IRB U/20 Tournament and Oz Squad

[Lee Grant]

You miss the point. Fox Sports are broadcasting every game available. No other games other than the ones Noddy listed above, and which I also listed on another page of the thread, are being filmed in Argentina; so there are no other games that Fox Sports could have shown unless they took their own TV crew over to Argentina.

We made the same comments last year and we will make the same next year but we shouldn't blame Fox Sports. Nor can we blame the IRB. They have judged that the European market won't absorb watching more games than the ones they have scheduled and it is the European market that determines the schedule. It is no mystery why all the England and France pool games will be on TV.

Were it not for England and France maybe only the finals would be broadcast. It's all about the likely revenue to be be received and whether or not it matches the costs. Production of rugby broadcasts does not come cheap.

 

[RugbyReg]

Australian U20s team to play Tonga: Aiden Toua, Dominic Shipperley, Cam Mitchell, Robbie Coleman, Damon Anderson, Jono Lance (capt), Nick White, Lochy McCaffery, Colby Fainga'a (v-c), Ed Quirk, Luke Jones, Phoenix Battye, Salesi Manu, Sam Roberson, Scott Sio. Res: Siliva Siliva, Paul Alo-Emile, Greg Peterson, Jake Schatz, Justin Turner, Matt To’omua, Greg Jeloudev.

Interesting that Jono Lance is the skipper. Great to see!

 

[Lee Grant]

Thanks for posting that Nod.

It looks like my surmise when the team for the Scotland game was announced may be right:

It could be also that he is playing his best team in the 1st two games (the trial the other day and Scotland), giving everybody else a starting run against Tonga, then finishing the tournament against South Africa and in the finals, if they make them, with the 1st XV.

So we probably know now what the starting team for the money games will be, making allowances for it being not possible to rest all the regular starters for this match.

I think we can assume that all of the players not named in the run on team for Tonga are ensured a place in the run on team in the big games remaining, and there will be 4 others who are starting against Tonga who will run on for the other games too. These are likely to be Toua, Coleman, Fainga'a and Battye.

There could be some tweaking, you never know. Mitchell is playing in his first game of the tournament, at outside centre, his best position and could possibly displace Situati who is not a 13. This could mean that Sitauti moves to wing and Toua misses out which would stretch credulity, but the earlier employment of Morahan at fullback and Toua on the wing, instead of the other way around, was just as incredible.

Can't wait to see the first Oz game on TV. I haven't seen the West Australians, Siliva Siliva and Cruze Ah-Nau since their school days and will be interested in particular in Ah-Nau and why he has kept Manu on the bench. Likewise it will be good to have a good look at Battye and why he is keeping Jones on the bench. I haven't seen a lot of him since he left school and can't remember him at all playing for ACT Schools though I saw him play for the whole week.

Jones is more of a 6/lock hybrid and may be used more as a 6 in Super rugby as his main strength is running with the pill. So, he may be more in competition with the two fetchers being used in tandem, Fainga'a and Gill, rather than Battye, and Nuci could use Jones, a big 6, against the Baby Boks who are not going to be small.

Watch this space.

 

[tranquility]

Very excited for this. We have a very broad stroke of talent in this squad. I love that Battye is getting big minutes you just can't give up on a bloke of that size. I am also hoping that Morahan at the back was an experiment and not a tactic. I would probably prefer Quirk at 6 in the big matches then either Colby or Gill (Gill) playing 7. This will give us far better balance against more formidable and bigger opponents. However I do like LG comments on Luke Jones at 6 but I feel that if he doesn't start in the Row than his best use would be coming off the bench with some McMenimen like impact.

I have not seen much of Robbie Colman's play, but he must be a fair prospect to be keeping Jono out of the 12 jersey. Also very excited to watch the entire tight 5 play, their are some massive boys in there - let just hope they love hanging out in pigsties as opposed to delicatessen's.

 

[Scott Allen]

Our G&GR Best Club Rugby Try entries for May include a try from Aidan Toua, who I see is playing fullback against Tonga tonight. He's certainly got speed to burn.

See the try at http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/clubtry/ - just follow the “View May’s Entries” link on the right hand side of the page.

 

[tranquility]

. . .

 

[en_force_er]

Lochy McCaffery! Woohoo. I hope he has a blinder forcing Schatz to 6, his best position in my mind. However, since McCaffery only made the squad by injury this is unlikely to happen.

Also, I notice USA are not competing in the Junior World Championship or the Junior World Trophy. Surely this is a development opportunity gone begging.

 

[BRIX]

Fulltime: Australia 67 - Tonga 5

with a very much second string outfit...WOW

Good point about the United States not participating enforcer. Anyone know as to why?

 

[Nusadan]

Aust wins easily over Tonga 67 to 5....

Watching the Frogs v Argies now, boy aren't the forwards huge!!!!

 

[Nusadan]

Said one French prop just absolutely creamed the Argie fullback with his hip and elbow whilst trying to cover his kick upfield...game held up for best part of 10mins midway 2nd half, poor guy had to be carted off...

Gagger, you got the clip of the game by per chance? So you can post that vid of that hit which the ref deemed it only merited a yellow card...

 

[DPK]

Fulltime: Australia 67 - Tonga 5

with a very much second string outfit...WOW

Good point about the United States not participating enforcer. Anyone know as to why?

Maybe the USA can't manage to field their usual team (which is playing the Churchill Cup at the moment) and an Under 20's side at the same time?

