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Cruden, Moli and Reihana named in All Blacks Under 20 training squad

By Tom Vinicombe
Waikato centre Quinn Tupaea in action for the New Zealand Under 20 side. (Photo by Amilcar Orfali/Getty Images)

Fifty-two of New Zealand’s top emerging talent in rugby will descend on Palmerston North next month as New Zealand Rugby launches the next phase of its development programme to find a World Champion New Zealand Under 20 team to compete at the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Italy in July.

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After dominating the age-grade competition for the first four years of its existence, the Baby Blacks have managed just two titles between 2012 and 2018 and finished in 7th place last year.

As such, NZR have updated the selection process to include multiple trials in the lead-up to team selection, with over 100 players attending the first training camp in November.

The latest camp sees a number of well-known rugby names vying for spots in the squad that will travel to Italy later in the year.

First five Stu Cruden, flanker Taine Plumtree, flanker Robert Rush and props Hamdahn Tuipulotu and Monu Moli all have family that should be well-known to the New Zealand public.

Continue reading below…

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Aaron Cruden (Stu’s brother), Xavier Rush (Robert’s father), Patrick Tuipulotu (Hamdahn’s brother) and Atu Moli (Monu’s brother) have all represented the All Blacks while John Plumtree (Taine’s father) was head coach of the Hurricanes in 2019 and has now joined the All Blacks coaching set-up.

A number of last year’s Under 20 side could also be set for a second World Championship with the team.

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Prop Fletcher Newell, locks Tupou Vaa’i and Plumtree, loose forward Simon Parker, halfback Taufa Funaki and first five Rivez Reihana all represented New Zealand at the 2019 tournament.

Coach Craig Philpott is appreciative of the new selection process.

“It’s widened our base and created a really competitive environment,” said Philpott. “With that has come a good selection dilemma because outside the 52 we have named today, there are another 20 players on a shortlist that could easily have been selected.”

The development camp begins with expert coaches focussing on set-piece work with forwards, and a focus on game drivers for halfbacks, first five-eighth and fullbacks. An additional eight players will join triallists for these sessions.

The camp concludes with skillset testing, game plan development and scenarios.

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A second trial camp will be held in April before a squad is named for the Oceania Under 20 Championship.

https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1227721230704234496

Forwards

Hamdahn Tuipulotu (Auckland)
Soane Vikena (Auckland)
Terrell Peita (Auckland)
Benet Kumeroa (Bay of Plenty)
Finlay Brewis (Canterbury)
Tamaiti Williams (Canterbury)
Fletcher Newell (Canterbury)
Thomas Edwards (Canterbury)
Lockie McNair (Canterbury)
Sam Darry (Canterbury)

Mahonri Ngakuru (Canterbury)
Zach Gallagher (Canterbury)
Ioane Moananu (Counties Manukau)
Jimmy Roots (North Harbour)
Robert Rush (Northland)
Saula Mau (Otago)
Jake Russ (Otago)
Tupou Vaa’i (Taranaki)
Josh Lord (Taranaki)

Anton Segner (Tasman)
Tom Martin (Waikato)
Simon Parker (Waikato)
Tyrone Thompson (Wellington)
Caleb Delany (Wellington)
Taine Plumtree (Wellington)
Iona Apineru (Wellington)
Josh Southall (Wellington)
Sam Smith (Wellington)
Shamus Hurley-Langton (Wellington)

Backs

Taufa Funaki (Auckland)
Zarn Sullivan (Auckland)
Corey Evans (Auckland)
Lemeki Namoa (Auckland)
Meihana Grindlay (Auckland)
Heremaia Murray (Auckland)
Cassius Misa (Bay of Plenty)
Peni Lasaqa (Bay of Plenty)
Luke Donaldson (Canterbury)
Chay Fihaki (Canterbury)

Isaiah Punivai (Canterbury)
Cam Roigard (Counties Manukau)
Stu Cruden (Manawatu)
Josiah Maruku (Manawatu)
Drew Wild (Manawatu)
James Arscott (Otago)
Harrison Boyle (Otago)
Lukas Halls (Taranaki)
Rivez Reihana (Waikato)
Gideon Wrampling (Waikato)
Aiden Morgan (Wellington)
Roderick Solo (Wellington)
Ruben Love (Wellington)

Players attending the set-piece or game drivers camps: George Bell (Canterbury), Latrell Smiler Ah Kiong (Hawke’s Bay), Ben Strang (Manawatu), Tevita Langi (North Harbour), Matt Graham Williams (Tasman), Luka Inch (Tasman), Monu Moli (Tasman) and Havila Molia (Waikato)

– with NZ Rugby

New Zealand Rugby is set to review its controversial All Blacks rest policy:

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j
john 22 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

13 Go to comments
A
Adrian 2 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

13 Go to comments
T
Trevor 5 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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