Canada u20 Tournament XV

It wasn’t a fully-loaded tournament, but a two-year wait for international under-20 competition finally ended over the past couple weeks at Guelph University. Uruguay emerged as the class of the series, followed by Zimbabwe, Canada, and Chile.

For all it was a chance to get their top young talent meaningful game time that was most important. Certainly some players put their hands up as future test contenders. Below we give our select XV from the six games that took place.

1 – Marlon Guwuriro (Zimbabwe) We like the looks of Canada’s Mehdi Porchet, but we had to fit Guwuriro in somewhere. He played both hooker and loosehead prop, and it’s probably the former where his future lies. Guwuriro was the most dynamic Junior Sables forward, providing the hit of the tournament on Canada’s Jack East and a wonderful solo try against Chile.

2 – Joaquín Myszka (Uruguay) The next in a conveyer belt of outstanding Teritos hookers. Myszka captained the side to a clean sweep and looks mature beyond his years. He was by far the best technical performer at his position with the lineout proving an unstoppable weapon for Uruguay.

3 – Marco López (Chile) Without question the best scrummager in the competition. López obliterated everyone he came up against, and held his own in the loose. He is a taller prop with similar dimensions to former Cóndores stalwart José Tomás Munita and will be closely watched by Pablo Lemoine.

4 – Logan Weidner (Canada) It was expected that the France-based prospect would be a standout for the Canadian side and he didn’t disappoint. Weidner crashed through rucks and showed good footwork for a young man of his size. He played one game on the flank but we would have liked to see him at No8 carrying the ball more often.

5 – Jaime Paredes (Chile) One of the biggest forwards in the competition at 6’6″ (1.98m), Paredes was part of the Chile XV squad at the Americas Pacific Challenge last year. He is a classic front jumper and tighthead lock with tree-trunk legs. Also proved a useful option for go-forward with ball in hand.

6 – Ignacio Soublette (Chile) Why he didn’t start the first match against Uruguay is a mystery. Soublette is reminiscent of Cóndores star Alfonso Escobar in stature and style. He scored two tries against Zimbabwe and was very useful as a defensive lineout jumper. Matt Klimchuk had some bright moments for Canada.

7 – Juan Martín David (Uruguay) There were a few options here – Canada’s Ethan Fryer, Zimbabwe’s Andrew Rinomhota, and Juan Ignacio Cambón of Uruguay. David wasn’t really a standout physically but started all three games for the Teritos and got through a mountain of dirty work. His efforts were rewarded with two tries from close range against Canada.

8 – Pedro Marsico (Uruguay) An easy choice, and our pick for best forward on display. Marsico tied for the tournament lead with six tries in only three games. Most were from in tight but he was an absolute tank with ball in hand, and showed surprising acceleration for a man of his size. Next year’s World Cup will be too soon but Marsico looks a good bet to add Teros honors in the not-too-distant future. Canada’s Relmu Wilson-Valdes is an impressive athlete with height and speed.

9 – Panashe Zuze (Zimbabwe) A breathe of fresh air in comparison to other scrumhalves on display. Zuze was all about speed. He moved the ball quickly away from the breakdown and was always close in support to maintain momentum. Chile’s Tomás Álvarado played both halfback positions but looked better suited to No9 with his eye for the gap on the fringes.

10 – Javier Garese (Uruguay) Honorable mention to Benjamin Pattenden, who formed a superb partnership with Zuze for Zimbabwe. Garese wasn’t quite as slick a playmaker but had a much more effective kicking game. Always seemed to have time on his hands, in part thanks to a dominant pack but his composure meant that Uruguay were never panicked even in defense.

11 – Tavonga Ablant (Zimbabwe) Emerged as the Player of the Tournament with some absolutely electric attacking play. Ablant played every back three spot and tied for the lead in tries. Unlike Marsico, however, all of Ablant’s were of the highlight-reel variety. A blazing-fast winger who frequently came infield looking for work, nobody needed a stats sheet to know who had the most meters gained.

12 – Talon McMullin (Canada) One of two strongly-built twins that played for the Canadians, Talon started all three matches and looked a real handful with ball in hand. Both will be playing for UBC this year which is bad news for opposing backlines. Chile’s Juan Noriega was another solid customer with good footwork.

13 – Carl Kawodza (Zimbabwe) A traditional attacking center with an excellent outside break. Kawodza has a solid frame but it was his speed and power that makes him a threat. Captained the side against Uruguay and scored arguably the best individual try of the tournament against Chile.

14 – Juan González (Uruguay) Ablant aside the wingers didn’t get a whole heap of attacking opportunities. Gonzalez did catch the eye when he did get the ball in space, showing good upper-body strength and speed off the mark. He scored two tries including an intercept against Canada to bring down the curtains on the series.

15 – Jamin Hodgkins (Canada) Started at flyhalf in the first match then switched to fullback. The Bermudian plays for Cardiff Met in Wales and demonstrated sharp footballing skills. His kicking accuracy of the tee was 80%, a mark bettered only by Chile’s Damián Fliegel. Going forward Hodgkins looks like a good prospect at No10.