 

[Doc]

Good point about the United States not participating enforcer. Anyone know as to why?

Financial reasons.

It's definitely a shame. The game seems to be growing (though that just be because of my involvement with rugby types), yet some of their development will still happen abroad as opposed to in-house.

 

[TOCC]

The reason the USA arent participating is because the IRB reduced the JWC from 16 teams to 12, fact is that teams like the USA cant compete at the JWC, even with 12 teams we are seeing 50 to 60 point winning margins, you have to question the development potential of allowing a team like the USA to get flogged 100-0, it also reduces the credibility of the tournament having margins like that. Maybe a tier-2 tournament could be run for the like of USA, Canada, PNG, Romania etc.

 

[RugbyReg]

match report:

Nicolas White scored a hat-trick of tries as Australia warmed up for their IRB Junior World Championship 2010 Pool C decider with South Africa by overwhelming Tonga 67-5 at the Club Atlético Estudiantes in Paraná on Wednesday.

The scrum half, the second Australian player to score a hat-trick after wing Aidan Toua's haul in their 58-13 defeat of Scotland four days ago, claimed a personal of 23 points after also kicking four conversions.

Lachlan McCaffrey was only four minutes into his JWC debut - having joined the squad as an injury replacement a few days before the tournament - when he got Australia up and running with the opening try.

White doubled Australia's advantage four minutes later by converting his own try, but Tonga then came back into the game, enjoying some good possession. However, the islanders were unable to turn this in points as a result of errors.

Australia regained control of the match late in the first half, changing their strategy slightly to bring their forwards more into the game, and reaped the rewards when first prop Scott Sio and centre Cameron Mitchell touched down to make it 26-0 at half time.

With the try bonus point already wrapped up, Australia picked up where they had left off with centre Robbie Coleman and second row Phoenix Battye scoring tries in the opening six minutes of the second half.

Tonga did manage to open their account in the 48th minute after some good individual play by prop Mone Latu, but Austalia's superior ball handling, precision and speed allowed them to control the match with Samuel Robertson, White and regular captain Jake Schatz crossing for tries to make it 43-0 with 10 minutes remaining.

Fly half Jonathon Dance, captaining the side with Schatz having started the match on the bench, scored Australia's 10th try of the afternoon and there was just enough time for White to complete his hat-trick before the final whistle.

Australia will now face South Africa, the side who beat them 32-5 in the third place play-off in last year's Championship in Japan, in Santa Fe on Sunday for the right to top Pool C and be guaranteed a place in the semi finals.

Tonga and Scotland, meanwhile, will both be looking for a first win when they meet in Paraná the same day.

POST MATCH REACTION

Australia coach David Nucifora: "We felt that we played well in parts. We didn't play as well as we should have for the full 80 minutes but parts of the game I thought were very good and we were happy with sections of it. But we are going to need to improve on other parts of our game if we are going to beat South Africa on Sunday.

"We will turn our attention to them now. They'll be a different proposition than the first two teams we have played, they'll be far more competitive in the set piece part of the game, they will put more pressure on us in that respect. We won't get as many opportunities against a team like South Africa so we have to make sure that when an opportunity arises we're good enough to be able to nail it and score points

 

[RugbyReg]

The reason the USA arent participating is because the IRB reduced the JWC from 16 teams to 12, fact is that teams like the USA cant compete at the JWC, even with 12 teams we are seeing 50 to 60 point winning margins, you have to question the development potential of allowing a team like the USA to get flogged 100-0, it also reduces the credibility of the tournament having margins like that. Maybe a tier-2 tournament could be run for the like of USA, Canada, PNG, Romania etc.

well there was a IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy comp in Russia a month or so ago with Canada, Italy, Japan, PNG, Romania, Russia, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. Still no USA.

Italy beat Japan in the final.

Nigel Genia (Will's bro) played for PNG.

 

[BRIX]

well there was a IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy comp in Russia a month or so ago with Canada, Italy, Japan, PNG, Romania, Russia, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. Still no USA.

Italy beat Japan in the final.

Nigel Genia (Will's bro) played for PNG.

Yep, exactly. Could be conflicting with the USA Churchill squad over in Denver, no idea. Just went over the USA team sheet, about 1 out of 4 is Pacific Islander if you included injured players as well.

Well played Aussie u/20's. They have the squad to show South Africa up in their final pool although they did show up Scotland 73-0.

Special shout out to Nigel Genia who's PNG were unlucky to get a win, well done lad.

 

[en_force_er]

So because of Australia's great points differential as long as they run South Africa close or better they surely make the semi-final.

In this type of tournament the first goal always has to be to make the semi then you go from there.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Yep, exactly. Could be conflicting with the USA Churchill squad over in Denver, no idea. Just went over the USA team sheet, about 1 out of 4 is Pacific Islander if you included injured players as well.

Been over the AUS team sheet too?

 

[spectator]

There is every likelihood that Australia and South Africa will finish 1st and 4th of all the teams and have to face off in the semi. damn shame that.

Other permutations are that NZ lies down for Wales and they somehow sneak through, or NZ smashes Wales and finishes 1st, leaving the loser of Aus/SA to play NZ and the winner to play England or France (whoever wins their pool match).

can anyone else think of another possibility?

 

[Lee Grant]

No you covered it spec as far as I can see. The main thing is to beat the Baby Boks and therefore get the confidence that they can do it again. If they can, their confidence against NZ, England or whomever will be sky high.

Talk is cheap though. I hope that our big bruisers actually bruise and don't become bruisees.