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'Strange' reason why New Zealand U20s didn't mind trailing Wales 5-19
Clark Laidlaw played it cool in the aftermath of Saturday’s almighty scare for his New Zealand U20s. His team were disbelievingly 5-19 behind at the interval in their round one Junior World Championship match and the crowd that had packed into the tight Paarl school ground sensed an upset that would have been every bit as big as what transpired 11 years ago 33kms away in Stellenbosch.
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Back then, New Zealand had never before lost a championship match in this age grade. Twenty-one straight wins and four titles was their record when they faced Wales in a round two game where they were spectacularly ambushed 9-6 in the South African rain.
They were no rain this time around, just winter sun, but there was certainly a huge amount of pain as Laidlaw’s charges, participating in their first U20s World Cup since 2019 in Argentina, got their wires crossed after taking an early five-point lead.
Fourteen points in arrears they were at half-time and even though they commendably powered their way back to lead 27-19, they were still forced to win an 80th-minute restart and kick it off the park for the final whistle to ensure they held on as the Welsh had drawn to within a single point – 27-26 – with seconds remaining.
If this ordeal had spooked Laidlaw, the ex-New Zealand 7s coach, he wasn’t showing it when he sifted through his down and up afternoon. Yes, he was relieved and yes, he didn’t deny that the level of performance served up by his charges in the opening half was indeed scratchy.
New Zealand celebrate. #WorldRugbyU20s pic.twitter.com/46rEHa1dum
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 24, 2023
However, he believed he saw enough in how his players reacted at the break and then during the second half to leave him feeling optimistic about taking on France back in Paarl next Thursday. “It was scratchy, it was like a team that hadn’t played around the world in three years,” he told RugbyPass. “That’s what we looked like, so it’s great for young men to come and play different styles of rugby.
“Wales were really happy to kick the ball away on turnover attack… and they were really clinical, they built some good pressure in that first half and our men had to react to that. You can’t teach that on a training field, can you? I was quite excited by what we saw.
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“After the first half, we were under the pump on the scoreboard. Half-time was nice and calm, I was quite proud of the way the leaders reacted after a tough first half. The second half showed when we get the ball and keep the ball in play, then we can build some pressure and some points, so relief is probably the first reaction but a lot to like and a lot to work on.”
Having shared a two-game series with Australia, New Zealand – on paper – were tipped to win comfortably against a Wales side that had finished the recent Six Nations winless. Laidlaw, though, suggested what did unfold in the opening period will ultimately stand to his players as they got asked serious questions that some fans would never have expected.
“We had a really good look at the Six Nations and there were a lot of tight games. Wales obviously struggled against France and France are a good side, but Wales had a good build-up, they have got a new coach, an experienced coach (ex-Crusaders assistant Mark Jones). You could see they made some shifts in some of their rugby. I’m sure they were pretty happy with their first half, and we are happy with our second half.
“The first half, in a strange way, was good for us. We were probably more tense before the game so to get the first one out of the way, getting back on a world stage, we have been locked up for a couple of years through covid, I could see the boys were a little bit frustrated even though we got the win. As I say, you can’t teach some of that. You have got to learn it, you have got to go through it. Half-time was all good, we were nice and relaxed.
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“We have got good ticker, haven’t we? I thought some of the loose forwards stepped up, some of the forwards really defended well and you see with Macca (Springer) and Harry (Godfrey) and these boys in the backfield, if we get enough ball, we can really hurt teams. We know that but we have got to mature, we have got to understand how to keep the ball for longer periods and build pressure.
“The loose forwards Che (Clark) and Peter (Lakai) and Malachi (Wrampling-Ale), who came on, I thought had a massive impact. We are quite excited about Malachi, he is a year young and we have got a number of players that are a year young, so it was a great experience. The game driver was Noah (Hotham) and Taha (Kemara) in the second half, they got us the field position and then the loose forwards helped us to stay on top.”
New Zealand have headed off a Welsh ambush in Paarl, striking back from trailing 5-19 at the interval to now lead 27-19 with 18 minutes remaining. #WorldRugbyU20s pic.twitter.com/G85L4eR9Rt
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 24, 2023
France in the next round, though, will be a far tougher assignment. Unlike winless Wales, the French won four from five in the Six Nations and they were bursting with frills in their 75-12 trouncing of Rob Penney’s Japan.
“It’s a different beast, France are a very good side,” reckoned Laidlaw about a contest that essentially will be the pool decider. “They have been together for a long period, they have got outstanding individuals.
“We got a really good look at them as coaches, now we have just got to educate the players on what is coming through the door next week. It sets us up nicely. We are injury-free which will be a big thing in this competition, and we are very excited to take on France.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Whether true or not, all the best to you Sam Cane. A warrior of a player and a loyal servant to the ABs! Go get you some yen and have some fun.
2 Go to commentsThe game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
37 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
97 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
8 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
2 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
2 Go to commentsA very good player.We are finally getting some balance in our team. Plummer..Heem ..Lam a solid..experienced combo who take the sensible options consistently. Clarke was a grt impact of the bench option until Lam moved to 13 to replace an injured Reiko. Cotter is doing a grt job building his team. .
1 Go to commentsSaturday was last straw. Terrible record in Premiership since Jan 23. Capitulation against Bath at home. There are 3 conclusions. Players aren't good enough. Coaching team aren't good enough or combination of both.
2 Go to commentsAs you say in your article Brett, the point was Hamish and his vanity - plain and simple. The crazy bit is that sua’ali’i has to be probably twice the player of mark N, no easy feat, just for RA to get their money's worth!?! And as you say, tahs aren't short of wingers, props on the other hand id like to see $1.6m spent on. I still shake my head at the absolute carry on in the media and comments section around the boon of getting sua’ali’i and the revenue it'd generate. It was all such hogwash imo and short sighted, real sugar hit stuff. And wasnt Waugh (and others) on the board at the time this money was spent? You say silver bullet, I'd say sugar hit but without the flavour.
8 Go to commentsNZR should play hard all a bit with some of these players and make them sign up to the next world cup. If they won’t, offer it to someone who will. Because what happens is the NH (especially France) swoop on a bunch of nz players coming off contract, weakening their depth, and nz scrambles less than 2 years out trying to get replacements up to speed.
1 Go to commentsNo thanks. Savea almost always leaves easy points out there and goes for the corner, no matter how many times it’s not working. He claimed he took “the learnings” from this when he kept making the same mistake against the Boks a few years ago. Then went out the very next week and did the same thing and SA snatched victory because of it. Years later he still does it, right up to and including the world cup final. Great player, not so great rugby nous.
10 Go to commentsIt certainly wasn't a rhetorical masterpiece coming from big E …. (just as a side remark: Eben is the better player, Siya by far the better talker - maybe that's why they don't seem to like each other very much) …. but could we please move on?
70 Go to commentsMan who wasn't there and hasn't held a conversation with those who were present weighs in on dead rubber debate and is presented as representative of the Irish Rugby Union’s spokesperson on subject he has no apparent knowledge of whatsoever.
70 Go to commentsanybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
6 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
70 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
10 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
10 Go to comments