Australian rugby has two teenage talents to follow at flyhalf over the seasons to come with the emergence of Harry McLaughlin-Phillips and Joey Fowler.
The playmakers enjoyed everything about today’s nine-try romp for a 59-5 win with the Australian Under-18s and Schools XV in Canberra.
Catch a full replay of the Australian U18 and Schools XV taking on the U19 Barbarians
The difference made by a week of training together in a professional setting was obvious against an Australian Under-19s Barbarians outfit which came together at the last minute.
Starting No.10 McLaughlin-Phillips is an unselfish distributor with smart hands and a good organisational streak.
He’s already taken a step up the ladder as Queensland rugby’s 2022 Colt of the Year to join previous winners like Will Genia, Ben Mowen, Ben Tune, Tim Horan and David Wilson.
Fowler is a Narrabri product who has refined his game at the famed St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill. He came off the bench and made a classy mark.
Powerhouse No.8 Leafi Talataina is a good one for the Melbourne Rebels to have on the books. He is already thought of highly and is likely to play from the bench when the Rebels meet the ACT Brumbies in a trial on Thursday in Albury.
From Melbourne’s Endeavour Hills Rugby Club, he wasn’t just a standout for his line-bending ball-carries today.
At the 54-minute mark, he took a quick tap which Fowler was able to turn into a try for finisher Hadley Tonga with a perfectly timed cutout pass to the left touchline.
Fowler’s neat pick-up of a low pass shortly after was another sign of class. Late in the game, he scored his own try after a nice delayed pass from McLaughlin-Phillips in the same movement.
McLaughlin-Phillips was also comfortable taking the ball to the line, using his feet, popping a pass and acting as a second ball-player when shifted to fullback. The Souths product banged over back-to-back conversions from the touchline as well.
Both No.10s are still just at the start of their careers in rugby but it would be cool to look back at this game together if both line up in a classic Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs clash a few seasons from now.
“Harry and Joey are two quality, very confident young No.10s,” said Under-18s coach Shannon Fraser.
“Harry is very confident, likes to play flat and controls the game well. Joey is a calm figure, plays a bit deeper and has outstanding vision.
“As with all the players, it will be exciting to see how they progress over the next 12-to-24 months and with the World Under-20s Championships back on the calendar next year.”
You can make an impact in minutes these days. Running on an oversized bench of 10 reserves meant 25 players got their chance over 70 minutes for the Under-18s.
Winger Savelio Tamale grabbed his opportunity with two tries in four minutes deep in the second half. On each occasion, he shrugged off or powered through three defenders in confined space to score.
The product of St Paul’s Catholic College, Manly has been a productive player for the Warringah Rats in Colts as a winger-centre this season.
Queensland’s Dre Pakeho showed the power through contact and footwork at inside centre that has made him a high-performer for Churchie.
Hooker Oniti Finau has played prop, hooker and even inside centre for Sydney’s Barker College but it is with the No.2 on his back that he was groomed this week.
He was out of the blocks with two early tries. He plays like he’s always eager to get his hands on the ball. His progress will now be measured on how he nails his set piece musts with his throws and scrummaging.
“The game and this whole week has been an excellent opportunity for guys to rub shoulders and play beside the best of the best at this age group level,” said Nathan Grey, the High-Performance National Programs coach.
“The boys have been given a taste of professionalism and it’s up to each to decide whether they commit to it.”
AUSTRALIAN U18s and SCHOOLS 59 (S Tamale 2, D Nelson 2, O Finau 2, H Tonga, J Fowler, R McGloin tries; H McLaughlin-Phillips 6 con, J McGregor con) beat AUSTRALIAN U19 BARBARIANS 5 (C Wright try)
