Super Rugby U19s: Best Players, Top Scorers From Every Team Ahead Of Grand Final
Sunday's 2023 Super Rugby championship game features the Brumbies and the Waratahs, but neither club has a player who leads the league in any major statistical category. The best players and scorers at the end of the regular season
The 2023 Super Rugby championship game will be played on Sunday, February 3, in Canberra, between the ACT Brumbies and the NSW Waratahs.
At the end of the regular season, a Queensland Reds player finished with the most points in the four games played by each academy team, while a Western Force gun finished with the most tries.
With three tries and 13 conversions, Reds teenager Riley Bierton has the most points.
Dylan Bronlund of the Western Forces has scored the most tries in Super Rugby 19s thus far with six.
Season statistics, however, provide clues as to which players will shine brightest in the season-ending showdown, which is expected to be a close contest.
Waratah Archie Saunders has concluded the season as the second top try scorer with his collection of five.
Teammate Nacani Batidravu ended in equal fourth with three tries - the same amount scored by Brumbies rising gun Angusa Staniforth, who was their top try scorer.
Brumby Cullen Gray, with 13 conversions, a try, and a penalty kick, sits second on the points chart.
With nine conversions and one penalty goal, Waratah Oliver Scmunde is the third most productive converter and the fourth top pointscorer.
Showing the depth of both squads, the Tahs had 14 different try scorers this season, while the ACT Brumbies had 15.
Brumbies trio Shane Wilcox, Lleyton Tautau, and Tino Tavana all scored two tries each.
Other players on the Waratahs to score twice were Arnie Tancred, Jullien Caillol, Phil Talaileva, and Bryn Edward.
With two tries, Komi Lester-Tuitea led the Melbourne Rebels in points.
Kauri Tipene-Grace's three tries this season were a highlight for Western Force.
WARATAHS PULL OF SEASON COMEBACK TO MAKE GRAND FINAL
EARLIER: The Waratahs U19s produced when it mattered most with rock solid defence and five different try scorers combining to secure the side a grand final position in the season decider of the Super Rugby U19s competition for the second year running.
The Waratahs' 32-5 triumph in Sydney was the result of a first-half surge—they scored three tries—and a second-half defensive effort and two tries from substitutes.
With this victory, they will travel to Canberra on Sunday to face the ACT Brumbies, the only team to defeat them so far this season.
The Waratahs needed to win the match to go into the grand final of the Super Rugby U19s championship but Western Force were determined not to make it easy for the Blues.
After 20 minutes of play at Forshaw Park in south Sydney, the Waratahs eventually got on the board when Archie Saunders scored the first of his two tries.
Then, right before halftime, Oliver Schmude, who had been one of the Tahs' top players, scored a converted try to give his team a 12-0 lead.
The Waratahs then squeezed another try in before the whistle blew off the hard work of the forward pack, with Bryn Edwards picking up the points.
The second half was a heated affair, with the Waratahs defense hanging tough and key to the team holding onto their halfway lead.
Western Force's Rueben Baker came off the bench to score his team's first goal and only tried 67 minutes into the game, with Tahs duo William Kennedy and Will Guilfoyle retaliating soon after.
The Waratahs boosted their morale with a 32-5 victory, aided by two tries from Saunders.
The Waratahs last year beat the Queensland Reds to win this championship but lost their first game of season 2023 against the Brumbies to be on the back foot from the start.
On Sunday in Canberra, they will get another shot at redemption.
The Dan Parkes coached Waratahs will now head down the highway to Canberra to battle the ACT Brumbies in the season decider on Sunday.
The Waratahs U16 finished the season with a perfect 4-0 record, making them heavy favorites heading into next weekend's championship game to defend their title.