![]() New Zealand Under 20 Head Coach Craig Philpott has named his side to face France in their semi-final at the World Rugby Under 20 World Championships in Georgia, on Wednesday 4.30am NZT. England take on South Africa in the other semi-final. The team is: 1.Ezekiel Lindenmuth - Auckland 2.Asafo Aumua - Wellington 3.Pouri Rakete-Stones - Hawke's Bay 4.Isaia Walker-Leawere - Wellington 5.Sam Slade - Auckland 6.Luke Jacobson (C) - Waikato 7.Dalton Papalii - Auckland 8.Marino Mikaele-Tuu - Hawke's Bay 9.Ereatara Enari (VC) - Canterbury 10.Tiaan Falcon - Hawke's Bay 11.Caleb Clarke - Auckland 12.Orbyn Leger - Counties Manukau 13.Braydon Ennor - Canterbury 14.Tima Faingaanuku - Tasman 15.Will Jordan - Tasman 16.JP Sauni - Auckland 17.Harrison Allan - Canterbury 18.Alex Fidow - Wellington 19.Sam Caird - Waikato 20.Tom Christie - Canterbury 21.Kemara Hauiti-Parapara - Wellington 22.Tamati Tua - Northland 23.Josh McKay - Canterbury New Zealand Under 20 Head Coach Craig Philpott said they have selected their strongest team to take on France. “From what we have seen of France they are big and powerful, plus they have a very good 9 and 10 combination which we will have to shut down. “It’s our first game in Tbilisi and we hope to replicate the exciting brand of footy we played in Kutaisi during the pool stages, in the playoff matches. “We look forward to seeing Dalton Papalii return from injury to take his place on the side of the scrum. He played well in the first match and we expect him to do so again in this match.” ![]() New Zealand: 69 (Caleb Clarke 3, Will Jordan 3, Braydon Ennor, Tom Christie, Josh McKay, Ereatara Enari, Tiaan Falcon tries; Falcon 7 con) Ireland: 3 (Conor Fitzgerald pen) New Zealand has qualified for the semi-finals of the World Under-20 Rugby Championships by topping Pool B unbeaten. In their latest match the Baby Blacks trounced Ireland 69-3, scoring 11 unanswered tries. Ireland prevented New Zealand from making the semi-finals last year after a 33-24 win in pool play, but was no match in 2017, failing to score a try against 13-men. New Zealand lost locks Sam Caird and Isaia Walker-Leawere to the sinbin in the second-half, but it mattered little as New Zealand won easily, despite attaining less possession. New Zealand led 31-3 at halftime and bettered that score in the second half with a commanding display. The highlights were numerous. Caleb Clarke scored three tries, including a solo burst over 45-metres. Fullback Will Jordan might be the best player at the tourney and bagged a hat-trick with his Ben Smith like instincts. Walker-Leawere atoned for his carding with some powerful bursts and hooker Asafo Aumua was imperious in his one-hour stint. New Zealand is still fragile in the defence of lineout mauls and Falcon missed kicks he would usually slot, but otherwise, the signs of a first title since 2015 are promising. 8/6/2017 NZ U20 side named to face Ireland![]() New Zealand Under 20 Head Coach Craig Philpott has named his side to face Ireland in their final pool match at the World Rugby Under 20 World Championships in Georgia, on Thursday 11.30pm NZT. New Zealand opened their campaign with a 42-20 win over Scotland on Wednesday and on Sunday they defeated Italy 68-26 in their second pool game. The team is: 1 Ezekiel Lindenmuth - Auckland 2 Asafo Aumua - Wellington 3 Alex Fidow - Wellington 4 Isaia Walker-Leawere - Wellington 5 Sam Caird - Waikato 6 Sam Slade - Auckland 7 Tom Christie - Canterbury 8 Luke Jacobson (C) - Waikato 9 Ereatara Enari (VC) - Canterbury 10 Tiaan Falcon - Hawke's Bay 11 Caleb ClarkeAuckland 12 Orbyn Leger - Counties Manukau 13 Braydon Ennor - Canterbury 14Tima Faingaanuku - Tasman 15 Will Jordan - Tasman 16 John (JP) Sauni - Auckland 17 Harrison Allan - Canterbury 18 Pouri Rakete-Stones - Hawke's Bay 19 Adrian Choat - Auckland 20 Marino Mikaele-Tuu - Hawke's Bay 21 Kemara Hauiti-Parapara - Wellington 22 Thomas Umaga-Jensen - Wellington 23 Josh McKay - Canterbury New Zealand Under 20 Head Coach