IRB U/20 Tournament and Oz Squad

[AussieDominance]

Gill? Why KB (Kurtley Beale) actually played the season out of school in Super 14 as the starting 5/8. He had aboriginal heritage and had been talked up by league scouts/managers/the ella's etc. He also went to Joeys, which is basically up with Kings/possibly a few of the GPS schools in QLD as one of the proudest rugby schools in Australia.

Gill is nowhere near Beale in terms of hype.

 

[Lee Grant]

Yeah I warned about this at the time. Then when he played like the 18 y.o. that he was people were disappointed in him, whereas they should have been disappointed in the journos. They'll do it again though when another gun school back comes along - and I say "back" advisedly. There were probably more star forwards in the 2009 Oz School pack (PAE, Jones, Peterson and Gill) than in any I can remember recently, but they didn't get collective hype that poor old Kurtley got by himself.

I remember a couple of journos writing about him after one Joeys game and I'm damn sure they weren't even at the ground.

I winced when I read that Glen Ella (or was it Gary) said when Beale was 15 that he would be a Wallaby by 19. These things never help a young player especially someone like Kurtley who doesn't have the bloody mindedness, for example, of his contemporary Lachie Turner, who could probably block those kind of things out.

It doesn't matter that Ella could have been right either - Beale could have been picked at 19 had he not been injured in the 2008 S14 final and again in the gym later, and couldn't tour. He had a better 2008 than Cooper did and Deans picked Quade for the 2008 EOYT.

On Joeys - they're probably the proudest, because there's been more Wallabies from there than any other Oz school.

But I digress.

 

[tranquility]

let me re-phrase then.

Gill may not have the media hype of the general community that KB (Kurtley Beale) had, however in terms of the rugby community especially in Queensland I would say it would be akin.
However to re-state my first point, Gill doesn't have the short comings of work ethic, and alcohol that plagued the early career of KB (Kurtley Beale) and because of this I don't think it will take him as long once he plays Super rugby to make his mark as a consistent footballer.

Also the Joey's history hardly needs digging up on a forum like this.

 

[Lee Grant]

I take every opportunity myself, but that's just me.

 

[dbla]

Figured i may as well sign up to post this, the argentinian rugby site has the aus 20's beating the arg 20's 33 - 13 in a warm up match, aus team is listed as (sorry about copy paste job)

1 - Cruze Ah-Nau, 2 - Siliva Siliva, 3 - Paul Alo-Emile, 4 - Greg Peterson, 5 - Phoenix Battye, 6 - Colby Fainga'a, 7 - Michael Hooper, 8 - Jakob Schatz (captain), 9 - Justin Turner, 10 - Matthew 'omua; 11- Dominc Shipperley, 12- Robbie Coleman, 13- Kimami Situati, 14- Aiden Toua; 15- Luke Morahan.

Suplentes: 16- Sam Roberson, 17- Scot Sio, 18- Luke Jones, 19- Edward Quirk, 20- Nicholas White, 21- Jonathon Lance, 22- Greg Jeloudev, Salesi Manu, Liam Gill, Tim Bennetts.

my thoughts would be that they are obviously experimenting in the forward pack but i would not be suprised if that is their first choice backline as it has a nice red tinge to it

edit: sorry had a look around the site and seems jeloudev came in for shipperley, if someone speaks spanish it would be nice to know what the match report says

 

[Lee Grant]

As I wrote earlier : don't pay any mind to the names of the players picked in the trial game against the Argies nor in the pool games against Scotland or Tonga. All the players will get the equivalent of 2 games, near enough, in the 3 matches. The 15 and 22 against the Saffers will be the real deal.

 

[dbla]

I completely agree with you im not sure if what i meant came across well, i was trying to be a little tongue in cheek when saying their first choice backline as im a queenslander, a swing and a miss on my part haha

 

[TheTruth]

let me re-phrase then.

Gill may not have the media hype of the general community that KB (Kurtley Beale) had, however in terms of the rugby community especially in Queensland I would say it would be akin.
However to re-state my first point, Gill doesn't have the short comings of work ethic, and alcohol that plagued the early career of KB (Kurtley Beale) and because of this I don't think it will take him as long once he plays Super rugby to make his mark as a consistent footballer.

