WR U20 Championship 2025
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So, listened to TJ talking to Devlin on his podcast.
Reckons NZ's kicking game was excellent and pinned the Eyeties back into their territory, despite poor ball handling.
Haven't watched the game but interested in opinions of those who did.
Frankly I'm thinking the Eyeties nowadays would be thought of as a threat, and given TJ's thoughts as above were we really that bad, or are our prejudices affecting our opinions?
Didn't we just beat the almighty Seffricans in Seffrica?
Are we over reacting just a smidge?
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So, listened to TJ talking to Devlin on his podcast.
Reckons NZ's kicking game was excellent and pinned the Eyeties back into their territory, despite poor ball handling.
Haven't watched the game but interested in opinions of those who did.
Frankly I'm thinking the Eyeties nowadays would be thought of as a threat, and given TJ's thoughts as above were we really that bad, or are our prejudices affecting our opinions?
Didn't we just beat the almighty Seffricans in Seffrica?
Are we over reacting just a smidge?
@booboo said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Frankly I'm thinking the Eyeties nowadays would be thought of as a threat, and given TJ's thoughts as above were we really that bad, or are our prejudices affecting our opinions?
While I think the Italy U20s defended admirably and clearly had done their homework on the NZ U20s' attacking structures, there were still a lot of unforced errors from the Baby Blacks (I'm still going to keep using the term because I don't want to write 'NZ U20s' over and over; yes, I am concerned with reading experience!).
And I do think that's a step backwards because some of the standout traits of their TRC U20 campaign were the quality of their handling, their patience in attack and a lack of unforced turnovers.
So yes, the Italians played well but the NZ U20s still should've been a lot more clinical. They had several possessions in the Italy 22 in which they were in an excellent position to finish but were held up (lack of patience) or they turned the ball over cheaply by going for an offload that wasn't on. So some clear areas in which they need to be better if they're going to have a good tournament.
Agreed with TJ that the kicking game was good.
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@booboo said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Frankly I'm thinking the Eyeties nowadays would be thought of as a threat, and given TJ's thoughts as above were we really that bad, or are our prejudices affecting our opinions?
While I think the Italy U20s defended admirably and clearly had done their homework on the NZ U20s' attacking structures, there were still a lot of unforced errors from the Baby Blacks (I'm still going to keep using the term because I don't want to write 'NZ U20s' over and over; yes, I am concerned with reading experience!).
And I do think that's a step backwards because some of the standout traits of their TRC U20 campaign were the quality of their handling, their patience in attack and a lack of unforced turnovers.
So yes, the Italians played well but the NZ U20s still should've been a lot more clinical. They had several possessions in the Italy 22 in which they were in an excellent position to finish but were held up (lack of patience) or they turned the ball over cheaply by going for an offload that wasn't on. So some clear areas in which they need to be better if they're going to have a good tournament.
Agreed with TJ that the kicking game was good.
@Mauss said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
@booboo said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Frankly I'm thinking the Eyeties nowadays would be thought of as a threat, and given TJ's thoughts as above were we really that bad, or are our prejudices affecting our opinions?
While I think the Italy U20s defended admirably and clearly had done their homework on the NZ U20s' attacking structures, there were still a lot of unforced errors from the Baby Blacks (I'm still going to keep using the term because I don't want to write 'NZ U20s' over and over; yes, I am concerned with reading experience!).
And I do think that's a step backwards because some of the standout traits of their TRC U20 campaign were the quality of their handling, their patience in attack and a lack of unforced turnovers.
So yes, the Italians played well but the NZ U20s still should've been a lot more clinical. They had several possessions in the Italy 22 in which they were in an excellent position to finish but were held up (lack of patience) or they turned the ball over cheaply by going for an offload that wasn't on. So some clear areas in which they need to be better if they're going to have a good tournament.
Agreed with TJ that the kicking game was good.
So, not "the worst team" ever"?
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@Mauss said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
@booboo said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Frankly I'm thinking the Eyeties nowadays would be thought of as a threat, and given TJ's thoughts as above were we really that bad, or are our prejudices affecting our opinions?
While I think the Italy U20s defended admirably and clearly had done their homework on the NZ U20s' attacking structures, there were still a lot of unforced errors from the Baby Blacks (I'm still going to keep using the term because I don't want to write 'NZ U20s' over and over; yes, I am concerned with reading experience!).
And I do think that's a step backwards because some of the standout traits of their TRC U20 campaign were the quality of their handling, their patience in attack and a lack of unforced turnovers.
So yes, the Italians played well but the NZ U20s still should've been a lot more clinical. They had several possessions in the Italy 22 in which they were in an excellent position to finish but were held up (lack of patience) or they turned the ball over cheaply by going for an offload that wasn't on. So some clear areas in which they need to be better if they're going to have a good tournament.
Agreed with TJ that the kicking game was good.
So, not "the worst team" ever"?
@booboo said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
So, not "the worst team" ever"?
Ha, no, I don't think that at all. To me, they look pretty decently coached (they had identified Italy's threat at maul time and were able to effectively nullify them there) and I think there's plenty of talent throughout the side.
The Italy game was a frustrating watch so I can understand some of the more extreme takes. But I don't think they're warranted. The team's weaknesses - a frail scrum, a lack of squad depth in the tight five, occasionally weak defence - are rather typical of an NZ U20 side.
Their main challenge will be to replace Tengblad's ability and work rate at set-piece and the breakdown. If they can do that, as well as integrate a talent like Mathis into the side without disrupting the team's rhythm, I think they can do very well in the tournament.
