2016 Under-20 Rugby World Championships - Manchester UK

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^ Yes and no.

My 4th one was:
Tevita 'UNGA WOLSKE - Ipswich Grammar School - Gunghalin ACT

I hadn't counted Zac SHEPHERD - Brisbane State High School - Gunghalin ACT. Well spotted HJ.

That then makes 5 Banjolanders migrating south for the winter. Good on them.

 

[Seymour Butz]

I hear some boys have had a phone call to let them know they have / haven't made the Christmas cut for the Waratah's under 20s side. Any unofficial news out there? Nothing on the Waratah's website as yet.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The folks from the Happy Kingdom in the Mountains have announced their squad.

Sounds like God's Chosen have reduced their squad, as predicted by @Lee Grant on the blog front page.

I'm not sure that there was much leeway for further cuts in the WA or Vic U20 squads.

Any snouts have any detail on how things are going North of the Tweed River?

There is a pretty strong cohort of young Qld men in the target group, if you extrapolate form forward from recent U16 and U18 national tournaments, and look at how many of this age group performed in NRC 2015 for (primarily) Qld Country.


@Seymour Butz, sometimes Santa is nice and brings presents the young'uns want, and sometimes not.

For those on the wrong side of the Clipboard, they should rejoice that they will be better prepared for Season 2016 than their contemporaries who were not even invited to participate in the U20 pre-season/extended playing squad. The boat may have sailed with respect to the 2016 Under 20's but this does not mean that their career is over.

With ongoing diligent application and dedication, and a smidgeon of luck, the door to a professional contract may still open sometime in the future, especially for the 2016 Under 19 cohort. Plenty of Super Rugby Players, and Wallabies have failed to attract the attention of the U20 Clipboards.

 

[Breakdown]

^^^ Yes and no.

My 4th one was:
Tevita 'UNGA WOLSKE - Ipswich Grammar School - Gunghalin ACT

I hadn't counted Zac SHEPHERD - Brisbane State High School - Gunghalin ACT. Well spotted HJ.

That then makes 5 Banjolanders migrating south for the winter. Good on them.

I think you'll find there are 6 from QLD. Angus Wagner played in the frontrow for GPS Premiers Churchie.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^Good on him. I was only "ticking off" which players from 2015 National Schoolboys tournament had ended up (Qld 1, Qld 2, and Combined States) had ended up in the ACT U20 squad. I'm not across the detail of individual School 1st XV squads in QLD. Like NSW, the Team Lists of most School 1st XV games are not published in G&GR Schoolboy threads. Perhaps this is a good thing?

Good to see that a bloke who was "unwanted" by the State Schoolboy selectors has gained the attention of the U20 selectors from another state. It does reinforce my earlier point that there is a pretty strong cohort of young'uns from "up North".

I hope Mr Wagner does well. It is a pretty big call for a 18 year old to move 1200 km away from home. Mine are still attached to Chez Jarse like limpets, despite being "of age".

 

[Lee Grant]

The addition of Nick Jooste from WA will be a big inclusion, how this bloke was not in the Baa Baas side last year is beyond me.

He was at school this year and played in the ASRU Championships for WA; so he couldn't be considered for U20s.

Not to the point, but he is a player similar to Jack Debreczini at the Rebels; going to the Brumbies will give him exposure to Larkham and I bet that is one reason why he decided to move east to the ACT.
.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Are the Kiwis doing a similar Super Rugby Curtain Raiser Cup approach? Think I read somewhere where they had already announced the EPS (55 or so players) for the 2016 NZL team.

Will there still be an Oceania Tournament involving NZL, JAP, SAM, AUS (and others as appropriate)? That seemed to be a step forward in terms of preparation for the Jnr RWC (and Jnr RWT).

 

[Happy to Chat]

Are the Kiwis doing a similar Super Rugby Curtain Raiser Cup approach? Think I read somewhere where they had already announced the EPS (55 or so players) for the 2016 NZL team.

Will there still be an Oceania Tournament involving NZL, JAP, SAM, AUS (and others as appropriate)? That seemed to be a step forward in terms of preparation for the Jnr RWC (and Jnr RWT).

The Oceania Tournament is an excellent training program for the lead up to the u20 RWC. Hope they don't drop it.


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[Uncle Joe]

He was at school this year and played in the ASRU Championships for WA; so he couldn't be considered for U20s.

I thought that he played for WA at southern states in Adelaide in February which was where the Baas Baas team was selected. I may be wrong, it has happened before

 

[Delphy]

I thought that he played for WA at southern states in Adelaide in February which was where the Baas Baas team was selected. I may be wrong, it has happened before

Not wrong this time. He did play in that tournament.

 

[HJ Nelson]

Will there still be an Oceania Tournament involving NZL, JAP, SAM, AUS (and others as appropriate)? That seemed to be a step forward in terms of preparation for the Jnr RWC (and Jnr RWT).

