Australia U18s star Zach Fittler is amongst several promising talents selected by the NSW Waratahs U20s to face NSW Pacifica Under 20 on Saturday at Eric Tweedale Stadium.
Fittler continues his Rugby Union journey after the son of NRL legend Brad rejected cross-code offers to link up at the Waratahs.
Catch the NSW Waratahs take on NSW Pacifica live and free on NSW Rugby TV
He starts in the centres in a backline stacked with Australian talent, including Australia U20s halves Hwi Sharples and Joey Fowler.
Fowler has also been named in the Waratahs' senior team to face Pacifica as one of three players who have been training with them during the off-season alongside Sharples and lock Eamon Doyle.
Doyle captains the side after featuring in every game of the U20 World Championships in South Africa.
“It's a strong team of players who have been now training together since early November,” coach Shannon Fraser said.
“We also have the luxury of having a couple of players who have done a pre-season with the senior squad.
“They bring a lot of lot of experience and knowledge. The other players are excited to see how they not only perform but also lead.”
Fraser has also called on a host of his successful Australia U18s side that took down their NZ counterparts.
This includes Fittler along with prop Edwin Langi, Jonty Fowler, Luca Cleverley and Sam Blank.
Cleverley starts in the back-row along with Australia U20 call-up Austin Durbidge and Toby Brial, who was earmarked as a potential U18s captain last year before injury.
“We've got a quality opposition that will test ourselves as a team and test individual abilities,” Fraser said.
“The preparation has been short, but good. With the systems, structures, plays, and calls and the whole cohesive piece, it's going to be clunky.
“What we're looking for is the effort and individual actions of the players that we've been working with since November.
‘We've instilled a technical excellence into the key areas of the game. Now we’ll see how they respond to what they've learned and put that into game context.”
