NSW Gen Blue coach Chris Malone has named a strong side for Saturday’s match against QLD U20s.

The squad features four players returning from the 2015 U20s training squad, who took out the National U20’s Championship title last year.

A majority of the players within the team also hail from Sydney’s Colts competition.

The game tomorrow is the first for the NSW Gen Blue U20s in the new-look regular weekly Super U20s competition. The team will compete against four other state teams, the Queensland U20s, Brumbies Colts (U20s), Melbourne Rebels U20s and the Western Force U20s, in a bid to be crowned Super U20s Championship in 2016.

Malone said he was excited about getting the new competition off to a start.

“There’s a lot of young guys coming through, and many who are first year out of school.

“It’s a tough game against Queensland, they’ve always been good. Queensland NSW derbies are traditionally strong in Australian rugby.

“We know we have a big game ahead of us on the weekend but I’m very excited about the group of players who have worked hard over the off-season, and are deserving of their chance come Saturday afternoon.

“The whole idea is to promote these guys through to the Waratahs in time. It’s great that we’re playing right out the front here at Kippax so hopefully there will be plenty of attention on the game.

“We kick off at 4:15 tomorrow afternoon so a great lead in to the Waratahs Reds Super Rugby game that night would be to come down and support the youngsters who are the next generation of Waratahs,” Malone said.

NSW Gen Blue side to play QLD U20s

Vunipola Fifita, Declan Moore, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Ryan McCauley, Tom Piroddi, Nick de Crespigny, Jack Hayson, Max Girdler, Theo Strang, Tom Molloy, Sam Tabuatamata, Ned Yeomans, Latu Latinipulu, Guy Porter, Jack Maddocks Reserves: Tom Horton, Harry Chapman, Sean Dillon, Lachlan Swinton, Charlie Smith, Harrison Goddard, Sione Afu, James Pelowski.