Also the Joey's history hardly needs digging up on a forum like this.

But they (Joey's) keep producing or manufacturing. Gill will thrill when adds some serious kilos and a year or two. No question abut work ethic and desire

 

[RugbyReg]

here's my rough translation:

The Argentine Selected The Pumitas not overcome the strong Australia team and was defeated by 33-13, in what marked the last friendly match before the debut in the IRB Junior World Championship 2010, which will take place on Saturday 5 June.

The team led by Rolando Martin, Gustavo Alejandro Cohen and Molinuevo began the meeting with more attitude than his rival and had possession of the ball during the first 20 minutes, where he also pressured into competing camps.

The national assembly opened the scoring through a penalty from Ignacio Rodriguez Muedra, however, then failed to specify in points the possession and Australia started to gain ground and become the protagonist of the game. After 20 minutes, through the wing Colby Fainga'a, after a good move combined. Later, the Australian team increased the gap with a new try, Liam Gill, who had entered minutes earlier.

The first half ended 14-3 for the visit, who would hold the necessary to complement, and extend the benefits with a try early bird. The dominance of the Aussies are going to expand with the passage of minutes, but the advantage did not translate into the marker. Handling errors from both sides, product d elas weather conditions, the level played against these two teams can actually show.

Two further tries from Greg Peterson and Tim Bennetts, left figures are almost final and Pumitas buried the hopes of getting into the game. The consolation prize for albicelestes bequeathed to try de la Vega continued after a game with the forwards, near the ingoal.

The final scorecard of 33-13 reflected the superiority of an Australian cast is shaping up to be top candidate for appointment to begin within a week on the coast. For The Pumitas, it's time to work during the week to refine the details and get the best debut.

 

[tranquility]

and so do a lot of other GPS schools, nobody wanks on like Joey's boys or Joey's hangers on. Truth be told, this decade alone alot of other schools have produced alot more players than Joey's. Including TSS, Churchie, and Nudgee and that is just in QLD. I don't want to get into a school argument, but all I am saying is everyone is aware that Joeys is a good rugby school. We don't need the history lesson.

 

[dbla]

here's my rough translation:

The Argentine Selected The Pumitas not overcome the strong Australia team and was defeated by 33-13, in what marked the last friendly match before the debut in the IRB Junior World Championship 2010, which will take place on Saturday 5 June.

The team led by Rolando Martin, Gustavo Alejandro Cohen and Molinuevo began the meeting with more attitude than his rival and had possession of the ball during the first 20 minutes, where he also pressured into competing camps.

The national assembly opened the scoring through a penalty from Ignacio Rodriguez Muedra, however, then failed to specify in points the possession and Australia started to gain ground and become the protagonist of the game. After 20 minutes, through the wing Colby Fainga'a, after a good move combined. Later, the Australian team increased the gap with a new try, Liam Gill, who had entered minutes earlier.

The first half ended 14-3 for the visit, who would hold the necessary to complement, and extend the benefits with a try early bird. The dominance of the Aussies are going to expand with the passage of minutes, but the advantage did not translate into the marker. Handling errors from both sides, product d elas weather conditions, the level played against these two teams can actually show.

Two further tries from Greg Peterson and Tim Bennetts, left figures are almost final and Pumitas buried the hopes of getting into the game. The consolation prize for albicelestes bequeathed to try de la Vega continued after a game with the forwards, near the ingoal.

The final scorecard of 33-13 reflected the superiority of an Australian cast is shaping up to be top candidate for appointment to begin within a week on the coast. For The Pumitas, it's time to work during the week to refine the details and get the best debut.

Much appreciated,

to anyone else there is a photo from the match of some massive rig on the irb junior world cup site, is he the front rower Manu?

 

[Lee Grant]

But they (Joey's) keep producing or manufacturing. Gill will thrill when adds some serious kilos and a year or two. No question abut work ethic and desire

Can't wait to see him as a senior player in the 15 man game. Hope he can put on that weight so he becomes a Wallaby ASAP. He, Hooper, and C. Finger will be pushing Pocock and/or each other for the best part of the next decade for national honours and the hooker contest should be just as salutary.

