Rugby: NZ's top five young talents

Mt Albert Grammar First XV rugby player Josh Goodhue. Photo / Chris Loufte

You won't see them at this year's World Cup but a number of the New Zealand under-20s side who will play at next month's Under-20 Championships will go on to be All Blacks. Campbell Burnes looks at five of the best you will hear more about in the future.

Atu Moli
Atu Moli will captain the New Zealand under-20s in Italy and was one of the better performers in the much-maligned 2014 New Zealand under-20s tight five. He has a long back, a la Paul Thomson and Carl Hayman, and can operate on either side of the scrum- he has no doubt picked up tips off his flatmate Ben Tameifuna.

"Atu Moli is a big, strong 125kg prop and it's his second year," coach Scott Robertson said. "He's a natural leader who is hugely respected and has a lot of mana in our group. We know he'll lead the boys through his actions.

Moli should feature in the Waikato ITM Cup side by August and should be getting meaningful Super Rugby time by 2017.

Mitch Karpik
This kid is good, seriously good.

The 19-year-old openside could play for Auckland later this season and could slot into the Blues in 2017, such is his development.

Out of King's College in 2013, where he skippered the school's first XV and cracked the New Zealand schoolboys side, Karpik was the standout at last year's national under-19 tournament, winning the Sir John Graham Cup, and has kicked on with the Auckland Sevens. He would have gone to Japan with the New Zealand Universities but made the under-20s instead.

Karpik is short and wiry, and has packed on plenty of good weight to push him over the 100kg mark. You should see his traps ...

Josh Goodhue
The lock is tall and tough, was the Mt Albert Grammar first XV captain in 2013 and the twin brother of Jack Goodhue, also in the squad. We didn't see much of Josh Goodhue in 2014 as he was recuperating from injury, but Canterbury, who are not slow to sign prime talent out of the 1A schools competition, recognised his ability and snapped him up - as they had done with his twin brother. He is one of several leaders in the under-20's pack.

Aerially, he does his job well and is into shifting bodies at the breakdown. Remind you of anyone? Even if Goodhue doesn't see a lot of ITM Cup with Canterbury this season, where Dominic Bird and Luke Romano may squeeze him out, he'll be a sitter for 2016.

TJ Faiane
The wider public were jolted into watching this talent with the fast feet when he scored a superb solo try for St Kentigern against Otago Boys' High School in the national schools Top 4 final of 2012.

He did it again in the 2013 final against Hamilton Boys. Auckland coach Paul Feeney had little hesitation in bringing him into the Auckland ITM Cup starting XV at just 18, where he replaced All Black Francis Saili. Faiane did not disappoint and looks set to carve up in the midfield for the under-20s in his second time around. There was a lot made of the Blues' decision to sign Rieko Ioane out of school, but Faiane was established before Ioane came along and might have as much talent. Watch him go in Super Rugby 2016.

Vince Aso
Vince Aso's hamstrings have let him down in the last few months, but he should be primed for the under-20s campaign, not to mention doing the business for Auckland in the ITM Cup.

He's a wing who can cover the midfield and, in fact, he announced himself with 12 or 13 on his back for the 2012 New Zealand Schools side. In 2013, he started scoring a stack of tries for his Ponsonby club on the wing, and he was called into Auckland's ITM side, where he crossed for four tries in seven outings. He played for the 2014 New Zealand under-20s but Tevita Li won most of the accolades.

Aso has hardly seen game time at the Hurricanes but, if his body stays healthy, he could be a force in 2016 or 2017 at Super Rugby level with his pace and finishing ability.