Australian U/20s 2012

[Grandstand]

It's Shipperley's birthday today - happy birthday to you Ships - but he's blowing out 21 candles; so he's too old.


As I wrote in the Oz U/19 thread yonks ago: the U/18 Pommie lads were like men against boys who were on average about 1 year older than they were. I hope that the selectors of the Oz U/20 team this year pay attention to the physicality of players and not just natural skill.

Lee, I can't agree with you as I saw the game against the Poms and the problem seemed to me we went the bash in the forwards and came up well short. Havea, Killingworth, Holloway and even Roach were overshadowed not just in the brains but the brawn department. I sense looking at the ARU development squads that their first priority has been to go for size, then try and coach some skills into the lads. To my mind this this is not a sound platform as some of these lads are never going to make it in my view. Gill and Hooper are fine examples of lads who go against this model. I hope that the selectors for the under 20 squad look beyond size and focus on skills first as well as physicality, not just sheer bulk.

 

[spooony]

u-21 or u-20?

 

[TOCC]

Did not know that, can't see why they asked, how do you know this btw?

Slim that's rubbish Gill would've started, he started the year before even. Backrow of Gill, Hooper and Fainga'a would've still been good.

I'm almost certain it was one of those little comments on the bottom of a article in The Australian... Could be wrong though

Either way, most australian teams are going to hurting this year... Smaller squads, no dedicated academies, extra injury toll from mid season test matches...

 

[TOCC]

He would've made an excellent contribution to the bench, but would not have altered the performance of the Australian team...

No doubt a Super Rugby Championship player would have made a good contribution to the bench lol

 

[TOCC]

Qwerty51, hypothetically would you have been happy a few years ago when the Tahs made the GF for Kurtley Beale to be yanked from the team for the JWC?

 

[qwerty51]

Different situation there TOCC so no I would not have been happy for Beale to be yanked.

 

[Lee Grant]

Lee, I can't agree with you as I saw the game against the Poms and the problem seemed to me we went the bash in the forwards and came up well short. Havea, Killingworth, Holloway and even Roach were overshadowed not just in the brains but the brawn department.

Sorry I didn't explain myself more clearly but when I wrote that the "Pommie lads were like men against boys" I meant that the Aussies were the boys (even though they were older.)

Yes, they came well short, didn't they?

As I wrote in the 2011 U/19 thread the Pommie lads were more developed not only physically, but also in a footie sense. IIRR I said that we shouldn't slit our wrists: by the time the best of both sets of lads were playing pro footie our `fellows would have caught up with them.

But at the U/20 level were are vulnerable and have to play above our weight to do well.

 

[TOCC]

Different situation there TOCC so no I would not have been happy for Beale to be yanked.

How's it different though... KB (Kurtley Beale) would have been pivotal to the U20 side for the JWC just as much as he was pivotal to the Tahs..

On the flip side in the case of Gill, he was starting open side in run to the finals(therefor quite pivotal), and it could be debated that his admission to the JWC wouldn't haven't added to much more too the starting side then what they already had.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Qwerty51, hypothetically would you have been happy a few years ago when the Tahs made the GF for Kurtley Beale to be yanked from the team for the JWC?

If i recall correctly the way he played that night: yes

 

[spectator]

James O'Connor never played U20's and no one made a big deal about that. At the end of the day, if a players principal employer considers that person to be a key component to their chances then they should have every right to retain them at the expense of the U 20's. Gill is no longer a 'development' player and could well be the No 1. openside for the Reds by seasons end. Players like UJ and Sautia are more development players and I am sure that the Reds won't mind releasing them.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

James O'Connor never played U20's and no one made a big deal about that. At the end of the day

From memory in 2008 he was selected to play but was later ruled to be too young. The next season in 2009 he was again selected as captain but was later selected for higher duties with the Wallabies at the same time.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

I think Kyle Godwin is still in the right age group to give it another crack. i think his shoulder injury is all cleared up so hopefully he will have a chance to show what he has.

 

[yourmatesam]

21. (10) Stuart Dunbar

Has anyone seen Stuey Dunbar running around lately? Any thoughts? I just saw an ad with him in it for the Scots School and haven't seen or heard anything about him for a while.

Hailing from Junee, Stuey was a foundation member of the Wagga Juniors and showed some real talent as a young fella, but as with most talent from this region, he left for the bright lights of Sydney at the ripe old age of 14 and hasn't been seen in this area since... Just interested to hear if any of you guys know any more about what he's been up to.

 

[tranquility]

I hope UJ and Sautia are both fit and healthy and can make a good fist of making this squad even though they are only 18 this year.

 

[country rugby]

I just hope these lads are allowed to prepare as a team, not thrown together at the last minute as we have seen before.

 

[Stands]

Has anyone seen Stuey Dunbar running around lately? Any thoughts? I just saw an ad with him in it for the Scots School and haven't seen or heard anything about him for a while.

Hailing from Junee, Stuey was a foundation member of the Wagga Juniors and showed some real talent as a young fella, but as with most talent from this region, he left for the bright lights of Sydney at the ripe old age of 14 and hasn't been seen in this area since... Just interested to hear if any of you guys know any more about what he's been up to.

I thought he played for Syd Uni Colts in 2011.

 

[Lee Grant]

I hope UJ and Sautia are both fit and healthy and can make a good fist of making this squad even though they are only 18 this year.

There are usually a few players who were at school the year before who are in the U/20 team the following year. There were a lot of prospective Super players still at school in 2009, one of the best vintages in recent times, and 6 of them were in the 2010 U/20 side. The 2011 U/20 side had only 2 players who were at school in 2010 and that is closer to the norm.

CFS is a definite candidate to be in the U/20 side the year after leaving school, even though he never got to play for Oz Schools last year because of injury (nor, I believe, for Qld Schools). If he can stay healthy as a senior player he is going to be something special.

I have never seen UJS play, but he must be quite a player too going by the hype about him in the schools forum before he was injured early in the 2011 season. To be given an EPS spot by the Reds a year after leaving school, on not a lot of evidence, shows a lot of faith in him from those who put his name forward.

Has anybody on the forum seen him play? What kind of a player is he?

 

[Lee Grant]

I think Kyle Godwin is still in the right age group to give it another crack. i think his shoulder injury is all cleared up so hopefully he will have a chance to show what he has.

Yes, he turns 20 this year; so he is eligible. He was training with the Force yesterday and looking sharp in the drills, alternating with Ripia and Stannard as 1st receiver. There are no reports about contact work though.

I don't know how good Godwin is going to be as a senior player but he is the type of game managing flyhalf Oz rugby is so short of. He's a useful 12 too and apparently can play fullback though I have never seen him play there.

 

[TOCC]

5 more weeks of rehab for Kyle apparently

 

[Inside Shoulder]

From memory in 2008 he was selected to play but was later ruled to be too young. The next season in 2009 he was again selected as captain but was later selected for higher duties with the Wallabies at the same time.

didn't dingo say that his preference was for JOC (James O'Connor) to go to the junior world cup in that year but the reality of his ability interceded and he was in the wallabies by the time it came up?


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