New Zealand
Super Rugby flavour to New Zealand Under 20s
ESPN Staff
March 31, 2015
Tevita Li was one of the stars of last year's Junior World Championship © Getty Images
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New Zealand have named seven Super Rugby-contracted players in their Under 20 squad for a key warm-up tournament ahead of the Junior World Championship in June.

The Junior All Blacks will travel across to the Gold Coast for matches against Australia, Samoa and Japan from April 24th. Super Rugby players Blake Gibson, Geoffrey Cridge, Leni Apisai, Vincent Tavae-Aso, Otere Black, Tevita Li and Anton Lienert-Brown in a 31-man squad for the tournament. New Zealand Under 20 coach Scott Robertson is thrilled with the amount of talent he has at his disposal.

"Some very good young players have missed out on this selection but it does show how strong the competition for places has been," Robertson said. "In the end, with so many good players available to us, we have selected on form, and rewarded those who have worked hard over the past several months.

"We've got a good number of players who are ITM Cup experienced, including seven who are contracted to Super Rugby teams. We're very fortunate that some of those players have been released from their Super Rugby duty for this tournament."

Robertson said the Oceania event on the Gold Coast would allow his squad to build combinations and experience the pressures of tournament rugby.

"The Oceania tournament provides much-needed preparation for this squad as we build towards the World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Italy in June," he said. "We're definitely looking forward to seeing how the boys cope with the tournament environment.

"The Gold Coast will give us an opportunity to create and test combinations, to imbed game plans and most importantly to have the guys play under the pressures of a tournament format. This is a hugely important opportunity for us. We know that some other teams will head to Italy having already benefitted from playing in the Under 20 Six Nations competition."

Forwards

Isileli Tu'ungafasi (Auckland), Liam Polwart (Auckland), Mitchell Karpik (Auckland), Blake Gibson (Auckland & Blues), Tom Hill (Canterbury), Mitchell Dunshea (Canterbury), Hamish Dalzell (Canterbury), Joshua Goodhue (Canterbury), Geoffrey Cridge (Hawke's Bay & Hurricanes), Ricky Riccitelli (Otago), Dillon Hunt (Otago), Atunaisa Moli (Waikato), Mitchell Jacobson (Waikato), Tau Koloamatangi (Waikato), James Blackwell (Wellington), Teariki Ben-Nicholas (Wellington), Len Apisai (Wellington)

Backs

Mitchell Hunt (Auckland), Tinoi Faiane (Auckland), Vincent Tavae-Aso (Auckland & Hurricanes), Jonathan Faauli (Canterbury), Jack Goodhue (Canterbury), George Bridge (Canterbury), Luteru Laulala (Canterbury), Otere Black (Manawatu & Hurricanes, Tevita Li (North Harbour & Blues), Fletcher Smith (Otago), Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (Taranaki), Harrison Levien (Waikato), Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato & Chiefs), Wes Goosen (Wellington).

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