NZ tour a consolation for five Colts after Monaro loss

They didn't get the win they wanted, but five Monaro Colts got a trip to New Zealand instead.

The Colts were thrashed 42-12 by Illawarra South Coast in the NSW under-23s country championships in Mudgee on Saturday.

Monaro captain Josh Stuckey was one of five Colts players named in the NSW Country Under-23s team to tour New Zealand.Credit: Raiders Media

But about a third of the team got picked in the NSW Country Under-23s that will tour New Zealand for two games in October.

Harry Van Dartel and Isiah Latu were named on the wings, Tre Williams at five-eighth, Colts captain Josh Stuckey in the second row, while Nicolas Halalilo was picked on the bench.

Monaro were overrun from the start by a Dragons team that had nine players picked for the same representative side.

The Dragons ran in three tries before Halalilo was able to cross for the Colts in the 30th minute, and they led 24-6 at half-time.

Illawarra ran in three more in the second half before Monaro halfback Nicholas Cornish dummied his way across for a consolation try in the shadow of full-time.

It's the third year in a row Monaro have made the final, winning the first and finishing runner-up the past two.

AT A GLANCE

ILLAWARRA SOUTH COAST 42 (Cooper Purcell, Michael Applebee, Wayde Aitken, Cameron Vazzoler, Tony Pellow, Kade Sampson, Joseph Dickson tries; Vazzoler 7 goals) bt MONARO COLTS 12 (Nicolas Halalilo, Nicholas Cornish try; Michael Geiger 2 goals).