New Zealand U20 v Wales U20

[Darwin]

NZ Under 20 team for the match named:

1 Solomona Sakalia Wellington
2 Codie Taylor Canterbury
3 Ben Tameifuna Hawke's Bay
4 Steven Luatua Auckland
5 Brodie Retallick Hawke's Bay
6 Brad Shields Wellington
7 Sam Cane Bay of Plenty
8 Luke Whitelock, captain Canterbury
9 TJ Perenara Wellington
10 Gareth Anscombe Auckland
11 Charles Piutau Auckland
12 Lima Sopoaga Wellington
13 Rhys Llewellyn Canterbury
14 Waisake Naholo Taranaki
15 Beauden Barrett Taranaki
Reserves
16 Sefo Setefano Waikato
17 Michael Kainga Wellington
18 Dominic Bird Canterbury
19 Heiden Bedwell-Curtis Taranaki
20 Brad Weber Otago
21 Francis Saili Auckland
22 Glen Robertson Waikato

Looks like New Zealand have more or less selected their top strength side for the match (though I would have preferred to have seen Saili at 13 rather than Llewellyn). Hopefully Llewellyn remembers which team he is playing for

 

[ranger]

I dont know it still looks like rotation to me. Retallick, Llewelyn, Naholo, Tameifuna and possibly Shields dont look like the number 1 players in their spots. Also Saili is probably being rested with an eye to starting him at 12 in the next game as he doesn't really have the distribution game for 13 and Sopoaga will need to sit the next game out.

It will be interesting to see whether Naholo will turn it on. He has the talent to pull of a hat trick if he feels like it. I also hope Barrett can get a run at 10 against Morgan in the second half.

 

[Darwin]

I dont know it still looks like rotation to me. Retallick, Llewelyn, Naholo, Tameifuna and possibly Shields dont look like the number 1 players in their spots. Also Saili is probably being rested with an eye to starting him at 12 in the next game as he doesn't really have the distribution game for 13 and Sopoaga will need to sit the next game out.

It will be interesting to see whether Naholo will turn it on. He has the talent to pull of a hat trick if he feels like it. I also hope Barrett can get a run at 10 against Morgan in the second half.

Retallick, Llewelyn, and Naholo possibly wouldn't be in my top side, but they are really 50/50 selections for me. I'd probably have Tameifuna and Shields in my top side though. I think that this is much closer to the top side than the team that ran out against Italy, as the likes of Barrett, Taylor, and TJ Perenara are all be certainties in the top side for me, while there is no-one excluded from the starting XV that I think would be a certainty to make the top 15.

 

[Larksea]

wish I had the rugby channel right now.

 

[bobbilycious]

It is a shame that we won't be seeing Wales' top line up. Even if Morgan was starting, they still have quality players like George North and Tom Prydie who were unavailable for selection.

That backline would carve up most teams. I'm looking forward to seeing Barrett get a full game. Let's hope he shows some good form!

 

[ranger]

Retallick, Llewelyn, and Naholo possibly wouldn't be in my top side, but they are really 50/50 selections for me. I'd probably have Tameifuna and Shields in my top side though. I think that this is much closer to the top side than the team that ran out against Italy, as the likes of Barrett, Taylor, and TJ Perenara are all be certainties in the top side for me, while there is no-one excluded from the starting XV that I think would be a certainty to make the top 15.

Bird and Robertson are deadset certainties, possibly Kainga and Saili aswell

 

[Darwin]

Bird and Robertson are deadset certainties, possibly Kainga and Saili aswell

I probably prefer Bird and Robertson, but I'm not convinced either are certainties. I'm sure we will find out come playoff time.

 

[nickdnz]

wish I had the rugby channel right now.

You can watch it live here - http://www.irb.com/jwc/video/index.html

 

[ranger]

I probably prefer Bird and Robertson, but I'm not convinced either are certainties. I'm sure we will find out come playoff time.

Robertson is a returning player, the only other returning player is Whitelock and hes the captain.. I think you couldn feel fairly safe in assuming he is an integral part of the side. As for Bird i see him as the teams number 1 lock, at 6'8 hes pretty much guaranteed lineout ball and hes acutally pretty handy around the field. I guess we will just see at crunch time. Anscombe seems like the sort of guy who choses on form anyway so there may not be any certanties at all at this stage (besides Gareth maybe).

 

[TVH11]

i'm quite looking forward to this match. Got nothing to do, and technically the seasons finished. So its awesome to have a fix of it midweek should be an exiting game, even if the all blacks look as if they will run away with it

 

[nickdnz]

Bugger, the link I gave doesn't include New Zealand. Anyone else have a link for live streaming?

 

[TVH11]

well this is turning into a training ground game for the AB's. didn't expect it any other way to be honest though

 

[ranger]

http://www.firstrowsports.eu/watch/68816/1/watch-new-zealand-vs-wales.html**NO ILLEGAL STREAMS ON THE FORUM PLEASE**

NZ scored in the first minute and have racked up the 4 try bonus point already. Wales are playing a poor game; soft tackles, lax defensive positioning and poor decision making. They are digging their own grave at ruck time, a few times now they have secured the ball at the back and they pile more players into the ruck anyway, leaving no support players to protect the ball in the next phase. Easy pilfers and gift counterattack ball for the NZ backs. Silly stuff.

 

[nickdnz]

What's the score? I'm up at 4:30am trying to find a bloody stream! This is killing me.

 

[nickdnz]

**NO ILLEGAL STREAMS ON THE FORUM PLEASE**

NZ scored in the first minute and have racked up the 4 try bonus point already. Wales are playing a poor game; soft tackles, lax defensive positioning and poor decision making. They are digging their own grave at ruck time, a few times now they have secured the ball at the back and they pile more players into the ruck anyway, leaving no support players to protect the ball in the next phase. Easy pilfers and gift counterattack ball for the NZ backs. Silly stuff.

Legend mate!

 

[TVH11]

To be fair, New Zealand are just showing their a class above Shame really, thought it would be a 31 - 0 score at the end of the match, not 30 mins in.....

 

[nickdnz]

What a crazy good try. Anscombe is looking like class. 45-0 at half time :S

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Bloody hell, might see 50pts by halftime
43 - 0 now after Rhys "I'm a Kiwi, honest!" Llewellyn gets a try

 

[ranger]

To be fair, New Zealand are just showing their a class above Shame really, thought it would be a 31 - 0 score at the end of the match, not 30 mins in.....

I dont think the gap between the two sides is as big as this game makes it appear though. Wales just looked overawed by the NZ side from the outset. I wonder what the score would be if the NZ team were wearing blue and the Welsh were told they were playing USA..
At least Wales have nothing to lose now, perhaps injecting Morgan into the game will fire them up and atleast get them over the line.

Another bright side for the Welsh is seeing Rhys Llewelyn tear it up. After all the coaching and resources spent on him he will more than likely return to Wales in the near future.

 

[nickdnz]

50-0, 20 seconds into the second half.