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Super Rugby and 7s talent on show as NZ U20s name team for opener

(Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

The New Zealand U20s have named a star-studded side for their World Rugby U20 Championship opener against Wales which includes some talented players with Super Rugby experience.

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Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham will captain the side against Wales U20, and will partner another member of the champion franchise in the halves – that being Baby Blacks vice-captain Taha Kemara.

Fullback Harry Godfrey is another member of the backline who starred in Super Rugby Pacific this season, having impressed for the Hurricanes against Moana Pasifika in round 12.

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Godfrey actually played eight matches for the Canes this season, and started two of those games in the No. 15 jersey.

Fellow Hurricanes star Peter Lakai will pack down at No. 8 for the Baby Blacks, and joins All Blacks Sevens representative Che Clarke in the back row.

Going through the team, coach Clark Laidlaw has named the menacing front row trio of loosehead Ben Ake, Highlanders hooker Jack Taylor, and tighthead Siale Lauaki.

Taylor Cahill, who won the AFL New Zealand Rising star award for round one in the 2021 season, joins Otago talent Will Stodart in the second row.

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Along with Che Clark and vice-captain Peter Lakai, Sam Hainsworth-Fa’aofo will pack down in the backrow – starting at openside flanker.

Outside the extremely exciting halves duo of Hotham and Kemara is Ajay Faleafaga and Aki Tuivailala in the midfield.

Crusaders winger Macca Springer will start on the left, while Auckland’s Caleb Tangitau has been named on the right.

Another All Blacks Sevens player in Codemeru Vai will look to provide some impact off the bench.

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The match between the Baby Blacks and Wales U20 will kick-off at 2.00 am (NZST) on Sunday (4pm SAT on Saturday) at Paarl Gymnasium.

New Zealanders can watch the match live and exclusive on Sky Sport.

New Zealand U20s to take on Wales U20s

  1. Ben Ake
  2. Jack Taylor
  3. Siale Lauaki
  4. Tahlor Cahill
  5. Will Stodart
  6. Che Clark
  7. Sam Hainsworth-Fa’aofo
  8. Peter Lakai (vc)
  9. Noah Hotham (c)
  10. Taha Kemara (vc)
  11. Macca Springer
  12. Ajay Faleafaga
  13. Aki Tuivailala
  14. Caleb Tangitau
  15. Harry Godfrey

Replacements:

  1. Raymond Tuputupu
  2. Malakai Hala
  3. Gabe Robinson
  4. Tom Allen
  5. Malachi Wrampling-Alec
  6. Jordi Viljoen
  7. Leo Gordon
  8. Codemeru Vai
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Andrew 516 days ago

"the menacing front row trio of loosehead Ben Ake, Highlanders hooker Jack Taylor, and tighthead Siale Lauaki."

Menacing? Is this the front row that tge AusU20s absolutely owned in that recent 2 match series? Or are they a completely different lot?

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NB 15 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Nice bit if revisioniusm but that's all it is JW.


For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].


For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).


As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.


It is also why the European breakaway plotted by LNR and PR back in 2013 had nothing to do with the governing bodies of either England or France - and it most certainly did not have their blessing https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15331030/jean-pierre-lux-anglo-french-cup-detrimental-european-rugby


And from the horse's mouth [ex AB skipper Sean Fitapatrick] about the comp between Top 14 and Super Rugby:


"The Top 14 in France is probably the best rugby competition in the world at the moment, purely for the week-in, week-out.”


“I think the quality of players. They are bigger, they are faster, they are stronger. Which then carries on into the international game.”

Take it from someone who knows JW😅

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