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Some of the best from the next generation of All Blacks are about to assemble ahead of the upcoming Junior World Championship (JWC) in Georgia.
The New Zealand Under 20 team set to take on Japan in their opening match has been named – see below.
The NZ U20s finished runners up at the Under 20s Rugby Championship in South Africa in May. With a number of changes to the squad, they are all set to go one better in Japan, coach Kane Jury expects.
“We’ve had a strong preparation here in Georgia and we are feeling positive ahead of the first match. Haki [Wiseman, team captain] and the other leaders in the team have been great and are looking forward to getting the campaign under way,” Jury says.
“We’ve had a week to adapt to the heat and the facilities here in Georgia have been excellent. We expect a tough first up match against Japan, who we expect to be very well drilled and play a fast-paced game, so we’ll need to be at our best.”
Midfielder Haki Wiseman will captain the side for the pool match. The opening whistle will blow at 11.30pm (NZ time) on Saturday. It will screen live on Sky Sport.
New Zealand won the first four World Rugby Under 20 Junior World Championships between 2008-2011 and took the title again in 2015 and 2017. New Zealand’s six titles stand as the most by any nation in World Rugby Under 20 history.
The team is:
1. Henry Stuart (Highlanders/Otago) (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay)
2. Josh Findlay (Crusaders/Canterbury)
3. Dane Johnston (Chiefs/Taranaki)
4. Max Fale (Crusaders/Canterbury)
5. Jake Frost (Crusaders/Canterbury)
6. Bradley Tocker (Chiefs/Taranaki)
7. Caleb Woodley (VC) (Blues/Auckland)
8. Micah Fale (Chiefs/Waikato)
9. Charlie Sinton (VC) (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
10. Mika Muliaina (Highlanders/Southland)
11. David Lewai (Chiefs/Waikato)
12. Haki Wiseman (C) (Chiefs/Taranaki)
13. Siale Pahulu (Blues/Auckland)
14. Kele Lasaqa (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
15. Logan Williams (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Reserves
- Alani Fakava (Hurricanes/Manawatū)
17. Ethan Webber (Highlanders/Otago)
18. Alex Hewitt (Hurricanes/Wellington)
19. Johnny Falloon (Hurricanes/Wellington)
20. Kobe Brownlee (Crusaders/Tasman)
21. Jackson Hughan (Highlanders/Southland)
22. Cohen Norrie (Blues/Auckland)
23. Ollie Guerin (Chiefs/Waikato)
Not considered due to injury: Patrick Mauga (Hurricanes/Hawke’s Bay)
The NZ pool match schedule is:
Saturday June 27: New Zealand v Japan, AIA Arena Kutaisi, kick-off 11.30pm
Friday July 3: New Zealand v Scotland, AIA Arena Kutaisi, kick-off 2.00am
Tuesday July 7: New Zealand v Italy, AIA Arena Kutaisi, kick-off 9.00pm
Click here for more information.