The talk at the conclusion of this years tournament, was that there would be.
But time will tell. Source: http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...s/news-story/9a6e27705e03a441b4834769893599d5

The three-nation tournament this week at Bond Uni has been so well received that Australian Under-20 coach Adrian Thompson hopes South Africa and Argentina will join the Gold Coast event next year.

 

[kiap]

I like what Adrian Thompson has done with the Oceania U20 Tournament.

But Samoa (and Fiji) might be doubtful for a gig next year at Bond. Both failed to make the JWC for 2016 and will play in the JWT – which is from April 19 to May 1.

It would be great if South Africa or Argentina (or both!) participated, though.

Perhaps Tonga could get even an invite as they are in neither the JWC or JWT ... although I believe there was talk of a second division of the Oceania Tournament – that might involve Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands, and perhaps PNG ... to be held earlier than the Bond tourny.

And while Tonga and Fiji played in the Aus U20's comp last season, there's probably not that opening for them next year with the new Supe curtain-raiser format.

As a fallback position if RSA and ARG stay home and Tonga are not available, perhaps an Aus Baabaas team could fill a spot: AUS, NZL, JPN, Baabaas? Get some experience into another couple dozen up-and-comers.

 

[Lee Grant]

I thought that he played for WA at southern states in Adelaide in February which was where the Baas Baas team was selected. I may be wrong, it has happened before

I meant that as a schoolboy Jooste wouldn't have been considered for Aussie U20s; so it would have served no purpose to choose him in the Baas team for the Canberra tournament: it would have wasted a spot.

If I recall correctly somebody wrote in the forum that the WA U20 team used a few schoolboys in Adelaide last season, though maybe Jooste was the only one. But that doesn't mean that Jooste, or any other schoolboy, was eligible for the Aussie Under 20 team.

WA also used Auega Seumanutafa, who was the player of the Adelaide U20 tournament, but wasn't eligible for the Aussie U20s (not because he was at school) - and so he wasn't chosen for the Baas team for Canberra either.

Again, it would have wasted a spot.
.

 

[Forcefield]

Lorenzo Mario (LHP) was the other U20 schoolboy double. I don't know of any others.

 

[Lee Grant]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Victoria used a few schoolboys in the Adelaide tournament last season also - and maybe some of the other teams did as well.
.

 

[Lee Grant]

NSW Under 20s

I should have asked this question of the coaches, but does anybody know of any players who have withdrawn from the 64 nominated in November - and why?

See post # 152 for the names.

I'm trying to work out who has been missing from the list since then and why.

I'll write these names down more for my own reference, though the list may be of interest to others:

Players who did not participate in the hit-out last week

Injured - Afu, Brown, Latunipulu, Musgrave, Porter, Vatuvei, Walker.

Oz Sevens - Hutchison, Kennewell

With senior Waratahs - McCauley

Status unknown (and not noticed at training sessions recently, or watching the hitout) - Kirby, Maddocks, O'Hara, O'Shea, Pelowski, Petterson, Williams.

(So - anybody know of the status of any lad in this last list?)
.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Is Jack Maddocks still tossing up whether to follow Rugby or Cricket?

IIRC he is very talented in both sports with the potential to go to the top in both. Unfortunately the way sports are nowdays, the opportunity to represent your country in both Cricket and Rugby has gone the way of the Dodo.

@Lee Grant, I think I recall James Perlowski (Easts) being listed in the 7's extended squad (or trial squad) for a series of games they had in Rotorua NZ against the Kiwi 7's (October-ish). Unsure if he is still part of the extended 7's training group.

 

[Seymour Butz]

So, what is Chris Hickey's formal role with the Waratahs U20's, if not coach?

Where is it mentioned he has a role? Anybody have a link?? He certainly hasn't been at training.
.

From another thread (Shute Shield 2016):

Who's coaching at The Corporation? Chris Malone and Cameron Blades have moved up to Waratahs.

Must have been mistaken info or mistaken identity. I can only presume it was Chris Malone, not Chris Hickey.

 

[Happy to Chat]

There are 47 Schoolboy representatives from the 2015 National Championships in Sydney, currently named in training squads for u20 State teams, this is excluding Qld who have not yet named their team. ACT - 11 (5 ACT + 5 Qld + 1 WA) 5 gained from Qld & 1 WA
VIC - 7
NSW - 21
WA - 8 (9 WA - 1 ACT) 1 lost to Brumbies
Qld - NA (NA - 5 ACT) 5 lost to Brumbies
This is encouraging to see so many schoolboys continuing with competetive rugby after school.

 

[Lee Grant]

I like what Adrian Thompson has done with the Oceania U20 Tournament.

But Samoa (and Fiji) might be doubtful for a gig next year at Bond. Both failed to make the JWC for 2016 and will play in the JWT – which is from April 19 to May 1.

It would be great if South Africa or Argentina (or both!) participated, though..

This year it will be different; there will be overseas teams in the FORU tournament at Bond but they will be in different divisions.

Only NZ and Aus will be in Div I - and will play each other twice (on May 3rd and 7th, I think). I don't know who will be in the Div II group.
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