Craig Philpott said he and his coaching team have picked a strong side that they believe will feature in the back end of the competition. "We expect Ireland to play with passion and like they have nothing to lose, hence the team we have named to put on the park. "We have picked Tima Faingaanuku and Caleb Clarke on the wings. They both have size and strength and we hope we will be able to bend them out wide. "Our clear goal from this match is to bag five points, so we can get to 15 for the round robin and hopefully qualify as the top seed for the semi finals." Media opportunities during tournament New Zealand Rugby will provide audio content after Thursday night’s game against Ireland Under 20 World Championship pool: Thursday 8 June 11.30pm NZT v Ireland Information on World Rugby Under 20 Championship http://www.worldrugby.org/u20 Watch the World Rugby Under 20 Championship on SKY Sport (NZT) Thursday 8 June 11.30pm NZT v Ireland SKY Sport 1 5/6/2017 Blacks Backs Leave Italy Seeing Blue![]() New Zealand: 68 (Caleb Clark 2, Will Jordon, Orbyn Leger, Jona Nareki, Braydon Ennor, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Tamati Tua, Adrian Choat tries; Tiaan Falcon 5 con, 3 pen, Leger 2con) Italy: 26 (Simone Cornelli, Niccolo Cannone, Michele Lamaro, Alberto Rollero tries; Filippo Di Marco 3 con) In boxing there is a cliché that suggests "styles make fights." The contests which are the most interesting are those featuring combatants with stark contrasts. If ever there was a rugby match in which this adage applied it was surely the Pool B World Rugby U20 Championship fixture between New Zealand and Italy. New Zealand with their clinical backs won handsomely enough, but Italy with their forward power exposed a major frailty which could derail the Kiwis title tilt. Three of Italy's tires were scored by forwards Niccolo Cannone, Michele Lamaro and Alberto Rollero from lineout mauls. When the ball was trapped in the lineout New Zealand was repeatedly shoved backwards and looked lost for answers. Skipper Luke Jacobson was yellow carded in the 47th minute and one drive saw New Zealand in retreat 35-meters. Despite the glaring weakness in restraining the mauls, a New Zealand victory was never in question. The Baby Blacks quickly recovered from an opening minute intercept to Italian fullback Simone Cornelli to lead 39-21 at halftime. New Zealand scored some brilliant tries to became the first team in tournament history to reach 2,000 points. In the 11th minute No.8 Marino Mikaele-Tu'u surged 50-meters and was cut down in the Italian half. Jacobson carried on the movement to reach the 22. Centre Braydon Ennor was then smashed by lock Niccolo Cannone propelling the ball backwards. Italy kicked it ahead, but fullback Will Jordon retrieved possession and kicked and chased into space, controlling the bounce to score a 50-meter try. Wing Caleb Clarke broke tackles at will and in the 17th minute he helped engineer a try for second-five Orbyn Leger and then became receiver after lock Isaiah Walker-Leawere bulled his way through multiple mercenaries close to the line. Jordon with his vision and pace set-up wing Jona Nareki and a jolting tackle by first-five Tiaan Falcon forced an Italian fumble and allowed Ennor to atone for his shaky start. New Zealand made eight changes from their first match and again emptied the bench. Four tries were added in the second spell with the highlights including a 90-meter dash by Tamati Tua and halfback Kemara Hauiti-Parapara spiriting 60-meters before ensuring Clark had an easy finish under the sticks. Italy made 11 changes from the side that upset 2016 runners up Ireland, but managed to accomplish a four try bonus point against a side who beat them 64-7 in 2011. New Zealand have carrying strength in the back row and the most enterprising back division in the tourney, but can the tight forwards front up against tougher opposition? This campaign looks eerily similar to the false promise of 2016. 