Go you good things.

 

[TheTruth]

Can't wait to see him as a senior player in the 15 man game. Hope he can put on that weight so he becomes a Wallaby ASAP. He, Hooper, and C. Finger will be pushing Pocock and/or each other for the best part of the next decade for national honours and the hooker contest should be just as salutary.

Go you good things.

agree Lee but he still has some hoops to jump thru before he becomes a regular in the Reds and will probably have a reasonable wait in the wings with the talent already available, who are ready willing and able (and who have the physical attributes already)

 

[Wrangler]

Has Developed into a top player! His speed makes him a massive threat around the park as a 9

 

[tranquility]

Gill will play super 14 next year.

 

[Lee Grant]

agree Lee but he still has some hoops to jump thru before he becomes a regular in the Reds and will probably have a reasonable wait in the wings with the talent already available, who are ready willing and able (and who have the physical attributes already)

Well, Braid won't be back and they don't have any fetchers in the Reds who are as good playing senior rugby at 7 as Gill was playing schools rugby at 7.

One would hope that Gill will have to have a reasonable wait to get his physical conditioning up to speed but the Super coaches don't pay any mind to the ages of players these days. We had a thread a few months back wherein I was protesting the starting of 18 y.o. Michael Hooper by the Brumbies when George Smith was sidelined. Hooper was not too long out of school and hadn't had much gym work - and besides he had had a shoulder reconstruction in his final school year, for crying out loud.

I regret that I think tranquility will be proved right: that Gill will play for the Reds next year at 18. But at least he would have had a full year of physical work by the time he plays Super rugby, unlike Hooper. 2 years would be better but hoping that all kids will have at least that preparation before Bakkies gets his hands on them is like pissing in the wind.

But let's not get onto that subject again - let's leave it to 2011 - once a year is enough.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Lee, man crush Hooper is out of the squad due to an ankle injury. Will be interesting to see who out of Quirk and Gill is promoted in his place. Preferably Gill as I'm yet to see him play the 15 game. Big blow for the U20s either way as Hooper and their backrow were one of their main strengths.

 

[AussieDominance]

The Australian Under 20s have shown their intent with a solid 33-13 victory over host-nation Argentina in their first and only hit-out ahead of the IRB Junior World Championship which gets underway this weekend.

Australia will kick off their campaign with a pool match against Scotland in Santa Fe on Saturday (Sunday AEST) before facing off against Tonga on 9 June in Parana and then South Africa on 13 June in Santa Fe.

Queensland flanker and Australian Sevens representative Liam Gill scored a brace of tries off the bench in the team’s first run while towering lock Greg Peterson, winger Jonathan Lance and centre Tim Bennetts also found the chalk in the five-tries-to-one win at a soaked Lomas Rugby Club in Buenos Aires on Sunday.

Coach David Nucifora’s side didn’t escape the warm-up match unscathed though; with Brumbies flanker Michael Hooper (ankle) and Tim Bennetts (hamstring) sustaining injuries which have cruelly ruled out them out of the 12-nation tournament.

NSW pair, Eastwood backrower Lachlan McCaffrey and Easts outside back Damon Anderson have been called up as injury replacements and will join the U20s team in Santa Fe.

Nucifora used the warm-up match to give the majority of his 26-man squad a run but elected to start with an all Super Rugby-capped backrow in Brumbies pair Colby Fainga'a and Hooper alongside Queensland Reds rising-star and Australian U20s skipper Jake Schatz.

The run-on halves pairing also boasted Super Rugby experience with Force rookie halfback Justin Turner and Brumbies playmaker Matt To'omua, who has also been given the vice-captaincy, getting the first opportunities at 9 and 10 respectively.

Nucifora said despite the injuries, game time against Argentina was extremely beneficial to his young side’s preparation ahead of Saturday’s clash with Scotland.

“We played in pretty atrocious weather conditions, it was pouring rain and it was a really muddy surface which you don’t get too often these days but it was a good experience and good preparation to get a game under our belt,” Nucifora said.

