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The Junior Wallabies fell short of making the finals at the World Rugby U20s tournament and must now rally to play a fifth-place play-off against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand.
The Junior Wallabies had a frustrating 22-22 draw against England in a game where they needed to win by a bonus point to have any chance to progress into the finals.
Pride is on the line for both Australia and New Zealand, who have failed to reach the heights their nations expect.
Head coach Nathan Grey says there were missed opportunities against England which would have secured them the win, but says the team is excited to play the Junior All Blacks for the third time in as many months.
“You only get a handful of opportunities in these types of tournaments and the pleasing thing is we took a few of them, but the frustrating thing is we left a few out there, as well,” Grey said.
Grey knows his side could have been in-contention for silverware, but he has had to brush that off quickly. He believes his team’s time together during the tournament will allow his team to put on their best performance to date.
“Went through the pool stages and it is what it is… the focus pretty quickly and excitedly turns to New Zealand, an opportunity to play them for a third time this year in a tournament is really exciting.
“Really excited for this group of players to perform and play our best game of the tournament.”
The Junior Wallabies have shown they can front-up against Northern Hemisphere packs but it was a case of too little, too late on Tuesday. They must now try to carry on that form to return their ledger to the black against New Zealand.
Leafi Talataina of Australia U20 during the World Rugby U20 Championship 2023, Pool B match between Australia and England at Athlone Stadium on July 4, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
“We’ve tried to play a way that we are proud of, that matches the skillset of our players and we want to deliver that, and play in a way that the people who watch us are proud of,” Grey added.
The Junior All Blacks have had a similar wake-up call to Australia after their side was rag-dolled by the French pack in a 35–14 hiding in their second pool game.
Now the two teams meet again in a play-off for fifth place, after the pair played two games in two consecutive weeks at the end of May and the start of June this year.
The results then were one apiece, with the Aussies winning the first clash 34–26 with 13 men on the field in the dying minutes. A week later it was the baby Blacks who put on a show and clinched a 19-18 cliffhanger.
Grey says the two teams know what’s on the line and they will do everything to win the match.
“We’ve got one each… going into a decider around that dominance, that’s great, it’s part of the contest,” Grey said.
Grey will keep the budding halves combo of captain Teddy Wilson and five-eighth Jack Bowen, while Taj Annan will slot back into inside centre after recovering from illness.
“Every time you play NZ it’s a big rivalry… it doesn’t take much to get up for these games… game three decider,” the captain said.
The fact has not been missed on the coaching set-up and on the players that they failed to reach the finals, but Wilson, who has had an inspiring tournament, says the players still see the clash as an important occasion.
“The motivation stays the same, it’s a shame you know. Every time you get to pull on the gold jersey it’s no different, we’ve got the same mentality, doesn’t matter if we are playing for first or last, every time you represent your country it’s a privilege,” Wilson said.
The truth remains however, both Australia and New Zealand have underperformed at the tournament which hasn’t been held since 2019 due to a COVID-19-induced hiatus. It is apparent that the Northern Hemisphere powerhouses of Ireland, France and even England have improved their U20s pathway, feeding off centralised models.
Even minnows Georgia, Italy, Argentina, Japan, and Fiji have shown they have come leaps and bounds from previous tournaments, begging the question, have the trans-Tasman cousins stagnated, or have they regressed?
Despite Australia’s and New Zealand’s position on the ladder they have an abundance of talent and Grey says they will not take the Kiwis lightly. Impressive players like Hurricanes loose forward Peter Lakai will be at No.8, while Crusaders trio Noah Hotham, Macca Springer, and Harry Godfrey will be at 9, 11, and 15 respectively.
“We’re never about containing players… we are going after anyone that’s wearing the other jersey… we are equally as excited about the opportunities we’ve seen for our team in showcasing our skills… when we play our footy, we’re a very dangerous team,” Grey said.
The Junior Wallabies have displayed a good skillset throughout the tournament and have grown with every performance, but this rivalry is always an all-bets-are-off occasion, and the weather is looking to be overcast.
The Aussies must show restraint and calm if the heavens open above Cape Town on Sunday, with the Junior Wallabies struggling to find a rhythm in the wet.
The Junior Wallabies kick-off at 10pm (AEST) on Sunday 9 July.
1. Jack Barrett (NSW Waratahs, Randwick)
2. Max Craig (QLD Reds, Easts Tigers)
3. Nick Bloomfield (QLD Reds, Easts Tigers)
4. Toby Macpherson (ACT Brumbies, Uni-Norths Owls)
5. Daniel Maiava-Tapusoa (Melbourne Rebels, Wests Bulldogs)
6. Lachlan Hooper (ACT Brumbies, Vikings Rugby)
7. Nick Baker (QLD Reds, GPS Rugby Club)
8. Leafi Heka Talataina (Melbourne Rebels, Endeavour Hills)
9. Teddy Wilson (c) (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
10. Jack Bowen (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
11. Ronan Leahy (Western Force, Sydney University)
12. Taj Annan (QLD Reds, Souths Magpies)
13. Henry O’Donnell (NSW Waratahs, Northern Suburbs)
14. Tim Ryan (QLD Reds, Brothers Rugby Club)
15. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips (QLD Reds, Souths Magpies)
Reserves
16. Liam Bowron (ACT Brumbies, Canberra Royals)
17. Marley Pearce (Western Force, Joondalup Brothers)
18. Trevor King (QLD Reds, Souths Magpies)
19. Ollie McCrea (NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs)
20. John Bryant (QLD Reds, Souths Magpies)
21. Klayton Thorn (ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles)
22. Mason Gordon (Melbourne Rebels, Wests Bulldogs)
23. David Vaihu (Melbourne Rebels, Wests Bulldogs)
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.