Oz U20 team

[en_force_er]

Hooker could be an issue. Think back to qld U19s last year and the colts comp in general, Alex Casey was the hooker, but certainly a fair way off this level.

Laugh if you must but out of all the positions with the best depth in Victoria, Hooker is up there. There are some seriously good U20 hookers in Vic this year.

Watch this space.

EDIT: I am in no way saying they will make the U20 Oz team but one or two should get academy contracts, we will see from there.

 

[Lee Grant]

I always am convinced that the youngsters we send over to these comps are going to dominate and that it's a freak 'crop' etc etc however we always seem to come back with out tails between our legs, even when Pocock and co were playing.

I always am convinced that the youngsters we send over there to these comps are going to be dominated in the physcal contests. We used to compete in the U/19s sometimes but the U/20s and previously U/21s have often been embarrassing.

It didn't matter then how good our backs were, especially the outside backs, or the back rowers - and nothing has changed. It won't change next year either, nor ever, until we can piggy back on good tight five schools talent 2-3 years in a row. Now and then we may get a tranche of special young aggressive tight five players whose birth dates fall into alignment to go against the odds of the Australian junior set up. You never know.

One of these years I am going to be wrong. Let's hope I type out a happy "I was wrong" post in 2010.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

Apparently, I am reliably told there is a parralel U20 comp organised to coincide with Aus-NZ super 14 games. I was under the impression it was for this year however it may have been slotted back to nextyear to work in with the new 15 team comp.

 

[RugbyReg]

what do you mean? U20 provincial comp? Wow. Expensive. But if the farken Toyota Cup (and English league) can get on tv, then why can't this!

 

[Lee Grant]

This is exactly the kind of thing Oz Colts rugby needs. It will form a bridge to take the better players from schools rugby into senior rugby, and give the younger Academy guys something to focus on.

At the same time it will help the results of the Oz U/20 team in the annual IRB tournament. It's so bloody hard to compete against 6N U20 teams when they have their own tournament before the IRB event, and RSA and NZ teams with the programmes they have.

 

[fatprop]

That sort of fits the Model the NRL uses for the Toyota Cup.

 

[spectator]

Trust me too: he hogged the ball a lot in the Oz Schools tournament last year but before you could say "Greedy sod" he was walking back getting pats on the back for scoring a try.

You're right in saying that 7s suits this type of play but don't write him off as a 15s player once he gets some good coaching. The raw material is there.

The players available look good but they will suffer, as they do every year, in the physical contests. We had 3 outstanding tight five forwards for Oz Schools last year: locks Jones (who can play 6 and 8 also) and Peterson, plus THP PAE. They have another year of eligibility for U20s in 2011 and their effect may be felt more next year but you never know. Jones has already been on the park for the Force in the S14 and the other 2 have played for, and trained with, their Academies.

The problem for the U/20 team apart from the 3 mentioned, is backup for them, hooker and LHP. The backrow and back 3 should be outstanding but the 9,10 and 12 positions don't have a lot of depth.

The front row looks a real problem. Be interesting to see how Alo-Emilie goes in this company, and it is hard to say who other front rowers will be. Maybe David Feao, the Souths junior? Plays Brisbane Prems at prop and more than holds his own. As for hooker, don't know of any youngsters in Qld that might fit the bill.

OZ is overly endowed with talented backrowers, it will be a case of who goes and who misses out. Schaatz, McCaffrey, Hooper, Quirk, Tala Gray and Fainga'a will all come in to calculation, as will Gill if he is allowed to play. Maybe a couple of them can cover lock positions?

Half is another unknown for mine. Turner and Breddenham perhaps?

 

[spectator]

I think the halfback question was probably answered last night with Swanepoel making an appearance for the Force. What has happened to Turner? There was also a question about locks. Maybe Ted Postal puts up his hand after appearing off the bench for the Force last night?

 

[Lee Grant]

IIRR Turner had a S14 rookie contract in 2009, the year after he left school, but he got stress fractures of the back before the S14 comp and didn't come right until after it. He looked decent playing in the Shute Shield in Sydney last year but the Force were probably a bit shy of giving damaged goods another contract.


In 2010 he's in their professional Academy but Swanepoel has a rookie contract now. Sometimes Academy players are used before S14 contracted players, but more often not. It's cheaper, and besides, it gives the coaching staff an idea how a rookie is travelling.

Did Swanepoel play grade last year? If so, how did he go?

 

[TOCC]

Swanepoel played for Cottelsloe premier grade in the WA comp i believe, from reports he went quite well, not exceptional but held his own

 

[Doc]

Swanepoel always looked good up here in the NTS etc.

Great athlete. He was one I wanted Reds to hang on to after he was about 3rd-4th choice last year.