Former Kinross first XV skipper and now Eastern Suburbs young gun Cody Walker has impressed in NSW’s excellent start to the Super 20s Championship, to say the least.
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He started as a reserve bookend, but such was his impact on NSW’s back-to-back, tournament-opening wins – he scored a try in one of those victories – he was promoted to start at loosehead prop in last weekend’s round four clash with Queensland.
Just two days later Simon Cron named the big bopper in his extended Australian squad for next month’s training camp on the Gold Coast, which kicks off the green and golds’ preparation for this year’s under-20 World Championship in Georgia.
Walker is one of 48 in the preliminary squad, all of whom impressed Cron during the start of the Super competition.
There’s undeniable quality in the group too, 14 of last year’s side have made the cut again alongside four members of Australia’s sevens squad – including speedster Henry Hutchison, who missed the 2016 campaign with sevens commitments.
Two of Walker’s Eastern Suburbs chums have also made the squad in Ryan McCauley and Jack Maddocks, as have fellow NSW props Harry Johnson-Holmes and Harrison Chapman.
The Gen Blue trio are three of eight props picked along with four hookers which, although it’s a preliminary squad, would suggest Cron and his fellow selectors won’t be looking too much further to fill Australia’s front-row rotation.
“This camp will be the first opportunity we have to get content across to our players, as well as skill evaluation and execution,” Cron told rugbynews.net.au
“It will be a high intensity camp and we need to tick the box on a lot of critical stuff.
“We will be putting guys into different scenarios and seeing how they play as well as start to develop our culture and Identity as a group.
“The door is still open for players in the Super 20s Championship as we are always watching and looking for players who will suit the way we want to play the game.”
Australia will host the Oceania Rugby 20s Championship on the Gold Coast on April 28.