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RNZ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Junior All Blacks into World Cup final
All Blacks haka, New Zealand 2025 World Rugby Under 20 World Championships. Photo: © World Rugby 2025 / PHOTOSPORT New Zealand is through to the final of the men's Under-20 Rugby World Cup in Italy. The Junior All Blacks beat France 34-26 in a tense semi-final in Viadana. New Zealand were ahead 24-19 at half time after tries to Stanley Solomon, Mosese Bason and Jack Wiseman. However, they had to spend much of the second half on defence and were not helped by yellow cards. Both centre Jack Wiseman and wing Frank Vaenuku spent time on the sidelines and France capitalised with their fourth try of the game. However, the Junior All Blacks responded after a strong surge by the forwards with lock Aisake Vakasiuola touching down next to the post. They were then able to hold on to the final whistle. First five Rico Simpson kicked four conversions and two penalties. "We talked about this game being our final," halfback and vice-captain Dylan Pledger said. "I think the boys played it like a final out there and now we've got one more game to go." South Africa meet Argentina in the other semi-final later this morning. New Zealand has won the Under-20 title six times with their last in 2017. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
New York Times
26-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What Spurs can expect from Kota Takai: ‘Emerging talent' who proved himself against Ronaldo
Most Premier League fans won't have heard of Kota Takai until this transfer window. But the 20-year-old, who is set to join Tottenham Hotspur from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale for a J1 League record £5million ($6.8m, 1billion Japanese yen), has quickly developed into a star in his home country. Having missed the opening weeks of the 2023 season representing Japan at the Under-20 Asian Cup, upon his return Takai broke into Kawasaki's first team aged just 18 and immediately established himself as a starter in central defence. He made 13 starts for Kawasaki in 2023, before being dropped to the bench towards the end of the season. Advertisement Although Kawasaki have been one of Japan's most successful teams over the past decade, winning the J1 League four times between 2017 and 2021, the 2023 team was not vintage. They finished eighth in the then 18-team league, but Takai's talent often shone through, earning him a place in Japan's Under-20 World Cup squad that summer. Since then, his career has taken off. He was part of the Japan team that won the Under-23 Asian Cup in 2024, playing every minute, apart from the second group game where he was rested. He then got his first cap for the senior national team in a 7-0 win over China later that year. Though 2024 was another middling season for Kawasaki, finishing eighth for the second season running, Takai earned a call-up for the Paris Olympics to represent Japan, who were beaten 3-0 by Spain in the quarter-finals. For his performances across 2024, he won the J1 League's Best Young Player award. Now he's a household name in Japanese football, with four caps for the national team. He also played for Kawasaki in the Asian Champions League final. They lost 2-0 in the showpiece game against Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, but beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr en route to the final (pictured top). 'I would put him at the top of the young, emerging talents in Japan,' says Dan Orlowitz, a Japanese football journalist. 'There was no question that he was going to Europe. He is definitely on track to become a star, relatively speaking, for the national team.' Takai, who has been taking English lessons and models himself after Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, was reportedly attracting interest from around Europe before he agreed terms with Tottenham. While the jump from J1 League (ranked 14th in the world by Opta Analyst) to Premier League (first) is significant, he has the attributes of a modern centre-back. Advertisement First, he's comfortable in possession, a prerequisite for any emerging centre-back playing for a Premier League and Champions League side. 'In terms of building up and contributing to the attack, he's a reliable short passer,' says Orlowitz. 'He's not really going to contribute when you're in the final third, but he'll be able to move the ball forward.' Kawasaki build from the back, and Takai or centre-back partner Yuichi Maruyama frequently finish games with the highest number of touches. Takai also has the ability to play line-breaking passes when given time and space. Still, it's an area of his game not entirely refined yet. In Kawasaki's defeat by Vissel Kobe this month, Takai attempted 69 passes, completing just 56 (81 per cent). In their 1-0 win against Yokohama FC the week earlier, it declined to 20 from 27 (74 per cent). In their 2-1 away win over Sanfrecce Hiroshima on May 31, he completed 45 of his 49 passes (92 per cent). Fluctuation in this area is understandable given his age, but his tendency to rush passes when under intense pressure was displayed against higher-quality opposition in the latter stages of the AFC Champions League. Here, Al Ahli's Ezgjan Alioski is chasing down Takai, who is receiving a pass from midfield. Alioski quickly closes the distance, prompting Takai to take the ball wide, isolating him against his opponent. Under pressure, Takai attempts a tricky pass over Al Ahli winger Galeno and into the path of team-mate Asahi Sasaki, but mishits the pass and puts it out of play. However, in the semi-final, he showed he can be composed and skilful in these situations. In this grab, Al Nassr attacker Jhon Duran tries to sneak up on Takai on his blind side to win the ball. Takai casually feints backwards — deceiving Duran, who then changes the direction of his run — before bringing the ball forwards and away from the Colombia international's pressure. He follows it up with a stylish chipped pass through the Al Nassr midfield block, setting his team away on an attack. Advertisement Takai has a high ceiling as a distributor, provided he improves under pressure and continues developing his touch and feel for medium to long-distance passes. An area that we may not be able to assess properly before he plays in England is his ability to adapt from a physical perspective, but there are encouraging indicators that he has the qualities to adjust. 