Super Rugby U16s: Top players, scorers ahead of the Waratahs v Reds grand final
Two teams dominate the stats lists heading into the grand final of the Super Rugby 16s series and there's no surprise which teams they are.
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There’s not surprise the Waratahs U16s have gone through the Super Rugby season undefeated for the second year when you glance at the stats sheet.
And there’s no real surprise their rivals in Sunday’s grand final in Canberra will be the Queensland Reds.
Both teams dominate the top point scorers and try scorers lists after four rounds of the competition between rugby’s top Academy teams.
The Waratahs boast three of the competitions top four pointscorers and the top two try scorer of the competition in Tom Hartman with six and Angus Grover with five tries.
Harrison Dene is also the comps top kicker with his 14 conversions.
Melbourne Rebels player Max Tokava nailed eight conversions and three penalty goals to be third on the pointscoring list.
Young Reds gun Finn Mackay is sixth as the second best kicker in the comp with his 12 conversions.
Gray O’Neill and Trevon Pritchard are their most prolific try scorers with four each.
Force player Pena Naqau proved versatile, sitting in sixth place on the points list with two tries, three conversions and two penalty kicks.
The Reds also had 19 different try scorers this season while the Waratahs had 14 in a big show of depth.
WARATAHS TRY FEST AS THEY ADVANCE UNDEFEATED INTO DECIDER
An amazing first half purple patch saw five different players score, a massive 59 points racked up, a rising star score a treble and confirmed the NSW Waratahs Under 16s side as one of the best teams of teenagers in Australian sport.
The nine-try first half frenzy caught all by surprise as the Waratahs brushed aside Western Force to head into next Sunday’s grand final of the Super Rugby U16s series as firm favourites.
Incredibly the Waratahs ended up finishing just six points shy of a ton, winning the match 94-19 with 14 tries to three ahead of their grand final rematch against the Queensland Reds next Sunday in Canberra.
“Happy with that aspect, 14 tries, but there could have been a bit more clinical in the back end,’’ said coach Paul Cividin.
“But we are heading in the right direction for next week but still need a better performance.’’
Cividin praised the performance of inspirational captain Onitoni Large in the match.
“He was fantastic, he just moves so well,’’ he said.
“He’s physically large but also quick which makes him very difficult to defend.
“But I think one to 15 they were consistent.’’
Lead by Large (Campbelltown Harlequins, The Scots College), the young Tahs have navigated the preliminary season undefeated for the second year running, producing their most consummate performance a week out from the season decider.
Western Force could find no answer to the fired-up Waratahs with young Joeys gun Matt Gough, from the Beecroft Barbarians, kicking off proceedings with two tries within the space of the opening six minutes. He scored a third in the second half.
Lindfield junior and Riverview student Angus Grover then chipped in with his own back to back tries before snaring his triple just before half time.
Rex Bassingthwaighte from the Dubbo Roos and Shore was another player to ignite the first half with his pair of tries with Large and Heamasi Makasini from the Randwick Warriors and Newington College also scoring in the first half.
With a raft of changes made during the break, Dural junior rugby player and Barker student Keegan Daly got the Tahs back on the scoreboard right after halftime before St Ignatius student Tom Hartman (Mosman Whales) snared has sixth for the season and first for the match top put the Tahs up 73-0 with some help from the boot of Jonty Fowler (Lindfield Juniors and St Joseph’s College.
Reilly Caswell (Lindfield Rugby, Knox Grammar) then scored his side’s 12th try as the Waratahs romped away to a 80-0 lead.
James Finegan capped off an outstanding game with a late try with Gough ending the match with his third.
Jonty Fowler nailed seven from nine conversions with Harrison Dene perfect with his five attempts.
The Force score all their tries in the second half with Ezejiel Jackson scoring a try and converting two as a standout for Force.
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