Record number of Under 20s conversions nearing for New Zealand Super sides
New Zealand’s top age-grade stars are once again getting fast-tracked into Super Rugby this year, with George Bell and Riley Higgins the latest members of the 2021 side to earn spots in match-day squads for the first time.
Bell and Higgins have both yet to play provincial rugby but will likely make appearances off the bench for the Crusaders and Hurricanes this weekend.
Hooker Bell backed up Soake Vikena and played in all four of last year’s Under 20s matches, with the Baby Blacks taking on Wellington, Tasman, the Cook Islands and a Harlequins XV in lieu of an international match-ups due to Covid.
Higgins, a midfielder by trade, was given fewer opportunities and found himself sitting behind Corey Evans and Gideon Wrampling in the pecking order.
Less than a year on from the campaign, Vikena, Evans and Wrampling are all capped Super Rugby players while Bell and Higgins will join that group this weekend – but they’re not the only men from the 2021 age-grade side to suit up in this year’s Super Rugby Pacific competition.
Vikena and Wrampling, alongside utility backs Chay Fihaki, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Ruben Love, and All Black Josh Lord all made their Super Rugby debuts last season.
This year, the Blues have called upon the talents of Vikena, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Evans, loose forwards Anton Segner and Vaiolini Ekusai, and prop Josh Fusitua, while Moana Pasifika have utilised halfback Manu Paea.
While Wrampling has been sidelined through injury so far this season, he earned a first full-time contract with the Chiefs ahead of the season, alongside halfback Cortez Ratima. Lord has also been a key player for the side in 2022, making eight appearances to date.
In the capital, Love was joined by Manawatu loose forward TK Howden and Wellington pivot Aidan Morgan at the Hurricanes for 2022 with Higgins set to become the latest Under 20s star to earn a debut.
Further south, Fihaki, locks Zach Gallagher and Dominic Gardiner, and now Bell will be 2021 age-grade representatives to feature for the Crusaders, with Bell still eligible for this year’s Under 20s campaign.
Lock Fabian Holland (who is also eligible for this year’s team) and flanker Sean Withy, meanwhile, have both run out for the Highlanders this year.
All in all, 20 players from last year’s 35-man Baby Blacks contingent will have played Super Rugby by the end of the weekend.
It’s an impressive return from the 2021 cohort and while there’s still time this season for more players to make the step up to professional rugby, last season’s squad currently ranks behind the 2017 Under 20s side when it comes to converting age-grade players to Super Rugby.
By the time that the 2018 Super Rugby season had come to a close, 21 players from the prior year’s Baby Blacks squad had dipped their toes in the water with New Zealand’s five franchises.
At the Blues, Jacob Pierce, Dalton Papalii, Stephen Perofeta, Tamati Tua, Orbyn Leger and Caleb Clarke had all earned caps.
In Chiefs country, Luke Jacobson and Tiaan Falcon had played their debut matches while the Hurricanes had called upon Jordie Barrett, Asafo Aumua, Alex Fidow, Isaia Walker-Leawere and Kemara Hauiti-Parapara (although Hauiti-Parapara only made one appearance for the team, against the British and Irish Lions in 2017).
The Crusaders used Harrison Allan, Ereatara Enari, Braydon Ennor, Tima Fainga’anuku and Will Jordan while the Highlanders had employed the likes of Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Thomas Umaga-Jensen and Josh McKay.
Papalii, Clarke, Jacobson, Barrett, Aumua, Ennor and Jordan have all gone on to represent the All Blacks.
Arguably, the number of recent Under 20s graduates utilised this year is more understandable than four year’s prior due to the impact of Covid, which has seen the vast majority of players miss at least a round or two of action throughout the season. The addition of Moana Pasifika also means New Zealand’s playing resources are stretched even thinner.
Bell’s Crusaders are set to take on the Western Force in Perth this Saturday while Higgins’ Hurricanes will host the Fijian Drua in Wellington a day later.
Comments on RugbyPass
It was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
5 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf 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 commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
1 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
1 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
5 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to comments