SR U20s 2025
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Jeez this Will Cole kid looks good. Puts a player through a gap and then follows up and then cuts right through the Fijians to score. He looks like he’s got plenty of time, a big indicator of a class player. Looks like a specialist 10 as well.
If the Canes don’t sign him the other franchises will be in talks. I know he’s been training with the main side but you never know with the Canes. Just look at how we lost Preston.
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@Canes4life Good to see Cole behind a pack providing front foot ball. He was an outstanding player at Rathkeale playing at 10 and surviving on scraps and often going backwards.
He would have been enjoying that ball from Tamati.@BMR323 said in SR U20s 2025:
@Canes4life Good to see Cole behind a pack providing front foot ball. He was an outstanding player at Rathkeale playing at 10 and surviving on scraps and often going backwards.
He would have been enjoying that ball from Tamati.Yup, a real talent. Seems composed, kicking game is very good, has a bit of pace and knows how to put other players away, on top of that he looks strong defensively. Definitely a player the Canes need to protect. First time watching him and he impressed me big time.
A performance that would have turned a few heads that’s for sure.
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Results so far:
Hurricanes 65 - 10 Fiji
Chiefs 59 - 19 BarbariansThe Balenaisa brothers played against each other in the second game.
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@BMR323 said in SR U20s 2025:
@Canes4life Good to see Cole behind a pack providing front foot ball. He was an outstanding player at Rathkeale playing at 10 and surviving on scraps and often going backwards.
He would have been enjoying that ball from Tamati.Yup, a real talent. Seems composed, kicking game is very good, has a bit of pace and knows how to put other players away, on top of that he looks strong defensively. Definitely a player the Canes need to protect. First time watching him and he impressed me big time.
A performance that would have turned a few heads that’s for sure.
@Canes4life He is a great kid as well. Top drawer fellow.
Definitely one for the Cane's to keep. -
I might be odd man out but i expect 10s to play attack and defence. Cole was great on attack, really impressive. But he wasnt able to stop anything on defence. Numerous times he looked timid and scared on defence. Tackles high. Not my cup of tea.
Forwards were better but still lacking that fire. Bason, Irving and Falloon? Looked great. Once again though, too much depending on their backs. Outsides of solomon, denyer and kenedy look the deal. Oconnor at 12 had nice touches.
Chiefs - wow. Didnt see that scoreline coming. Brutal on attack and their forwards played like a unit for 90% of the game. Good work in the backs, look slick and fast. Big fan of the 9.
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Crusaders looked oddly average. Credit to MP who had some physical ball runners.
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Blues in a high scoring game 48-45 over the Landers some great tries but the defence lacking from both teams ..more questions than answers out of this game ..Pledger is a talent
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Blues in a high scoring game 48-45 over the Landers some great tries but the defence lacking from both teams ..more questions than answers out of this game ..Pledger is a talent
@Steven-Harris said in SR U20s 2025:
Blues in a high scoring game 48-45 over the Landers some great tries but the defence lacking from both teams ..more questions than answers out of this game ..Pledger is a talent
Really entertaining.
Blues pack bossed us a bit. Just bigger kids.
Players to impress me for the Landers.
Not including Pledger or Tengblad who were two of the best on the field.
Shaun Kempton:
A small hooker, but his skillset is wild. He can contest up and unders, winning them in the air. Throw cut out passes and is very quick for a hooker.
Gregor Rutledge:
Another smallish player. Into everything. Despite his size, he held his own well in the collisions. Gets some good yards with ball in hand too.
Mika Muliaina:
Ran the backline well. Some really impressive kicks for territory. Including a 50/22. Wiling to take on the line. First year out of school. Still a bit small.
Tayne Harvey:
Nice angled runs and a strong passing game. All the talent required to step up, may need to put a bit of weight on.
Kyan Rangitutia and Josh Augistine:
Both had strong performances on the wings. When Rangitutia played in the NPC, he looked a boy against men. At this level he looked like a man against boys. Augistine played the same way he did in Dunedin Club Rugby. Strong into contact, and willing to give it a go.
Disappointing to lose that game. Plenty of talent in the side.
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I thought Otago were the better team. Some silly errors in crucial times and defence really let them down.
So how do the semi's work out? Whose playing who?