'One of the biggest challenges for him is adjusting to the physicality and speed of the Premier League,' says Orlowitz. 'On any given Saturday, he can deliver a monster performance, but in the Premier League, he has to be able to do that week in and week out. It's going to be an adjustment, but he's got the physique.' Takai stands at 6ft 3in (190cm), and he's not afraid to put his body in the way to dispossess opponents. In this grab, he wins the ball after a shoulder-to-shoulder battle with Duran, whose physicality caused problems for Premier League defenders while at Aston Villa, before bringing the ball out of defence into midfield. He's also improving as an aerial presence and has found the net twice with headers from set pieces this season. However, his primary strength as a defender is his anticipation and timing, particularly in recovery situations. He does not have the electric pace of Micky van de Ven, but he can close distances quickly for a player of his size and win the ball cleanly with impressive slide tackles. Here is one example of this in action. Here's another instance: He can also read the game and step ahead of attackers, using his strength and power to win the ball, as shown in this grab: Again, after dispossessing his opponent, he shows the vision and composure to move the ball on quickly to a team-mate, relieving opposition pressure. Here, he calmly wins possession from Ronaldo, who had tried to break past Takai with a stepover move. Having kept Ronaldo and Sadio Mane relatively quiet in the Asian Champions League semi-final, Tottenham have a barometer of Takai's quality. It should provide some confidence that he can find his way in the Premier League, where his physical and technical attributes will be tested. Emerging ahead of Cristian Romero and Van de Ven will not be easy, not to mention the group of international centre-backs waiting behind them in Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies and Luka Vuskovic, who made his Croatia debut earlier this month and can now play in England after turning 18 in February. Still, Takai is a special talent, and Thomas Frank may be the perfect coach to maximise his abilities.
Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Henry Pollock is already the Lions' biggest attraction
It was the Henry Pollock appreciation society inside London's Indigo O2 Arena, with perhaps the most exhilarating player in the northern hemisphere earning one of the highest accolades in his sport at the age of just 20. The audible gasps that greeted his call-up to the British and Irish Lions turned quickly into cheers so raucous, it felt as if his family and friends were in the building, while a video link showed him being mobbed at the Northampton training ground by his team-mates. Despite playing just 32 minutes for England, scoring two tries, this astounding prodigy has now muscled his way into the Lions back row, the most fiercely-contested area of Andy Farrell's squad. Truly, there has never been a trajectory quite like it. A career unfolding at warp speed took a startling turn here, with the announcement of Pollock's name triggering the type of ovation to confirm him as a generational talent. To describe his rise as meteoric would always be to understate it. Here is a player still technically eligible for the Under-20 World Cup in Italy this summer, and yet instead he is bound for Australia, ready to test his phenomenally combative style against the Wallabies on a Lions tour. It stands as ultimate proof of the adage that if you are good enough, you are old enough. 'For a player, it doesn't matter what age, performing like he has, it's there for all to see really,' Farrell said. Unbelievable moments 🦁 Watch as our boys found out they are going on the @lionsofficial tour together 🖤💚💛 — Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) May 8, 2025 Pollock is the very definition of a Lions bolter, thundering into the reckoning even with his Test career still in its infancy. It is testament to his extraordinary gifts that his selection feels neither a gamble nor a shock. His statistics at Leinster last weekend illustrated why, as he made the most tackles and hit the most defensive rucks of any player in the Champions Cup semi-finals, as well as making the most metres of any forward. Just to cap it off, he contributed a sumptuous solo score, scything between RG Snyman and Andrew Porter before side-stepping Sam Prendergast with ease. This human wrecking ball humbled one of the giants of European rugby. In the end, it proved to be the last decisive audition of a white-hot highlights reel. Henry 😱😱 "He's done it again, but today is on another level!" 