Continuity for Aussie juniors

 

Also returning alongside Thompson will be his assistant coaches, Shane Arnold and Cam Blades as well as former Waratahs and Wallabies Assistant Coach, Alan Gaffney who will be acting as a technical advisor as the team prepares for the World Rugby Under 20 Championship to be held in Parma, Italy in June next year.

 

Both Arnold and Blades have previously coached for Premier clubs in Brisbane and Sydney respectively and had coaching experience in the inaugural National Rugby Championship in 2014.

 

The coaching staff will look to bring together the best emerging talent in Australia as a part of the ARU’s Pathway to Gold program, which is focused on creating the next generation of Wallabies and Australian Sevens stars.

 

2014 saw the restructuring of the Pathway to Gold Program to include a Southern States U20 and National U20 Championships which provided more playing and development opportunities for players and coaches alike.

 

With a strong fifth place finish in the 2014 World Rugby U20 Championship, Australia has drawn a tough pool, with 2014 runners up South Africa, host nation Italy and Samoa.

 

Thompson said he was excited to continue his role in the U20 programme, which is a key element of the ARU’s development pathway.

 

“Coaching the U20 is one of the great rewarding roles in Australian rugby and it is one I really look forward to taking to new heights in 2015.

 

“We took a lot from the 2014 tournament and our fifth place finish was a solid improvement on the final result in 2013.

 

“Our main focus is continuing the development and enhancement of our young players so we create the next generation of elite Australian rugby players across all forms of our game.

 

“We have a tough pool in 2015 but with solid preparation I have no doubt we will have the talent and depth to progress to the top four of the tournament and stake their claim in the semifinals.” 

 

The Australian U20s will have a wealth of talent to draw from in 2015, including Andrew Kellaway (Waratahs, Country Eagles), Jonah Placid (Melbourne Rebels, Melbourne Rising) and Lolo Fakaosilea (Queensland Reds, Queensland Country).

 

Andrew Kellaway was a sensation in the 2014 World Rugby Under 20 Championship scoring ten tries, surpassing the previous record of most tries scored in the tournament (eight) by current All Blacks star Julian Savea.