3/6/2017 NZ U20 side named to face Italy![]() New Zealand Under 20 Head Coach Craig Philpott has named his side to face Italy in their second pool match at the World Rugby Under 20 World Championships in Georgia, on Sunday at 11.30pm NZT. Tim Farrell has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Championships with an ankle injury. He has been replaced in the squad by Harrison Allan (Canterbury). He arrived in Georgia and joined the team on Friday. Allan was part of the New Zealand Under 20 squad for the recent Oceania Under 20 Championships. New Zealand opened their campaign with a 42-20 win over Scotland on Wednesday. The team is: 1.Ezekiel Lindenmuth - Auckland 2.John (JP) Sauni - Auckland 3.Pouri Rakete-Stones - Hawke's Bay 4.Isaia Walker-Leawere - Wellington 5.Sam Caird - Waikato 6.Luke Jacobson (C) - Waikato 7.Adrian Choat - Auckland 8.Marino Mikaele-Tuu - Hawke's Bay 9.Kemara Hauiti-Parapara - Wellington 10.Tiaan Falcon - Hawke's Bay 11.Caleb Clarke - Auckland 12.Orbyn Leger - Counties Manukau 13.Braydon Ennor - Canterbury 14.Jona Nareki - Otago 15.Will Jordan - Tasman 16.Alex Fidow - Wellington 17.Harrison Allan - Canterbury 18.Ryan Coxon - Waikato 19.Jacob Pierce - Auckland 20.Tom Christie - Canterbury 21.Ereatara Enari (VC) - Canterbury 22.Tamati Tua - Northland 23.Tima Faingaanuku - Tasman New Zealand Under 20 Head Coach Craig Philpott said a few injuries impacted their selection for the game against Italy. “With a couple of guys carrying niggles, we have made a few changes to the team that played Scotland. That gives a number of players an opportunity to put their hand up and play well in this match so they can be a factor later in the tournament. “Italy had a great result against Ireland in their first match, coming away with the win. We will treat them with a lot of respect. Italy’s scrum will be good and we need to make sure we are at our best against them. “We were good in this area against Scotland and we need to continue to build on that good start in this next match.” Under 20 World Championship pool: Sunday 4 June, 11.30pm NZT v Italy Thursday 8 June 11.30pm NZT v Ireland Information on World Rugby Under 20 Championship http://www.worldrugby.org/u20/ Watch the World Rugby Under 20 Championship on SKY Sport (NZT) Sunday 4 June 11.30pm NZT v Italy on SKY Sport 1 Thursday 8 June 11.30pm NZT v Ireland SKY Sport 1
1/6/2017
Christ's - The Drought Is Over![]() The drought is over. After 16 years Christ's College have beaten Christchurch Boys' High School in the famous 'College Match.' With about five minutes remaining Christ's was ahead 16-15 when a firework exploded at Straven Road. It was a metaphor for a frantic and historic finish. Down 15-11 at halftime, Christ's played with the assistance of a brisk breeze in the second spell and were able to anchor themselves inside the hosts 22 for long periods. In the 52nd minute Christchurch second-five Tahu Kaa was yellow carded which paved the way for the hosts watertight defense to eventually open. From a scrum in the 63rd minute, Christ's exploited the overlap and fullback Levi Emery crossed for what proved to be the winning try. In the 65th minute Christ's dropped the kickoff in centre field 25-metres out. Christchurch fumbled possession a short time later, but a shallow clearance by Christ's failed to relive the pressure. Christchurch centre Taihei Kusaka flew towards the corner, but was cut down in a desperate tackle by Emery. In the 68th minute Christchurch surged again. Murphy Kupe rumbled inside the Christ's 22 and as he was bumped towards touch delivered a pass to Hunter Stewart who crossed the chalk, but Stewart was the recipient of a forward pass. In the 69th minute Christ's tried to run out from behind their posts, but again surrendered the ball. Christchurch, with no regard for self-preservation, flung themselves towards the Christ's line, but were met with equally fierce resistance. When lock Sam Darry won a turnover inches short of the right goal post padding, Christ's