The Junior Wallabies defeated New Zealand U20s 34-26 on a wet afternoon in Wellington to take a 1-0 lead in the two Test series. 

The Australians destroyed the young Kiwis at set piece time, scoring a pushover try and earning scrum penalties all afternoon. 

Australia then defended their line with 13 players for the final eight minutes to seal the 10 point victory. 

We picked the standout performers from the Junior Wallabies opening match of 2023. 

Jack Barrett – Prop

Barrett destroyed his opposite number in a super impressive 50-minute stint. While he was the smallest prop on the field, the former Joeys and Sydney Uni prop out manoeuvred his rivals and won the set piece battle for his side. 

Max Craig – Hooker

Hooker Max Craig was equally impressive. On top of helping Barrett tear apart the Kiwi scrum, Craig also threw consistently to the back of the lineout, something New Zealand struggled with all afternoon. 

Teddy Wilson – Halfback

Teddy Wilson is a future Wallaby, there is no doubt about it. The Eastern Suburbs No.9 captained the side and controlled the tempo of the match perfectly. He also scooted from the back of a ruck in the first half to set up a brilliant try.

Ronan Leahy – Wing 

Still a year young for the under 20s, Western Force recruit Ronan Leahy scored three tries for the Junior Wallabies and didn’t make a mistake all afternoon. While a few of his tries were handed to him, Leahy showed great pace and composure to finish every opportunity he got, and some x-factor to score a brilliant five pointer from a Teddy Wilson grubber. 

Daniel Maiava-Tapusoa – Lock

The Rebels lock was too big and strong for his rivals in his return to under-age rugby. Maiava-Tapusoa got Australia over the advantage line all afternoon and disrupted the New Zealand lineout and maul. Fellow Victorian Leafi Talataina was equally as physical and  impressive when he came on in the second half.