“We have some good experience in our side and we have some good depth and competition in some positions, especially through that backrow area and we still do even with Michael Hooper out injured.

“It’s just about getting game time together now, we’ve trained a lot, now it’s just about getting the actual combinations right. It’s been helpful to come over here a bit earlier but I’d expect it to take us another couple of games at least to start getting used to each other.

“We’ve worked hard enough to make sure that our performances first up will be good enough but the thing with these tournaments is not just about keeping everyone fit but also just building combinations and just trying to peak at the right time, I suppose.

“Our aim is to win everything in this pool.”

Australia will play their most difficult pool match against South Africa, who relegated Nucifora’s U20s side to fourth in a playoff for third at last year’s JWC.

“The change in competition structure this year going from 16 teams back to 12 is a bit tricky,” Nucifora said.

“It means that the two teams that finished fourth and third last year, ourselves and South Africa, are lumped in the same pool so that’s challenging but we’ve got to beat them all at some point if we’re going to win it so it may as well be in the pool games.”

Should Australia progress through their pool matches they will play a semi-final on 17 June with the final scheduled for 21 June at Estadio El Coloso del Parque in Rosario.

Australian U20 squad:

Forwards: Cruze Ah-Nau (WA), Paul Alo-Emile (QLD), Phoenix Battye (ACT), Colby Fainga'a (ACT), Liam Gill (QLD), Luke Jones (WA), Salesi Manu (NSW), Gregory Peterson (NSW), Edward Quirk (QLD), Sam Roberson (NSW), Siliva Siliva (WA), Scott Sio (NSW), Jake Schatz (QLD) Lachlan McCaffrey (NSW) .

Backs: Robbie Coleman (ACT), Greg Jeloudev (NSW), Jonathon Lance (QLD), Cameron Mitchell (NSW), Dominic Shipperley (QLD), Kimami Sitauti (QLD), Aidan Toua (QLD), Matt To'omua (ACT), Luke Morahan (QLD), Justin Turner (WA), Nic White (ACT), Damon Anderson (NSW).

Bennetts out as well Anderson to replace Bennetts and McCaffrey to replace Hooper. Not a bad replacement at all for Hooper.

 

[Jets]

Probably one of the spots they could afford to loose a player. There is so much depth at 7 that their replacement player is Lachlan McCaffrey who isn't too shabby from all reports. Tim Bennetts has also been ruled out and is being replaced by Damon Anderson.

I would love to see a backrow of Quirk, Gill and Shatz so we can see what the future of the Reds will look like.

 

[Lee Grant]

Lee, man crush Hooper is out of the squad due to an ankle injury. Will be interesting to see who out of Quirk and Gill is promoted in his place. Preferably Gill as I'm yet to see him play the 15 game. Big blow for the U20s either way as Hooper and their backrow were one of their main strengths.

Don't know that "promoted" is the right word. Nuci was probably just trying Hooper and C Finger in tandem, as they played for the Brumbies Runners before Smith got hurt. It was obviously not their main team in other positions.

Having 3 specialist fetchers in the squad was excessive given the size of the squad. As I said earlier in the thread " .....selectors omitted McCaffrey, though it still beggars belief." Maybe the selectors just couldn't split the three and put them all in. They would have been stuffed if Schatz got hurt before an important game though maybe Quirk has played a lot at 8 since he left school; I don't know.

It's a better balanced side with Caff in the team but it's a cruel blow for Hooper who missed most of his last schools season in 2009 with a shoulder reconstruction, and also for Tim Bennetts who missed a lot of school rugby in 2008 but was fit for all of 2009.

It was interesting that a winger, Anderson, was sent to replace centre Bennetts. He's a good player who I would have had ahead of "Jelly" anyway. Perhaps Cam Mitchell will get a run at 13, a position where he captained Kings and Oz Schools. If he does, and performs well enough to hold the spot in big games, it should perk a bit of interest in Oz Super coaches as good young 13s are not growing on trees these days.

As others have mentioned: Shipperly plays there too. If he plays there and holds the spot, and Gill gets 1st pick at 7, the prediction that Queensland will get 9 players in the run on team (for big games) may come true.

Go you good things.