Australia U20s coach Chris Whitaker is ready for the unique challenge of Thursday's Rugby Championship U20s opener against New Zealand.
Whitaker and the squad will kick off the tournament against their Kiwi counterparts in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), with little vision or intel of how the opposition will play.
Watch Australia U20s take on New Zealand U20s from 10pm Thursday live and on-demand via Stan Sport.
There are just six returning players from the squad that won the inaugural TRC Under 20 tournament in Australia last year, with New Zealand under new coach Milton Haig.
“That's the beauty of the under-20s competition, isn't it?" Whitaker told the media.
Apart from maybe a bit of training or the kind of NPC stuff, you're going almost blind, which is a good opportunity because it just means we concentrate on ourselves a bit more.”
“I think everyone is in the same boat, and a lot of teams have got a lot of turnovers in terms of turnover of players, so teams can change dramatically from year to year.”
The Aussies have the advantage of having game time together under their belt after demolishing Japan U23 last month in Coffs Harbour.
“The boys were saying that's probably by far the quickest game they've ever played," Whitaker explained.
“They're real precise, they're accurate, and they're lightning fast. So we had to move quick, and we had to get defensively in position pretty quickly.
“During the week, too, we also had an opposed training session against a Japanese team, which was a really good experience for the boys as well.
“We got to mingle with the Japanese boys, and after the game, we actually sat down and had a meal with them as well. So it was almost like the old-school rugby traditions coming back, sitting down at an after-match function and socialising with the Japanese boys.
“There were a lot of phones and Google Translate going on, but if you ask the boys, that was a really good experience.”
The Australians are out for revenge after last year's defeat to the Kiwis on the Sunshine Coast.
The U20s side had a six point lead heading into the final quarter before they were run down by a fast-finishing New Zealand team.
“(We're) looking forward to the challenge. New Zealand are professional in everything they do, they have to really nail the one-percenters, break down and look after the ball well,” captain Eamon Doyle added.
“I know it will be a tough game, but we're looking forward to it.”
