyReg]

Australia Under 20s Extended Squad

Allan Ala'alatoa ACT
Cameron Orr NSW
Tom Banks QLD
Jack Payne QLD
Luke Burton WA
Joel Penders ACT
Sam Croke NSW
Rowan Perry ACT
Andrew Deegan NSW
Matthew Philip NSW
Jack Dempsey NSW
Jonah Placid QLD
Lalakai Foketi VIC
Joseph Powell ACT
Scott Gale QLD
Angus Pulver NSW
Michael Gunn QLD
Tom Robertson NSW
Ross Haylett-Petty WA
Andrew Robinson ACT
David Horwitz NSW
Harry Scoble WA
Alifeliti Kaitu'u QLD
Pat Sio NSW
Andrew Kellaway NSW
Tom Staniforth ACT
Brad Lacy WA
Jimmy Stewart NSW
Jake McIntyre QLD
Johnny Vaux NSW
Sean McMahon VIC
Tevita Vea NSW
Rory O'Connor NSW

 

[RugbyReg]

Australian Under 20s Coach Adrian Thompson today announced the extended National Squad to play Fiji and Samoa in April at Bond University on the Gold Coast, in preparation for the IRB Junior World Championships in New Zealand in June.

The squad of 33 players includes four contracted Super Rugby players, with Allen Ala'alatoa (University of Canberra Brumbies), Luke Burton (Western Force), David Horwitz (NSW Waratahs), and Sean McMahon (RaboDirect Rebels) all potentially available for selection.

The squad announcement comes after a successful National Under 20s Championship last week in Canberra in which the NSW side emerged as champions following a tight match against Queensland 31-18.

Adrian Thompson is excited about his players having the opportunity to compete against two strong Pacific nations in the lead up to the IRB Junior World Championships.

“The matches against Fiji and Samoa on the Gold Coast will be an excellent opportunity for us to test players in positions and continue our selection process.”

“We are determined to improve on our seventh place in the IRB Junior World Championships in Paris last year. This squad knows there is a lot of hard work to come if they want to be selected in the squad heading to the competition in June.”

Australian Under 20s key dates 2014:

22 April-4 May 2014 International Preparation Tournament
Bond University, Gold Coast

20-29 May 2014 IRB Junior World Cup Assembly Camp
Narrabeen Academy of Sport, Sydney

30 May-21 June 2014 IRB Junior World Championship
Auckland, New Zealand

 

[FTS]

By my count that makes it:
QLD - 7
NSW - 14
ACT - 6
WA - 4
VIC - 2

Thats including players like Ala'alatoa, Foketi and Mcmahon to their current states where they are playing Super Rugby.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

By my count, that is 19 players who made Australian Schoolboys previously (6 for two years), 1 who was Schoolboys A Team, and 13 who have been selected for the National U20 extended squad, despite NOT being selected as a National Schoolboy Representative as an Under 18 player..

Some of those 13 may have missed selection due to injuries at the time.

This is another message in the ongoing theme that hard work and application can overcome not being selected as one of the "elite" while at school.

Great to see increasing numbers of organically grown product from WA and Vic.

 

[I like to watch]

Are we going to go through all this again Big Arse?
Of the 13 battlers,I can immediately point you to Rory O'Connor.
Who was NSW 1's at School. Not really a little battler or a late bloomer!
We can go through the other 12 and I am sure the vast majority have had rep exposure before leaving School.
But you know that already.

 

[Lee Grant]

There's five extra players there which is wise because there will be injuries between now and the last camp and it is well that replacements will be training together and trying their best not to be one of the five excluded if everybody is healthy.

Well done to 2013 Oz Schoolboys Deegan of Joeys and Kellaway of Scots for making the extended squad. i thought that Fakaosilea of BBC was a chance, but there are a few handy backrowers chosen in front of him.

However, I am glad that there are not too many of them because it indicates that the 2014 squad will be more seasoned.

