World Rugby Under 20 Championship 2019

[FrenchFan]

Cracking final - Bravo les Bleuets! Back to Back World Champs

My pick in the forwards are Killian Geraci playing in his 3rd RWC - Killian is lost on Grenoble and needs to sign in T14. Rayne Barka, Jordan Joseph, Matthias Haddad. In the backs: Matthis Lebel, Arthur Vincent, Louis Carbonel, Donovan Taofifenua

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Jordan Joseph is a monster. It won’t be long before he’s featuring for France men’s.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Can’t wait to see these guys playing out of position in the six nations in two years.

 

[Derpus]

So close but not to be. Good effort.

 

[Scotty]

A couple of fine tries for Hodge in there too. Probably player of the tournament for England and perhaps Newcastle’s relegation is an ideal opportunity for him to build some game time at senior level.

Yes i was thinking the same. Has anyone got any stats on josh hodge this tournement? How many kicks he actually made without missing?

 

[BPM]

Most of stats are on the World Rugby website (https://www.world.rugby/u20/stats).

Hodge was the tournament’s top points scorer with 63 points in total including 2 tries and 24 successful shots at goal (a good few of which were quite tricky kicks).

He also topped the clean-breaks (11) to top off a very successful tournament from an individual point of view.

He’s very slight and will need to fill out a bit to make it at the top level, but a year in the Championship could be just what he needs if Richards gives him the opportunity. He definitely should get a look-in with Hammersley and Kibirige having
left.

 

[Scotty]

5 penalties scored...19 conversions non missed and quite a few from the sidelines pretty much. What record as well as bzcking it up with 11 clean breaks.

100% agree with above.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Future on the wing or a move to fullback? His skillset seems to be better suited to 15, not that he had been a bad winger by any stretch.

 

[erwanseb]

Jordan Joseph is a monster. It won’t be long before he’s featuring for France men’s.

Jordan Joseph is still eligible for the U20 for the next two years.

 

[profitius]

Not a bad year for the Ireland U20s. A good year in fact and we'll see a load of these players capped in the next 2 to 4 years.


Next years pack should be decent also. Returning are McKee, Ahern, Clarkson, McCann, Deeny and Ward.

 

[Scotty]

What do we think about the potential of Rus Tuima? He's no where near there and is not yet going to be picked for the first team at chiefs. But has he got a bright future i think as he hands are good and he is a big guy and a physical tackler. He maybe needs to work on fitness and loss weight as he fills out.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

What do we think about the potential of Rus Tuima? He's no where near there and is not yet going to be picked for the first team at chiefs. But has he got a bright future i think as he hands are good and he is a big guy and a physical tackler. He maybe needs to work on fitness and loss weight as he fills out.

Honestly, don't think he's got a ton of potential. Like you said, he really needs to improve his fitness as he gave away too many pens from lazy stuff like not rolling away. I don't think that's the biggest concern though, as fitness is an easy thing to improve on with an easy solution; he just needs to lose weight. What I think is the bigger issue is that with ball in hand he just doesn't seem to make much of an impact. Watching him carry you'd never think that he's a guy who's apparently heavier than Binny (he went into this tournament at 131kg, compared to Binny at 130). He had less carrying impetus than guys like Willis, Adkins and Hinkley, who are all 20-30kg lighter. I think that's the bigger concern, as when you're already 20+ stone there isn't a lot you can do that's going to drastically improve you're carrying ability.

Hopefully if he loses weight then he'll get faster, which could see his carrying improve, but he'll be carrying less weight into contact so it's not a sure thing.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Seen absolutely nothing from Tuima to suggest he'll make it at senior level.
He's there cause he's big but he'll lose that when not at age grade.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Seen absolutely nothing from Tuima to suggest he'll make it at senior level.
He's there cause he's big but he'll lose that when not at age grade.

Reminds me a bit of Moore.
A lot of hype initially due to U18's where but very lacklustre at U20's.


Moore was being hyped as a Welsh international LOL.

 

[Scotty]

I personally think they need to put him as a skelton style lock and get him lean and fitter and make him earn it because as you say Olyy being big works at lower level but not senior...not on its own!

But i do think being big CAN be a good base to build from IF he is willing to work hard at it and listens to criticism of him. Hes big now and likely to be big compared to others in the prem eventually but that doesnt mean alot if not used right.

Hope he can come good but who knows.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I personally think they need to put him as a skelton style lock and get him lean and fitter and make him earn it because as you say Olyy being big works at lower level but not senior...not on its own!

But i do think being big CAN be a good base to build from IF he is willing to work hard at it and listens to criticism of him. Hes big now and likely to be big compared to others in the prem eventually but that doesnt mean alot if not used right.

Hope he can come good but who knows.

There’s no way he’ll make it as a Skelton style lock. He’s only 6’5, Skelton’s 6’10. Tuima won’t be able to fit anywhere near enough mass onto his frame to be as big as Skelton while still being fit and mobile. I don’t think there’s really anything to suggest he’d be a better lock than 8; he’s always been an 8 and I don’t think he’s jumped in a lineout in his life.

 

[Scotty]

There’s no way he’ll make it as a Skelton style lock. He’s only 6’5, Skelton’s 6’10. Tuima won’t be able to fit anywhere near enough mass onto his frame to be as big as Skelton while still being fit and mobile. I don’t think there’s really anything to suggest he’d be a better lock than 8; he’s always been an 8 and I don’t think he’s jumped in a lineout in his life.

Knew skelton was big didnt know he was 6ft 10".

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Knew skelton was big didnt know he was 6ft 10".

Must be a growth spurt. Everything I’ve seen suggests 6’ 8”.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Must be a growth spurt. Everything I’ve seen suggests 6’ 8”.

My bad, you're right, I'm not sure where I got 6'10 from.

Point still stands that Tuima isn't tall enough to be a properly big lock.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

My bad, you're right, I'm not sure where I got 6'10 from.

Point still stands that Tuima isn't tall enough to be a properly big lock.

Agreed. Worth noting that he’s the same height as Itoje, but if your game’s bullying then you’ve got to be the biggest bully in the playground.