Nine U20 Trophy standouts that should have Tier 1 clubs salivating
After Fiji graduated from the tournament last year in Romania and re-established themselves in the top tier competition in 2019, the World Rugby U20 Trophy moved on to Brazil this month.
The South American side were joined by Uruguay, Hong Kong, Canada and Portugal from last year’s competition, whilst Japan joined the party as the side relegated from the U20 Championship and Kenya and Tonga were the new teams from their regional qualifiers.
An annual tournament, the Trophy is a coach’s dream for scouting out raw and talented players that are the pick of the crop among Tier 2 and Tier 3 nations, with this year proving to be no different.
We take a look at some of the more impressive performers over the opening three rounds of play, before the teams go head-to-head in the finals on Sunday.
Shota Fukui, Japan
Probably the standout player at the tournament, Fukui is a cut above at this level. The Panasonic Wild Knight eschewed the traditional pathway in Japan of going to university before beginning his professional career and his impressive physicality and technical skill has benefitted from being pushed further and harder at a younger age.
Japan have an array of back row options for the upcoming Rugby World Cup, but don’t be surprised to see Fukui drafted in immediately after the tournament as they build in the next cycle. The dynamic flanker could be a future senior Japan captain and is already playing and leading like a person far more experienced than his youthful age would suggest.
Halatoa Vailea, Japan
Vailea is taking the route that former Japan U20 wing Ataata Moeakiola did, by being utilised in the back row following an impressive debut U20 season in the back three. Whilst that move didn’t take for Moeakiola, who is now prospering once again on the wing, Vailea has looked more comfortable packing down alongside Fukui.
His work closer to the ruck in defence was much better than you’d expect of a converted wing, but he was still a threat further out, marauding down the flanks like a young Tom Croft. It would be a surprise if he is able to live with the physicality and attritional nature of the position at the senior level, however, and he’s more likely a very promising wing moving forward, which is where he was redeployed for the final pool match against Kenya.
Number 6 has got wheels! Halatoa Vailea romps down the wing and scores an outrageous try for @JRFURugby #WorldRugbyU20s pic.twitter.com/NGjFdy4DaI
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) July 9, 2019
Paul Altier, Hong Kong
The Hong Kong fly-half featured in last year’s version of this article and has only reaffirmed his ability in the 12 months since. He’s a refined playmaker who can see and exploit space on the pitch and when he was shifted to full-back for the match against Canada, he displayed impressive counter-attacking and defensive reads.
Hong Kong have been physically outgunned at the tournament which hasn’t put Altier in the best position to succeed, despite some strong play from former Newcastle Falcons U18 Will Panday and London Irish U18 Joe Knight. The good news for Hong Kong is that Knight and Panday should be back next year, but Altier, who already has a senior cap, will be moving full-time into the senior set-up in 2020.
Will Perceillier, Canada
An aggressive scrum-half around the fringes, Percillier ran rampant in Canada’s 78-26 win over Hong Kong, crossing for four tries and setting up plenty of others with his turn of pace and distribution. Admittedly, the Hong Kong defence showed Percillier plenty of gaps, but the scrum-half’s execution once the space opened up, whether as a finisher himself or as a facilitator for others, was ruthless.
Great try for @rugbycanada No.9 Will Percillier at the #WorldRugbyU20s Trophy
Follow it LIVE: https://t.co/YbdQ7hx1TU pic.twitter.com/Jdl2GBtBV0
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) July 17, 2019
He signed a three-year deal with Stade Français earlier this year and will be competing with the likes of Arthur Coville and James Hall moving forward. If his game management and box-kicking, which wasn’t on show too often in Brazil, matches up with his carrying and passing games, then Heyneke Meyer has a gem in Percillier.
Apitoni Toia, Tonga
This loosehead has lit up the tournament with his dynamic ball-carrying. One of, if not Tonga’s most effective forward with the ball in hand, Toia’s power, speed and offloading made him a nightmare for opposition teams to try and contain.
