They are seeking to climb the Mount Everest of under 20s rugby later this year but the Junior Wallabies started the journey by conquering Australia's tallest peak first.
The Junior Wallabies gathered in camp in Canberra last week to prepare for the upcoming Oceania Championships, and then the World Under 20s Championships in July in Argentina.
With heavyweight assistants Stephen Larkham and Nathan Grey assisting, coach Jason Gilmore split the camp up into general team training, forwards and backs training and - crucially - a two-day hiking trip with the Fly Program on Mt Kosciusko.
The Fly program is an organisation that arranges outdoor activities, such as fly fishing, to encourage men to open up to each other in a comfortable environment.
Gilmore said the initiative aimed to bring the players closer together as a team.
“We've done it a bit differently this camp,” he said.
“Went into two days in just a units camp where the boys were by themselves with forwards and backs, just to get their systems in shape, their detail down pat.
“We went away for a two-day camp with the Fly Program so that was just downing tools with footy and gave them a chance to get to know each other, some team culture stuff and some interpersonal work and then it’s just head down with the team stuff.”
Larkham spent time with the group as part of his new role with Rugby Australia and Gilmore said it was an invaluable experience for the players to spend time with the Test legend
“It's excellent and the big thing that we want to do around these young guys is put good men around them and then good skills with those men that come in and I can't speak highly enough of Stephen since he's come in in the last six weeks,” he said.
“He’s extremely enthusiastic, just a wealth of knowledge and has a genuine interest with the boys.
“To see someone like him sitting around a camp fire with the boys talking footy, you just can't buy that.”
While the Junior Wallabies group isn’t as stacked with Super Rugby capped players as it was last year, there are a host of returning players from 2018.
One of those returning is talented back Will Harrison, who is keen to try and pass on some of the experience he has gained since being signed to the Waratahs wider squad.
“I'm really looking forward to this year, especially having that experience from last year will help us out a lot coming into Oceania and then following into the World Cup,” he said.
“It's been awesome being at the Tahs...especially having players like Mack Mason, Bernard Foley and KB looking after me, makes my life a lot easier.
“Then, coming back here I can give a lot of their experience to the boys who haven't had that.”
The Junior Wallabies will take on Japan, Fiji and New Zealand in next month’s Oceania U20s Championship on the Gold Coast.
OCEANIA CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
Friday April 26
All times AEST
5pm - New Zealand vs Fiji – Kick off 5pm, AEST
7pm - Australia vs Japan – Kick off 7pm, AEST
Tuesday April 30
5pm - New Zealand vs Japan – Kick off 5pm, AEST
7pm - Australia vs Fiji – Kick off 7pm, AEST
Saturday May 4
5pm - Japan vs Fiji
7pm - New Zealand vs Australia