had won. Earlier Christchurch leapt to a 10-0 lead. In the sixth minute halfback Louie Chapman snipped short-side and caught the Christ's defense undermanned. Quick hands from the Christchurch support players sent Kusaka over. Lock Campbell Reid doubled the lead and lively winger Latham Kelly-Foleni evaded the cover defense in the 28th minute. Christchurch first-five Ryan Barnes missed three conversions which would prove telling. However it would be cruel to single out Barnes for the defeat. Switching to fullback he pulled off two try saving tackles in the 52nd and 54th minutes' on Sam Abbott and Isaiah Punivai respectably. Christ's first try was scored in the 16th minute by Ben Dickie. From a midfield scrum Emery managed to wriggle free from two Boys' High defenders and release his winger. Christ's missed three kicks themselves, but two penalties to Dickie kept the deficit manageable. Christchurch's wobbly lineout and the overwhelming weight of possession finally told. Selecting standouts in such a high quality game is a futile task, but among those not already mentioned for Christ's, lock Jason Embling, No.8 Kaveini Balenacagi and halves Shun Miyake and Kurtis Weeks deserve acclaim for their contribution. The last time Christ's won prior to today was 19-8 in 2000. In the year 2000 Daniel Carter was playing for the Christchurch Boys' High School First XV and a third of the Christ's starting XV wasn't even born. In the same match two years ago Christchurch won 80-0. ![]() New Zealand: 42 (Tima Faingaanuku 3, Asafo Aumua, Dalton Papali'i, Orbyn Ledger tries; Tiaan Falcon 3 con, 2 pen) Scotland: 20 (Fraser Renwick, Darcy Graham, Josh Henderson tries; Connor Eastgate con) New Zealand has withstood a spirited challenge by Scotland to win their opening match of the World Under-20 Rugby championships 42-20 in Georgia. In two previous World Cup meetings the Kiwis had won 68-10 and 54-7, but the Scots proved far tougher opposition third time around. In the opening quarter both teams exchanged two tries each. New Zealand opened their account in the second-minute when first-five Tiaan Flacon skip passed to wing Tima Faingaanuku who busted three tackles and burst 50m to score. Falcon nailed the sideline conversion, but would miss four shots at goal in the match. Scotland lacked accuracy off the tee as well with three of their kicks going astray. There was no such hassle with their lineout drive. Fiery hooker Fraser Renwick drove over in the 11th minute and wing Darcy Graham would benefit ten minutes later from another powerful surge. Hooker Asafo Aumua ranging wide collected the Baby Blacks second try and Faingaanuku had a brace after 25 minutes when he charged through from a simple scrum move. The halftime score was 19-10 to New Zealand. Scottish first-five Connor Eastgate narrowed the deficit to six with a 43rd minute penalty, but New Zealand's backs played with a superior vibrance and skill and this eventually told as regular holes were opened in the opposition defense. Blindside Dalton Papali'i pushed past soft defense in the 45th minute to secure New Zealand's four try bonus point. In the 49th minute openside Tom Christie bombed a certain try, but second-five Orbyn Ledger profited sixty seconds later from a Scottish spillage inside their 22. Papali'i was yellow carded in the 61st minute after cynically pulling down a Scottish lineout maul, but fullback Blair Kinghorn would create the next try when he made a brilliant 65m break and set up reserve Josh Henderson. Fittingly man of the match Faingaanuku had the last say when he retrieved a Falcon cross-kick. A satisfactory start for New Zealand though kick-off receptions were poor and the struggle of defending the lineout maul will be a concern. Fullback Will Jordon and wing Josh McKay combined well to complete a strong showing by the back three. Captain Luke Jacobson was the pick of the forwards with some bustling carries and defense. |
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