🎙️ Just absolutely explosive running to score a big try for @SaintsRugby 😇 #InvestecChampionsCup — Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) May 3, 2025 There has been a sense of wonder for some time around Pollock, as dazzling for Stowe school as he was for England Under-18s, plus a key member of the national Under-20 side who secured a Six Nations title by beating France in a ferocious atmosphere in Pau. Sport is littered, of course, with wunderkinds who have not made the grade in the senior ranks. It is to Pollock's credit that he has bucked the trend, becoming integral to Northampton's Premiership line-up despite his tender years. As Phil Dowson, his director of rugby, has put it: 'He doesn't need protecting. He's mad for it. Often, if not always, you'd have 18 or 19-year-olds who might be overawed. But he feeds off that, and that's just because he's a slightly different character.' Pollock is setting the standard for precocity as a Lion at 20. Even Maro Itoje and Jonny Wilkinson were 22 by the time they claimed the distinction. He becomes the fourth 20-year-old of the professional era to be picked at this level, alongside Leigh Halfpenny, Stuart Hogg and Louis Rees-Zammit. He will, at least, be kept in check by his peers, given the now-traditional responsibility as the youngest player of looking after the mascot: a cuddly lion nicknamed BIL, the team's acronym. That is perhaps the only ritual by which he will have to abide. Otherwise, Pollock will have licence in Australia to do what he does best, creating mayhem wherever he roams.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Newcastle Falcons ready to launch legal action against rivals over academy exits
Newcastle Falcons are ready to engage lawyers in their bid to receive compensation for departing academy products as Ben Redshaw, the England Under-20 star, becomes the latest to trade Tyneside for a Premiership rival. Steve Diamond, the Falcons director of rugby, said on Tuesday that Redshaw would be joining Gloucester and explained that Newcastle have been waiting 10 months to receive compensation from the deals that saw Bath recruit Guy Pepper and Saracens pick up Phil Brantingham last summer. Advertisement With Falcons seeking new investment, Diamond is eager to be handed these funds so that he can make improved offers to existing Newcastle players such as club captain Callum Chick. In the same month that he was suspended by the Rugby Football Union for remarks made to officials, Diamond took aim at the governing body's disciplinary department for Falcons' prolonged wait for valuable finances. 'Phil Brantingham and Guy Pepper left the club 10 months ago, and their compensation claims still haven't been put on the desk by the RFU,' he said. 'That is unlike me, who, within 24 hours, receives his notice for comments I made. 'There is a willingness to do some things quickly and expedite discipline, but when it comes to the crux of the professional game, then this is where they are out of their depth. The processes in place guard against other clubs stealing players at a young age through compensation. Advertisement 'The mathematics work like this; there is an amount of money, so let's say we have had them for three years, then there is an amount per year. If a club asks permission [to approach a player] and we have offered them a contract, and that club speaks to them after March, there will be an amount of commission that they will be aware of. 'If they speak to them before [March] – which they all do and I have evidence of that happening – then there is another amount payable, which is not insignificant.' As testament to Newcastle's production line, Pepper has been among the best signings of the Premiership season. The 20-year-old Redshaw, a world champion with England U20 last summer who has spent most of his senior career at full-back and wing, remains eligible for that age-group. Ben Redshaw (left) was part of the England Under-20 side that won the Under 20 World Cup in 2024 - Getty Images/Gallo Images He was in contention to captain them before suffering an injury on the verge of the Six Nations earlier this season. Advertisement It is understood that Gloucester are aware of their need to pay compensation for acquiring Redshaw, but Diamond suggested that Newcastle have sought legal advice in their bid to receive payment from Bath and Saracens as quickly as possible. 'The compensation rules are put together by a combination of the RFU, Premier Rugby and the RPA and whenever there is conflict, it goes awry,' Diamond added. 'Compensation is important for the club's finances, and we need a decision on that – we can't wait 10 months. 'We now have Ben Redshaw going to Gloucester, and they will have to pay the compensation. They all try and wriggle around it, and that is why we need everyone to sit down and say this is right or this is not right, or else it will be a free-for-all. 'We have a legal team working on this, and it is costing money – there is a lot depending on it. If we put all the hard work into developing these youngsters and then, at 20, are snapped up, then that's not fair or right and not why the academy regions were put together for. It is five five-figure [compensation] sum we are looking at.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Gloucester agree deal to sign Newcastle's Redshaw
Gloucester have agreed a deal to sign Newcastle full-back Ben Redshaw for the 2025-26 Premiership Rugby 20-year-old England youth international made his Newcastle debut early last season and has played eight Premiership games this season. He was part of the England Under-20s side that won the Under 20 World Cup last year and also spent time at the England senior side's pre-World Cup training camp in 2023. "Ben is a great signing for us; he is one of the most highly rated young players in the country and widely regarded as a future first-team international," Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington said."He's got all the physical attributes you want from a back-three player, and I'm sure he'll fit perfectly into the game model that we are trying to play." However, Redshaw is the latest homegrown departure at troubled Newcastle. The Premiership's bottom side, who are searching for new ownership, have already lost winger Max Pepper to Bristol Bears for next season, while Adam Radwan left for Leicester Tigers in mid-season.
