2022 New Zealand U20s

[Stargazer]

Great to have a reason to start this thread:

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Oceania U20 Championship confirmed for Sunshine Coast

Oceania Rugby and Rugby Australia have confirmed the upcoming Oceania U20 Championships will be held on the Sunshine Coast from July 1-10.

The tournament will see hosts Australia take on newcomers Argentina, New Zealand and Fiji at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

The tournament has become the major warm-up tournament ahead of the U20 World Championships, which will return in 2023.

The Junior Wallabies enter as defending champions after their heroics in 2019, which saw now established stars such as Angus Bell, Harry Wilson and Noah Lolesio upset New Zealand 24-0 to claim the title.

2022 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship Schedule (Sunshine Coast Stadium)

Round 1: Friday 1 July 2022

• New Zealand v Fiji
• Australia v Argentina

Round 2: Tuesday 5 July 2022

• New Zealand v Argentina
• Australia v Fiji

Round 3: Sunday 10 July 2022

• Fiji v Argentina
• Australia v New Zealand

[cgrant]

Players who would probably figure in the future squad :

Bell
Bartlett
Calder
Holland
Palmer
Cahill
Sititi
Brial
Hotham
Kemara
Godfrey
Faleafaga
Nordstrom
Hurley
Springer

I guess they are going to be selected by Donelly but I might be wrong.

[Stargazer]

@cgrant Flanders

Although he didn't convince, I think Riley Higgins will be in it as well.

Nikora Broughton if he's not too old.

[Canes4life]

@Stargazer yeah I think both Higgins and Flanders will be in there. Higgins was injured against the Chiefs so not sure how severe his injury is.

Lakai is probably a lock in for that squad aswell.

[Bovidae]

Outside of Calder, I still have major doubts about the quality of the props on display when we face the NH scrums. I rate Mason Tupaea but he seemed to play more at TH when he has always been a LH prop.

I am sure Donnelly will favour players who have already played NPC/SR (Lasaqa and Michaels not mentioned above), and there are also a few who are injured and didn't play in Taupō.

[Bovidae]

Cahill shines in Taupō after challenging build up

Tahlor Cahill spent three months training with the Crusaders Under 20 side ahead of the Bunnings Warehouse Super Rugby Under 20 tournament in Taupō.

[TheMojoman]

Yeehaa..in my backyard. Will be definitely heading down to the Sunny Coast Stadium to watch this.

[Bovidae]

The New Zealand Under 20 squad is:
Forwards
Josh Bartlett (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
Josh Beehre (Blues/Auckland)
George Bell (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Joe Brial (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Tahlor Cahill (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Seb Calder (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Oliver Haig (Highlanders/Otago)
Jamie Hannah (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Fabian Holland (Highlanders/Otago)
Peter Lakai (Hurricanes/Wellington)
Siale Lauaki (Hurricanes/Wellington)
Hayden Michaels (Highlanders/Southland)
Lavengamonu (Monu) Moli (Crusaders/Ta$man)
Viliami Napa'a (Crusaders/Ta$man)
Wallace Sititi (Blues/Auckland)
Mason Tupaea (Chiefs/Waikato)
Raymond Tuputupu (Hurricanes/Manawatu)

Backs
Lucas Cashmore (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
Harry Godfrey (Hurricanes/Shield Snorters)
Riley Higgins (Hurricanes/Wellington)
Noah Hotham (Highlanders/Ta$man)
Finn Hurley (Highlanders/Otago)
Joel Lam (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Adam Lennox (Chiefs/Taranaki)
Cameron Millar (Highlanders/Otago)
Jone Rova (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Mackay (Macca) Springer (Crusaders/Ta$man)
Jake Te Hiwi (Highlanders/Otago)
Essendon Tuitupou (Blues/Auckland)
Nik Vikena (Crusaders/Ta$man)

New Zealand Under 20 squad named

The next generation of rugby stars will have the opportunity to don the black jersey next month with a New Zealand Under 20 squad named today for their first international fixtures in three years.

[Tim]

Not many Chiefs or Blues players in there.

[Bovidae]

It doesn't look like too many players in their first year out of school. Tuitupou might be the exception.

Surprised not to see Veveni Lasaqa there. A few ordinary selections for me.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Tim 9 Crusaders to 3 Blues yet the Blues u20 destroyed the Saders in the recent tournament.

[Bovidae]

@Daffy-Jaffy The Chiefs were under-represented last year but won the tournament.

The players selected might just correspond to where the coaches are from.

The New Zealand Under 20s will be headed by former All Black Tom Donnelly, with assistant coaches Cory Jane and Scott Hansen.

[Chris]

@Daffy-Jaffy said in 2022 New Zealand U20s:

@Tim 9 Crusaders to 3 Blues yet the Blues u20 destroyed the Saders in the recent tournament.

11 Crusaders

[SouthernMann]

Sounded like the team was pretty much already picked prior to the tournament.

[bobily2]

I believe 2 of those Crusaders players didn't play in the Crusaders team that lost to the Blues (they were in the Barbarians instead).

Edit: Surprised not to see Kemara there

Edit again: I think just one of the Crusaders was in the Barbarians.

[Tim]

@Bovidae said in 2022 New Zealand U20s:

Tom Donnelly, with assistant coaches Cory Jane

Those are some very shit coaches.

NZ U20 head coach seems to be a job for the worst NPC "Championship" coach.

[Bovidae]

@bobily2 Just Cahill I think, and he wasn't considered good enough. He is the other player first year out of school.

Hannah is a lightweight lock. Beehre and Haig have some bulk to them.

This squad looks weaker than the 2021 U20s.

[Stargazer]

No Cooper Flanders?

[Bovidae]

The only player listed as "Unavailable for selection" is Caleb Tangitau due to the All Blacks Sevens. It would be good to know if others are injured as Kemara might be one of those. I wasn't surprised he wasn't included as they tend to favour the older players. In this case, Cashmore, Godfrey and Millar.

[cgrant]

Kemara is the most surprising omission. The Highlanders first five (Faleafaga ?) is another one who caught the eye but who is not selected. The beefy Chiefs lock looked like a certainty to me but does not figure either.