A lethal New Zealand Under 20 team threatened to thrash the young Aussies in the first half but the home team was able to hold their own after the break and return a more respectable score.
Both teams were undefeated and the winner would win the inaugural Oceania Junior Rugby Championship.
First Half
The first quarter hour was like an album of greatest hits as both teams bashed each other with good line speed on attack or defence, as though they had a joy of contact.
The Aussies took the lead when 10 Andrew Deegan kicked an early penalty goal. NZ looked more likely to score tries later because they operated outside their own real estate, getting out of there with well-placed kicks. The one good early chance for the home team was spoiled by a bad lineout throw.
The tempo of the Kiwis and their backing-up looked ominous. At about 20 minutes I made a note wondering how long the Aussies could keep up opposing their physicality and momentum, on defence. Then three minutes later a snipe by scrummie TT Tahuriorangi on the Aussie goal line produced the first try for NZ.
The Australians weren’t as fresh now and after 9 James Tuttle kicked priceless scrum ball away and kicks were exchanged, imposing no.8 Blake Gibson avoided one of several missed Aussie tackles in the afternoon—if Aussies were there to make them at all. TJ Faiane scored after good ball-work, and the conversion by impressive first-five Mitchell Hunt made the score 12-3 with ten minutes left in the first half.
Almost immediately NZ raided again but winger Joey Fittock forced the ball-runner out near the corner post. It was scant respite though because the 5-metre lineout throw was too long and Hunt recovered the ball to score untouched for the Kiwis.
After the restart Tuttle kicked the ball away again, and again New Zealand went on a gifted rampage; this time for 13 Anton Lienert-Brown to dot down. The Aussies were falling off tackles, but the support play of the visitors was brilliant.
But just before the break the Aussies were able to pick and go in the NZ 22 and after the ball was spread to Fittock he scored in the corner.
Hunt had converted the last two Kiwi tries, which made the half time score: New Zealand 26 – Australia 8.
It was too easy for NZ: the Aussies were flagging and the ball-work and backing up of the visitors made it look like the Ones were playing the Twos.
Second Half
It looked like more of the same when Australia dropped the kick-off, and after a penalty from the scrum the ball was spun out wide for winger Vincent Tavae-Aso to score on the other side of the field. It looked as easy for the Kiwis as shelling peas.
But the visitors showed they were human by knocking the ball on in their territory. From a ruck near the NZ 22 LHP Cameron Orr took the ball up for Australia and after some assaults on the NZ line 12 Duncan Paia’aua stepped his way over the line (see top photo.}
When Deegan converted the score was 31-15 to NZ, nine minutes into the half.
Australia couldn’t stop a Kiwi response and they raided immediately with a signature blitz for Gibson to score.
It wasn’t all going their way though and when Orr poached the ball after the restart the Aussies set up a 5-metre lineout from a penalty. Replacement backrower Sam Croke scored with his first touch of the ball and the scoreline said: NZ 38 – Australia 22, after 15 minutes of the second half.
When the Aussies were pushed back on the own scrum for the first time in the match Hunt slotted a penalty goal for NZ and later when the men in gold made a mistake in their 22 the Kiwis were where they wanted to be. They eventually mauled their way over for reserve Tau Koloamatangi to get five points. NZ 46-22.
Near the end the Kiwis blunted an Aussie raid and had a five-metre scrum but somehow reserve burglar Jack McCalman stole the ball and went over for Australia.
The Deegan conversion finished the scoring.
Final score New Zealand 46 – Australia 29.
The Players
There weren’t too many notable players for Australia and their top performers in the two earlier games found the Kiwis hard enough to handle, let alone to shine against them. Many, like lock Lukhan Lealaiauloto-Tui and later winger Tyson Davis, made a fine individual effort (or two or three), but their weren’t many who made their mark for most of the game.
But the clear standout and best Aussie was loose head prop Cameron Orr who made key tackles, poached the ball and went on a rampaging run that set up a try situation. His side of the scrum didn’t have too much trouble either when the Aussies made the hit.
For New Zealand 15 Luteru Laulata was like the Black Death and often needed too many defenders to stop him, and more often than not he would dish the ball out just before they got to him anyway.
The Kiwi back row was superb and the G&GR man-of-the-match award goes to no.8 Blake Gibson who looks like an All Black in the making. It is hard to refute the observation of the TV commentator that he is like a young Kieran Read because he plays the same way—and at the Under 20 level he has the same effect.
The Wrap Up
New Zealand has struggled by their standards in the World Under 20s and haven’t won the tournament since 2011—and didn’t make the finals in the last two years. It’s difficult to say if they are back to their historical best based on this game because their opponents missed too many tackles, or weren’t in place to make them.
They won’t bother South Africa and England in physique or physicality but they will force them to hunt them down because of their almost Borg-like ball work and backing up. On defence the Kiwis will bring the tackle line forward with top speed and opponents will have to think quick, and be quick, to win the race to the rucks. New Zealand players will also receive the ball as they run at top pace.
Australia was poor in the first half but there was a glimpse of hope in the second because they scored 21 points to 20 after the break.
The main problem of the Aussies was a lack of speed – speed of appreciating what was happening in fluid moments, speed of reacting when they worked it out, and speed of realigning in new situations. Their speed as they got the ball was slow also.
Their scrum was good but they lost too much lineout ball and bad throwing was part of that.
As good as the new Under 20 Aussie competition set up is, as is the training for it, the Kiwis always looked like they had been coached well from a younger age and therefore could slot better into playing with strangers
On that effort the young Aussies will struggle in at the World Under 20s to make the semi-finals. But some absent players will return and there is another camp in Sydney, plus a game against a senior Australian Barbarians side, before they go to Italy.
There will be improvement.
The Scoring
New Zealand – 46 (TT Tahuriorangi, TJ Faiane, M. Hunt, A. Lienert-Brown, V. Tavae-Aso, B. Gibson, T. Koloamatangi tries; M. Hunt 4 cons, pen) def. Australia 29 (J. Fittock, D. Paia’aua, S. Croke, J. McCalman tries; A. Deegan 3 cons, pen)
All photos by HJ Nelson
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