2020 NZ Schools
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Team Clarke, named after former Chiefs lock and co-captain Craig Clarke, will take on the Blues Team Maungawhau in the opening game of the afternoon at 1.05pm. Team Messam, named after the Chiefs most capped player and former co-captain Liam Messam, will conclude the afternoon kicking off against the Blues Team Maungakiekie at 2.35pm.
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@taniwharugby There are a handful playing in the first game who are also reserves in the second game. Probably comes down to numbers and injuries to some original selections.
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A good afternoon of rugby under the sun. A lot of the Blues ABs were watching too.
If the results matter, Chiefs Clarke beat Blues Maungawhau 14-10 and Blues Maungakiekie beat Chiefs Messam 26-17.
Almost all of the Blues Maungakiekie starting XV is part of the 50-man squad for NZ Schools, and their 9 (Iobu) and 10 (Faleafaga) will likely be first choice for NZ Schools.
It will be interesting to see who else makes which squad.
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Just wondering. The Crusaders and Highlanders U18 teams above don't include the players selected for the 2020 New Zealand Barbarians Under 18 squad. So maybe the players that are in the squad have already travelled to the NI and play each other there, and maybe a game against Hurricanes U18? The silence from the Hurricanes has been deafening about the U18s, so no idea what's going on there.
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@Stargazer There's only 3 from Otago in that squad so they probably aren't going to be involved in the Highlanders U18 team. As you say, the same for the Crusaders players. I'm not sure who the Hurricanes U18s could play unless an inter-squad game.
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There are no Christ’s college or Nelson college players. We also have 13 boys in the nz schools camp. It’s a shame they can’t have them on different weeks.
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@chchfanatic The Chiefs U18 1st 5 is also a year 12 (Taha Kemara from Hamilton BHS) so not uncommon in the NI either. He's made the 50 for the NZ Schools teams.