2024 Under 20 Rugby Champs all match discussion thread

[BobbyD]

Thanks Desmond. The irony of you calling out someone who has called out someone else for openly criticising 18 and 19 year kids multiple times online hasn't been lost on me. Free speech and all that. Consider me suitably chastised. Everyone is indeed entitled to their opinion on a Rugby forum. We agree 100%. And, yes - we also seem to agree the elite pathway is anything but a thing of beauty.

 

[Highlander35]

If anyone is interested, these are the Pool A results at the Trophy so far...

 

[Bob Peters]

Yikes! Three ton ups and an 80 ... If we are anything to go by, the Samoa and Hong Kong pathways forums must be a dark place at the moment.

 

[House is on Fire]

I assume the Samoan team has been picked from players based in Samoa, as opposed to NZ (or Australian) based Samoans?

 

[Hawko]

Pool A results would seem to indicate that the allocation of teams to pools wasn't very even.

 

[Highlander35]

The pools at the trophy are definitely slightly more of a toss up with a Host and 6 regional qualifiers rather than an explicit year to year continuation that the Cup does.

Theoretically, I think the teams have been seeded like this:

1 - Japan - Relegated
2 - Netherlands - Spain Promoted in 2023, Rugby Europe Replacement
3 - Uruguay - 2nd place finish 2023
4 - Scotland - 3rd place finish 2023
5 - Samoa - 4th place finish 2023
6 - Kenya - 6th place finish 2023
7 - USA - 7th place finish 2023
8 - Hong Kong - 8th place finish 2023

Then 1,4,5,8 and 2,3,6,7 become the pools.

The USA have then come in and overperformed and Samoa have fronted up with some abysmal performances. (presumably from a domestic squad, although I haven't seen that confirmed anywhere), making it look like B has been super competitive and A has been a waste of time, despite the seeding being... I won't say accurate, but well reasoned enough to start with.

 

[drewprint]

RugbyPass Instagram shows that it is bucketing down rain right now, and the Junior Wallabies are kicking off in two hours. Ireland by plenty.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Suprise suprise. Same thing happened last year. Why host it somewhere in their wettest month. Ffs.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Well we did beat the Baby Bokke in driving rain earlier this year. There is still hope.

 

[Cockatoo Run]

World Rugby website listing a late change for the Junior Wallabies. Aden Ekanayake is out. Not sure if illness, injury or tactical. Eamon Doyle to start at No. 6. Who knows, maybe a much taller and heavier body at blindside in this weather will come in handy. Oniti Finau onto the bench (with the injuries and a suspension we now have 2 hookers on the bench!).

 

[bhim]

Looks like the game has been delayed with an update from World Rugby shortly

 

[Highlander35]

28-28 draws all round

 

[moa999]

Where are you seeing that?.. just got a circle on my TV still

 

[bhim]

The live stream on Rugbypass

 

[moa999]

Ah. Couldn't get past ads on TV. Now fixed.
Doesn't seem to be raining now. But equally no-one visible in the stands.

And now broadcast ended message.

 

[Rudderless]

Just got a text from one of the Dads (who has a son in the team). Aus Manager has advised parents it’s cancelled.

 

[Highlander35]

28-28 draws woooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[moa999]

So that means we get 2nd in group. But if other game cancelled Wales goes through.. and if they play winner goes through.
So Australia need a draw between Wales and France that's below four tries a piece.

Argentina Fiji is going ahead in the earlier game elsewhere.e

 

[Highlander35]

If all the games at Athlone are cancelled I think Wales goes through 4th

 

[Rudderless]

Both teams will receive 2 points