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New Zealand U20 player ratings vs Georgia | World Rugby U20 Championship
By Ian Cameron
New Zealand U20 player ratings: The Baby Blacks eventually pulled away from a combative Georgia side in the Italian heat, showing off their attacking arsenal in a 38–19 win at Stadio Luigi Zaffanella.
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The Junior Lelos made life difficult early on, applying pressure through their powerful pack, but the Baby Blacks’ outside backs and back row quality proved too much over the 80 minutes.
Here’s how we rated the New Zealand U20 players:
1. Sika Pole – 6
The scrum was New Zealand’s most inconsistent area and Pole had his hands full against Georgia’s tighthead. Worked hard around the park but didn’t assert dominance.
2. Eli Oudenryn – 8
Two tries, including a sharp close-range finish and a beautiful line to cap off a long-range effort. His arrows at the lineout were dialled in, and his open-field running added a real point of difference.
3. Robson Faleafa – 6
The 124kg prop didn’t have it all his way. Struggled for traction against the low Georgian bind and didn’t always generate movement in contact.
4. Xavier Treacy – 7.5
Grabbed a well-taken try from a flowing move and provided energy in the tight. Showed a good engine before departing on 50 minutes.
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5. Aisake Vakasiuola – 8
A tidy operator. He was influential at the lineout and alert enough to pounce on a Georgian spill just before half-time to score.
6. Oli Mathis – 7
The Waikato man showed glimpses of his athletic ceiling with some strong carries and a line break that sparked the Treacy try. Less visible as the game wore on.
7. Caleb Woodley – 6.5
A quiet opening 40 but improved in the second stanza. Two smart turnovers and a brilliant hit on Luka Takaishvili underlined his defensive IQ.
8. Micah Fale – 9
A wrecking ball with ball in hand. His explosive acceleration from a standing start constantly disrupted Georgia’s fringe defence. A tone-setter early and a menace throughout.
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9. Dylan Pledger – 8
The most dangerous player on the field at times. Created the Treacy try with a classy offload and was a constant threat around the ruck.
10. Rico Simpson – 7.5
Composed and smooth. Controlled the tempo, kicked efficiently, and had several classy touches—including a break leading to Kunawave’s try. Missed a couple of conversions but otherwise tidy.
11. Harlyn Saunoa – 8.5
Electric in the opening exchanges with two near-carbon-copy finishes down the left. Nearly bagged a first-half hat-trick. Georgia couldn’t live with his pace and power.
12. Tayne Harvey – 7.5
Got through a ton of work and often helped bend the line. Beat defenders regularly and his passing was sharp. A special game given his family connection to the venue.
13. James Cameron – 7
Did plenty of hard running and linked well in the wider channels, although was maybe slightly overshadowed by his midfield partner and outside backs.
14. Frank Vaenuku – 8
Made a big early impression with several booming carries and a break that contributed to Kunawave’s try. Blotted his copybook with a yellow card for a high shot on 65 minutes.
15. Maloni Kunawave – 8.5
Scored a brilliant solo try and was a constant running threat, especially in the first half. A couple of shaky moments under the high ball but his x-factor more than made up for it.
Replacements – 6.5
The game was effectively in the bag when the bench joined the fray, but they helped maintain control and ensured Georgia never threatened a late swing. The scrum did markedly improve, especially towards the end of the contest. That said, there were standout moments: Manumaua Letiu made a crucial maul turnover in the final minutes, Mosese Bason won a timely penalty under pressure, and Will Cole showed flashes of class despite a couple of handling hiccups.