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After watching all of the games, I am still concerned about our prop depth. We have some mobile props like Pole and Palmer but they aren't very big by international U20 standards. We'll need some power in the locks to help with the scrum.
I think the SFs will be Hurricanes v Blues and Chiefs v Crusaders if PD is used for the ranking.
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Crusaders v Blues in 2nd round
Highlanders v Moana Pasifika -
Was based off rankings I believe
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@Steven-Harris said in SR U20s 2025:
Blues in a high scoring game 48-45 over the Landers some great tries but the defence lacking from both teams ..more questions than answers out of this game ..Pledger is a talent
Really entertaining.
Blues pack bossed us a bit. Just bigger kids.
Players to impress me for the Landers.
Not including Pledger or Tengblad who were two of the best on the field.
Shaun Kempton:
A small hooker, but his skillset is wild. He can contest up and unders, winning them in the air. Throw cut out passes and is very quick for a hooker.
Gregor Rutledge:
Another smallish player. Into everything. Despite his size, he held his own well in the collisions. Gets some good yards with ball in hand too.
Mika Muliaina:
Ran the backline well. Some really impressive kicks for territory. Including a 50/22. Wiling to take on the line. First year out of school. Still a bit small.
Tayne Harvey:
Nice angled runs and a strong passing game. All the talent required to step up, may need to put a bit of weight on.
Kyan Rangitutia and Josh Augistine:
Both had strong performances on the wings. When Rangitutia played in the NPC, he looked a boy against men. At this level he looked like a man against boys. Augistine played the same way he did in Dunedin Club Rugby. Strong into contact, and willing to give it a go.
Disappointing to lose that game. Plenty of talent in the side.
@SouthernMann actually thought the Landers looked the better team for long periods problem is whenever they scored the Blues scored
Agree with many of the lads you mentioned those big bodies of the Blues very much the difference
Thought Atiken,Simpson and Saunoa were good value for the Blues in the backs and Woodley ,Keith and Tuitupou were a busy loose trio
A couple of questionable decisions from Winter who is an experienced whistler but will take the win . -
Landers were deserving the win. Feel for those lads. Starting prop who got most minutes was in moon boot Friday and Saturday, gets most minutes for prop. Anyone that watches will see who that was. Some management decisions did not help these guys.
Blues were good too, great to see 2 competitive games.
Agree with earlier ranking comments. Its hard to rank as teams change yearly and it appears to be ranked from previous years placings. -
Difficult to make rankings accurate with teams only playing once p/year.
Perhaps they change it evey year so the NZ Super teams play a different non NZ Super team. They determine rankings via points for and against?
Its not great but neither is current setup.
Anyway, caught up with our nephew and sounds like Chiefs are fighting fit with only minor niggles for Tues game. He said the Canes might have a few players out in the midfield and loose trio.
Not trying to look too far but my head and heart are saying Chiefs for the win and i expect a different Crusaders team to turn up vs the Blues. I think theyll settle down early and run some of those big Blues forwards ragged.
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@Steven-Harris said in SR U20s 2025:
Blues in a high scoring game 48-45 over the Landers some great tries but the defence lacking from both teams ..more questions than answers out of this game ..Pledger is a talent
Really entertaining.
Blues pack bossed us a bit. Just bigger kids.
Players to impress me for the Landers.
Not including Pledger or Tengblad who were two of the best on the field.
Shaun Kempton:
A small hooker, but his skillset is wild. He can contest up and unders, winning them in the air. Throw cut out passes and is very quick for a hooker.
Gregor Rutledge:
Another smallish player. Into everything. Despite his size, he held his own well in the collisions. Gets some good yards with ball in hand too.
Mika Muliaina:
Ran the backline well. Some really impressive kicks for territory. Including a 50/22. Wiling to take on the line. First year out of school. Still a bit small.
Tayne Harvey:
Nice angled runs and a strong passing game. All the talent required to step up, may need to put a bit of weight on.
Kyan Rangitutia and Josh Augistine:
Both had strong performances on the wings. When Rangitutia played in the NPC, he looked a boy against men. At this level he looked like a man against boys. Augistine played the same way he did in Dunedin Club Rugby. Strong into contact, and willing to give it a go.
Disappointing to lose that game. Plenty of talent in the side.
@SouthernMann was impressed with Mika as well, thought he may have outplayed Rico in this one. Believe too that he's still eligible for New Zealand U18.