I am pleased that centre Jim Stewart is deemed fit enough to be included because he is a big match player. And I see that Jake McIntyre is also on the list despite not playing in Canberra either.

The backs should be the strength of the team and if Sio gets up to speed with his fitness for no.8, the backrow will be very good.

The tight-five players would have looked adequate in the Canberra tournament but they will have a sterner test in the IRB JWC and nobody can be sure if they will better than the fellows who were chosen in the last two years.

At least the Qld and NSW players got to play against senior players in the PRC for their U20 teams and some had already played for their senior state team in the PRC.

They would have learned a thing or two out of that but more importantly, it would have given the selectors a better benchmark against which to select the tight-five players.

Whatever the results of the Oz U20s in the 2014 IRB JWC we cannot fault the training that the lads have had since October nor the selection process culminating in the National U20 Championships.

And this year there has been a distinct lack of whingeing about players who missed out from the beginning. I can remember only one complaint in this forum, though there may be a few others I have missed.

Well done ARU, and good luck to these lads when they are over in NZ.
.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

This is what I thought initially:

<Snip>.

2013 Australian Under-20 IRB Junior World Championship squad (Too old for 2014)
Allan Ala'alatoa NSW Southern Districts Prop
Luke Burton WA University RC WA Flyhalf/Centre
Brad Lacey WA Wests Scarborough Wing
Patrick Sio NSW Northern Suburbs No 8

2013 Squad Eligible for 2014
Jack Dempsey NSW Gordon Flanker
Siotome Kavapalu NSW Manly Prop
Matt Philip NSW Manly Lock
Jake McIntyre NSW Sunnybank Flyhalf
Jonah Placid QLD Easts Fullback
Thomas Staniforth ACT Royals Lock

Leading Candidates for 2014 Selection
Reece Hodge
Andrew Kellaway
Angus Pulver
Tomas Robertson
Jim Stewart
Mitchell Whitely
David Horwitz

I got the ages wrong on 4.
Kavapalu missed out - Injured, too old, or out of form?
Hodge missed out due to injury.
Whitely missed out - Injured, too old, or out of form?
It helps being an incumbent.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Are we going to go through all this again Big Arse?
Of the 13 battlers,I can immediately point you to Rory O'Connor.
Who was NSW 1's at School. Not really a little battler or a late bloomer!
We can go through the other 12 and I am sure the vast majority have had rep exposure before leaving School.
But you know that already.

beat me to it:
Of the 16 NSW "aligned", 3 did not make Aust Schoolboys or Schoolboys A.
All made NSW State Team less one who was Combined States. 4 represented NSW 2 years running (usually II's then I's), 1 was in NSW three years running.
1 CHS, 2 CAS, 2 ISA, 11 AAGPS
1 Gordon, 3 Manly, 1 Wests, 4 Randwick, 2 Souths, 4 Uni, 1 Qld.

 

[Brian Westlake]

This is what I thought initially:


I got the ages wrong on 4.
Kavapalu missed out - Injured, too old, or out of form?
Hodge missed out due to injury.
Whitely missed out - Injured, too old, or out of form?
It helps being an incumbent.

If whitely was left out due to injury, why include McIntyre? ( no slight on him). Should they not pick fit NOW and then adjust accordingly?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

As Uncle Lee has pointed out, there is some fairly stiff competition for slots in the back row.

Is Whitely carrying an injury from the tournament? I didn't see his name on the team sheets from the weekends games in Sydney, but he may just be being rested after the tournament.

It could be that the Selectors just reckoned that he didn't fit in with the game plan they had in mind. The last time I saw him play I thought that his body shape and "potential future body shape" when fully grown was more suited to a #6 or #7 role rather than #8. Perhaps others have the same opinion?

He is unquestionably a clever chap and a good leader with a decent rugby brain on him, and I reckon he will make a good go of whatever he chooses to do in the future, whether that is on or off the footy field.