Sydney v Country junior rugby U16, U18 favourites, preview, latest news, schedule, past results

Last year Country rugby young guns turned plenty of heads with a late rush of wins in their battles with Sydney. So who are the tips heading into the 2023 Sydney v Country junior rugby event?

Country and Sydney battling in the under 16s match last year.

There are teams “out to shock” and others happy to fly under the radar heading into the 2023 Sydney v Country junior rugby event at Maitland.

Country last year won the U18 and U16 boys games along with the under 18 girls battle at Bathurst.

This year they’d love a repeat but Sydney’s U18 and U16s teams and their coaches are on high alert and braced for the fire, passion and gritty football Country is renown for.

“Country kids really want to play for Country and they target this game as being like its their grand final,” Sydney U18s coach James Barkell said.

“This is a big one for us as well and we need to be up for it otherwise we will get ambushed.

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Action in last year’s Under 14’s match. many of these players will also be in Maitland.

“Country will play for each other and have such pride in their jersey. We have to be ready for that.

“They are like the Maroons for us in State of Origin.

“To them we are just a bunch of show ponies from the city. So we have to bring our attitude.”

The coach of the Sydney U16 side has given his side special motivation by delving into the record books.

Coach Andrew Cox has told his young charges it’s been a while between drinks for the City team in the annual junior rugby battle.

Some tough tackling in the under 16s match where teams were playing for the Ella Cup. Pictures: Jeremy Piper

Cox and his players recently got an early look at their opposites during two days of under 16 matches at Easts rugby.

And while Country suffered some big losses at the event, Cox believes it will be a different scenario in Maitland.

“We won’t be taking those results into consideration,” he said.

“They are very competitive and we will be playing on country turf.

“We have also told them we haven’t won a City v Country game for a couple of years now and that’s a bit of extra incentive for them

“Country are never easy and we are taking them very seriously.”

Sydney and Country in the U16s game last year.

City also lost both their matches at Easts, which doubled as Waratahs Academy trials, to schools sides. But both were close encounters.

“We’ve had a good lead-up. We lost the first by a sideline conversion with a minute to go and the second by five.

“In both we had our opportunities so they boys are really looking forward to chasing this silverware.”

The Sydney U16 side is dominated by players from Eastwood with eight in the squad. There are also six from Randwick.

The matches this year will be played at Maitland.

The NSW country under 16 team under coach Andrew Hillan has a good spread of players with Luke Bashford from the Central Coast and Mitchell, Balzer, Harry Beckett, Darcy Emmett, Oliver Lewer, James Jackson, Mostyn Bowen and Cody Snow from the Hunter.

Central North has representatives in Jock Cullen, Adam Davis, Jamie Grant, Stirling Gallagher and Lawson Walsh.

Illawarra has Cade Chapman, Isaac Elliot, Kai Wilson and Riley Parrish.

New England is represented by Hayden Silverwright, Central West by Oliver Walker and the mid North Coast by Flynn Hyndman and Zac Young.

The under 14s teams after their match last year.

Coach Hillan said his charges have yet to show their full potential after limited time together.

“We are hoping to get it out of them against the City boys,’’ he said.

“There’s no pressure on us. It’s all on the City kids. But I have no doubt Country will get up for this.’’

Last year Country beat Sydney 36–7 in the U18s boys game.

Country also claimed the U18s girls win with their 14–13 in a thriller.

Country produced one of the most entertaining games of the event in 2022 in the U16s when they just edged out Sydney 13–12.

Sydney won the U16 girls battle and the U14 boys who knocked off Country 12–0.

Sydney also beat country 17–11 in the U15 boys and in the U14 girls, who were playing at the tournament for the first time.

Matches on Sunday kick off at 9.30am with both girls and boys team playing.

Selectors will be monitoring performance for both boys and girls squads associated with the Waratahs.

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