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We review and preview Super Rugby and answer the question: Should the Wallabies play the All Blacks on Anzac Day. Plus some interesting stats about the number of players progressing from the Under 20s to the Wallabies.
Listen to podcast on "The Rugby Wrap"
Really confused about the point that particularly Mitch is trying to make?
The figures stated were of the 147 Wallabies Capped 2008-2023 72 played Aus U20's. Mitch stated "Way to high".
Basically saying either Aus U20 pathway should be canned or if you play Aus U20 then your career should end.
Just because 48% of 2008-2023 Wallabies had played Under 20's for a handful of matches doesn't mean they aren't also playing Club Rugby.
I would suggest that, if Selectors were geniuses, that the figure would be more like 90% as the talent is getting identified and nurtured. Over the years I have often pondered there was too great a drop off of talent.
The case in point Mitch used was Will Harrison.
"That kid didn't even play Senior Rugby before he got put in Super Rugby"
According to the limited Wikipedia which was last stated as updated in July 2020, Harrison's Caps for Randwick start in 2018 and has played 8 matches for 45 points in a badly injured period. He also played for Sydney in the NRC for 2018-2019 for 11 more appearances.
In 2019 he was then signed for the Waratahs for the 2020 season.
Wikipedia lists him for 21 Waratah Caps for 230 points. Given he has been out for most of the last two years with chronic injuries, I would suggest those figures could be far better if fit to play throughout.
His Waratah profile states-
"In 2018, Will Harrison was established as the youngest player to sign a professional contract with the NSW Waratahs and is regarded as one of the game’s most promising young talents. Harrison has come through the NSW Rugby pathway system after being a standout at Marcellin College (Notably NOT a "Rugby School" ie GPS etc) in Sydney’s east. While a bad leg injury hampered his 2017 season, this did not stop him. Following an extensive rehabilitation program, he returned to his club side Randwick and went on to captain Australia in the Schoolboys Tri Series against New Zealand and Fiji that same year."
Yes, there would be Australian U20 players that were, with the power of hindsight, wrongly selected in terms of long term. Whether that be as they returned/went to League, decided not to play to study or work or family circumstances. There will also be early developers who plateau out once they are known players against "men". And yes, there are definitely "Golden Child" picks who get fast tracked with very mixed results, usually partly to overcome some of the earlier points as to why they end up lost to Union. For one, NRL have the war chest to swoop and warehouse players in Jersey Flegg. But the implication is that a given Aus U20 player that has been identified through the Colts and Schools systems is not suited to eventually be a Wallaby is just dumb in my view. To me it smacks a little of someone holding a gripe about not being identified for Aus U20's "back in the day". I haven't been able to track down Mitch's appearances for Clubs prior to Brumbies and Wallabies selection.
Dear old Mitch....
Yeah, when they gave the figure, I thought it sounded about right with the vagaries of selecting senior players from age grades.
You'll always get some players who stand out in that environment and then fall away.
50% seems like a great number to use as evidence to make any argument you've already decided before seeing the data.
If anything it's a challenge to Stookies line that they get a gold star on their arse at 20s and then follow the pathway all the way through to the Wallabies and makes a better argument that the poor selections that have been made have been made for other reasons.
And that Mitch Hardy transforms into a complete fucktard whenever the conversation revolves around Shute Shield. I quite enjoy his opinions on almost everything else. Don't necessarily agree, but think he explains himself well until anything SS related comes up.