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Believe he might have played six during his stint in Christchurch club a few weeks ago
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Yup, Mathis has played 6 a couple of times for his club in Christchurch. Mixed in with one game at 7 and another game on the wing.
@Landers92 said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Yup, Mathis has played 6 a couple of times for his club in Christchurch. Mixed in with one game at 7 and another game on the wing.
He will be a really useful acquisition for the Crusaders next year.
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@Landers92 said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Yup, Mathis has played 6 a couple of times for his club in Christchurch. Mixed in with one game at 7 and another game on the wing.
He will be a really useful acquisition for the Crusaders next year.
@SouthernMann said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
@Landers92 said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Yup, Mathis has played 6 a couple of times for his club in Christchurch. Mixed in with one game at 7 and another game on the wing.
He will be a really useful acquisition for the Crusaders next year.
Dislike.
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That's a very short loose forward trio, and I don't remember Mathis ever playing 6, only 7 and 8.
@Bovidae said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
That's a very short loose forward trio, and I don't remember Mathis ever playing 6, only 7 and 8.
Uhm, have you seen the size of Woodley?!
All.rugby is usually pretty reliable so I’m not sure what’s happened there. But yeah, it is a short backrow. If the lineout becomes a disaster, then I guess McLeod will be quick to come off the bench, perhaps for someone like Woodley (who's more 1.80 m rather than 1.97...).
I think Fale has a real opportunity to stake a claim for the number 8-jersey. Bason is a talented player but he’s been too quiet in most games for my liking (he was good against the Junior Boks). The game against Italy was a slog between the two packs yet he wasn’t nearly prominent enough. If Fale performs against Georgia and can deliver a solid 50 minutes, I think there’s a good chance he’ll keep the jersey.
And finally, I like the backline but I hope that the coaching group is clear on who they see as their first-choice first five, whether it’s Simpson or Cole. I don’t think it’s a position where you can afford much rotation, especially with an attack as elaborate as that of the NZ U20s. Simpson kicked well against Italy, together with Cole, and they made sure not to overplay in attack. He’ll need to display similar patience against Georgia, together with Solomon, in what will most likely be challenging conditions once again.
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@Bovidae said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
That's a very short loose forward trio, and I don't remember Mathis ever playing 6, only 7 and 8.
Uhm, have you seen the size of Woodley?!
All.rugby is usually pretty reliable so I’m not sure what’s happened there. But yeah, it is a short backrow. If the lineout becomes a disaster, then I guess McLeod will be quick to come off the bench, perhaps for someone like Woodley (who's more 1.80 m rather than 1.97...).
I think Fale has a real opportunity to stake a claim for the number 8-jersey. Bason is a talented player but he’s been too quiet in most games for my liking (he was good against the Junior Boks). The game against Italy was a slog between the two packs yet he wasn’t nearly prominent enough. If Fale performs against Georgia and can deliver a solid 50 minutes, I think there’s a good chance he’ll keep the jersey.
And finally, I like the backline but I hope that the coaching group is clear on who they see as their first-choice first five, whether it’s Simpson or Cole. I don’t think it’s a position where you can afford much rotation, especially with an attack as elaborate as that of the NZ U20s. Simpson kicked well against Italy, together with Cole, and they made sure not to overplay in attack. He’ll need to display similar patience against Georgia, together with Solomon, in what will most likely be challenging conditions once again.
@Mauss said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
@Bovidae said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
That's a very short loose forward trio, and I don't remember Mathis ever playing 6, only 7 and 8.
Uhm, have you seen the size of Woodley?!
It's on the internet so must be true!
I've seen all three of these loose forwards up close and Mathis would be the tallest, and is probably closer to 1.83 m himself. Speaking of heights, it was funny (in a perverse way) to see Rico Simpson being taller than the locks when they lined up for the national anthems.
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@Mauss said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
@Bovidae said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
That's a very short loose forward trio, and I don't remember Mathis ever playing 6, only 7 and 8.
Uhm, have you seen the size of Woodley?!
It's on the internet so must be true!
I've seen all three of these loose forwards up close and Mathis would be the tallest, and is probably closer to 1.83 m himself. Speaking of heights, it was funny (in a perverse way) to see Rico Simpson being taller than the locks when they lined up for the national anthems.
@Bovidae said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Speaking of heights, it was funny (in a perverse way) to see Rico Simpson being taller than the locks when they lined up for the national anthems.
At least his younger brother had the good sense of becoming a forward.
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@Bovidae said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Speaking of heights, it was funny (in a perverse way) to see Rico Simpson being taller than the locks when they lined up for the national anthems.
At least his younger brother had the good sense of becoming a forward.
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@brodean said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Hopefully he has a bit more weight on him
I’m sure he has, if only just. He’s a lanky player like his brother: tall, skinny and long-limbed. But he’s still very young – he’s the current Sacred Heart number 8 – so I’m sure he’ll put on the weight in due time.
He’s a great player to watch, very involved around the field and a solid athlete to boot. He was great for the Māori U18 against NZ Schools last year, very strong in the lineout and a turnover threat at the breakdown as well. Also a very decent sevens player, which I’d think would be an interesting pathway for him.
Talented rugby family!
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@Bovidae said in WR U20 Championship 2025:
Speaking of heights, it was funny (in a perverse way) to see Rico Simpson being taller than the locks when they lined up for the national anthems.
At least his younger brother had the good sense of becoming a forward.