Tonga’s scrum was solid, too, albeit without Toia really going after his opposite numbers and turning the screw at the set-piece. If that part of his skill set can be developed, plenty of teams will salivate over Toia’s potential, whose speed and footwork prior to, at and after breaking the gain-line, was exemplary. He’s not quite the all-round player yet that Rhys Carre was at this point, but he may be even more influential and composed in the loose.
Hateni Tafolo, Tonga
It all fell apart for Tonga in their last pool game against Portugal, which included a far quieter display from Tafolo, but the full-back was one of Tonga’s standouts in the wins over Canada and Hong Kong. A well-measured kicking game, an eye for space on the pitch and good link play with his wings in the wider channels, Tafolo had plenty of positive attacking impact in Brazil.
No doubt about the man of the first half – two tries already for Hateni Tafolo for @officialTongaRU! #WorldRugbyU20s pic.twitter.com/0dGdGHzPx3
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) July 13, 2019
Playing off the back of Malakai Uasi’s powerful and direct carrying at 12, Tafolo was clinical in space. His defensive positioning was also solid and he looks like a promising deputy for Telusa Veainu moving forward, unless Tonga like the balance of his skill set and experiment with what he could bring to the 10 jersey.
Raffaele Storti, Portugal
Composed, quick, ambitious and with a powerful fend, Storti has run rampant on the wing for Portugal during the tournament. The 18-year-old has experience on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and that shows up in his game at this level, where he has the confidence to take on a man or two or three and beat them all individually.
He can step off both feet, he has a dangerous stutter step and the acceleration to leave defenders embarrassed, and if he can’t find a way around a defender, he’ll put out a piston of a fend and generate deceptive power through his footwork and speed. Through the first three games, no one has had an answer for his devastating attacking skill set and he helps give Portugal a puncher’s chance at least to upset heavy favourites Japan in the final.
Raffaele Storti is at it again! #WorldRugbyU20s pic.twitter.com/vBnmWj7rHs
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) July 17, 2019
Baltazar Amaya, Uruguay
Another dangerous wing, Amaya is unlucky to have been left somewhat in the shadows of the stellar performances of Storti for Portugal. That said, Amaya has been dangerous and, in another year, he may well be the pick of wing options at the tournament.
He has good size for the position and impressed with his reading of the game defensively, pouncing and turning defence into attack with opportune interceptions, as well as shutting down the width that teams looked to get against Uruguay. With a number of veteran back three options playing in the MLR, Uruguay are unlikely to look to Amaya until after the Rugby World Cup, but northern hemisphere clubs should keep a close eye on the wing, who definitely looks like he has what it takes to make it at a higher level.
? Read it like a book! Baltazar Amaya reads the intercept perfectly and breaks away to score for @RugbyUruguay #WorldRugbyU20s Trophy pic.twitter.com/VzY3QSO2cP
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) July 9, 2019
Geofrey Okwach, Kenya
The 19-year-old wing is already a fully-capped international for Kenya, having made his senior bow against Uganda back in June. He was joined in that starting XV by Dominic Coulson, Kenya U20s’ impressive fly-half from this year’s Trophy tournament.
That acceleration from @OfficialKRU's Geofrey Okwach ?#WorldRugbyU20s pic.twitter.com/QAs9gOgoYL
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) July 17, 2019
Okwach wins with his speed and acceleration, which left plenty of defenders clawing at thin air over the last couple of weeks. In one particularly impressive move, the wing ran out and around three Japanese defenders off of first phase in Kenya’s encouragingly competitive outing against this Sunday’s finalists. A future in sevens could beckon for Okwach, who clearly has the physical ability to prosper in that form of the game and, barring interest from abroad, may be his best chance of making a global impact.
Watch: RugbyPass’ latest exclusive documentary – ‘Nadolo’
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments