Australia’s Underneath 20s completed the current SANZAAR competitors in a really respectable second place after drawing with New Zealand first up however occurring to beat South Africa and Argentina in tight tussles.
The second event benefited from the absence of the rain that overshadowed final 12 months’s inaugural competitors, with loads of free flowing rugby on show in addition to an attention-grabbing dynamic at set piece the place the 2 groups that struggled at scrum time nonetheless managed to complete on prime, one thing you don’t actually see at senior degree.
The World Rugby Championship in Italy now awaits so the query for the Australian crew is whether or not to comply with New Zealand’s lead and tinker with the squad (and no I don’t imply go in search of a brand new head coach as properly…).
NZ have introduced within the extremely promising Oli Mathis from the sevens program amongst a lot of different inclusions and Australia seems to be to be contemplating their choices in that regard as properly.
Aden Ekanayake and Hadley Tonga have been sighted at the newest U20s camp and with Ekanayake having began the vast majority of final 12 months’s fixtures and Tonga on what I believe is a twin format contract, the temptation to incorporate them should be sturdy.
At whose expense although?
I used to be pleasantly shocked with how efficient our backrow was throughout the current marketing campaign and it will be an enormous name to drop considered one of Eli Langi, Jacob Vieru, Beau Morrison, Toby Brial, Tom Robinson or Luca Cleverley for Ekanayake who (whereas now a 12 months older after all) seemed off the tempo bodily final 12 months. Given Langi, Robinson and Cleverley all have one other 12 months in this system and are all in the identical versatile participant mildew as Ekanayake, it’s more likely to be considered one of them. Cleverley should still be recovering from the damage he sustained throughout the marketing campaign but when he’s match and out there, I don’t envy the teaching workers having to inform a kind of three that they gained’t be making the journey to Italy.
Compounding the backrow dilemma is the return of Austin Durbidge from damage in addition to the type of Marshall Le Maitre. Durbridge was after all a part of the squad final 12 months and has been enjoying Reserve Grade for Sydney Uni whereas Le Maitre has skipped colts since graduating from Shore final 12 months and been placing in actually stable performances for the Northern Suburbs 1st Grade facet.
Each add most of their worth on the breakdown and also you’d argue that it was one space the Australian crew didn’t affect sufficient so there’s good rationale to incorporate each fetchers. There’s additionally loads of scope to hold two specialists given the remainder of the backrow squad can play both 6 or 8, whereas Brial or Robinson can transfer into the second row in a pinch.
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – MAY 01: Australia react throughout the U20 Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and Australia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Could 01, 2025 in Gqeberha, South Africa. (Picture by Richard Huggard/Gallo Photos)
A correct choice headache however a great one to have. If I have been within the coaches footwear I might be leaving Cleverley, Vieru and Langi behind to accommodate the three new blokes however can perceive retaining Vieru as a substitute of Le Maitre given it’s Vieru’s final hurrah and Le Maitre has subsequent 12 months.
The backline in the meantime was a standout for the Aussies and once more somebody will likely be very unfortunate to overlook out to Tonga. His pace and restricted possibilities as a result of damage final 12 months most likely imply Rugby Australia have to get a great have a look at him in a XV’s setting, notably in opposition to his friends, if there’s curiosity in renewing his contract.
Nick Conway is the pup of the squad (even being eligible for u18s this 12 months) however he’s a potent finisher so my inclination could be to depart one of many centres come wingers in Rubens behind as we’ve acquired loads of protection there.
The temptation and rationale is there to tweak the squad however there’s loads to be mentioned for squad consistency given the promising performances to this point.
What do we predict punters? To tinker or to not tinker?
