AIC Rugby 2018

[Vik]

On a side note, fantastic to see the boys from both teams before the 9A ASH/SLC game join in a circle with their arms around each other and kneel on one knee to say a prayer for Connor Petterson, the year 9 Marist boy badly injured on school camp. Certainly brought a lump to the throat of this gnarled cynic. A very appreciated and magnanimous gesture from the Laurie's boys.

Brilliant and well done to the boys - this is what Rugby is about. And getting up this morning to read in the courier that the young lad from Marist is sitting up now and apparently recovering is even better news. Best wishes to his family and friends. The prayer worked !!!!

 

[Vik]

They have incorrect dates from Round 4 but the results look ok to me

Thanks
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Thanks

 

[Vik]

So now some dust has settled since Saturday and sees Villa now 3 wins from 5 and one of those wins an absolute destruction of Padua I think referring to them (Villa) as one of the bottom teams may be a tad harsh What has happened to Padua though? I mean Villa played fantastic rugby on Saturday but still..... is there real problems at Stafford?

 

[I play wing]

The results I’ve seen from the 2018 link on the AIC sports results web site match those posted on GAGR and in the Sunday Mail.
Check these http://aicsport.com.au/division/rugby-1stxv-2/ for round 1 2018 against the 28 April posts on GAGR


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I stand corrected. I was clicking in the wrong place. Tanks mate

 

[Garry Owens]

So I guess the moment of truth comes down to this weekend

Iona ( Home ) v St Pats ( Away )

Assuming Iona handle St Pats - the last round is fairly meaningless

Iona will spank Lauries and Ash should just get home ( at home ) v Villa

 

[Vik]

I think there probably are some real problems in Stafford in Kedron however no one expected too much from this years firsts. The good thing about AIC is that you have to work with what you have and this was always going to be a tough year for Padua. I thought Villa played some top rugby on Saturday and were able to exploit Padua out wide which has been a problem area all year. Padua was also missing their 10 who is easily their best back but not sure he would have made that much difference. Bottom line is Padua probably have 3 very good players this year which is not enough to compete with the top sides. Thanks , as much as I was pleased to see Villa finally start to show some promise after the three or four years of their rugby program - it felt weird seeing a Padua side get demolished like that. That makes sense -cheers
Watching some of the year 10s and year 9s coming through Villa I think next year they could be even better - quite a few returning players for Villa - 5, 6 ,8 , 9 , and 15 and a strong age group moving into year 11. But then again .... Villa have made a habit of not delivering when it counted. They had the chance to beat Iona and Pats but poor execution at critical moments as well as way too many missed tackles and unforced errors cost them. Finally when they put to all together they showed what a good team ( as opposed to a team of champions) can achieve. I don’t realistically see how they can beat MCA in the final round but if Ashgrove walk out on the pitch thinking that they will roll Villa easily (like Iona did) then watch out - who knows what might happen ? That is not to disrespect Peters by the way - they have been up and down in their results but if Villa play like they did against Padua they should beat Peters well.


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[Vik]

So I guess the moment of truth comes down to this weekend

Iona ( Home ) v St Pats ( Away )

Assuming Iona handle St Pats - the last round is fairly meaningless

Iona will spank Lauries and Ash should just get home ( at home ) v Villa

Agree with that - I have been saying that Pats can roll Iona - question is will they ? They need to play tight and aggressive - I think Pats have the better pack and Ash should beat Villa in the final round one would think (as much as I would like to dream otherwise). Iona will put 50 on SLC

 

[Garry Owens]

I think everyone wants Pats to win but the question is can they ?

It’s not impossible - but I doubt it

Iona have been the class team of the competition and despite the knock on their forwards they have still found a way to win

I actually thought St Peters might have given them their most surprising / challenging match up , and yeah , Pats should make a game out of it - but in the end Iona at home with an outright premiership on the line will be too tough

Iona by 8+

 

[Vik]

I think everyone wants Pats to win but the question is can they ?

It’s not impossible - but I doubt it

Iona have been the class team of the competition and despite the knock on their forwards they have still found a way to win

I actually thought St Peters might have given them their most surprising / challenging match up , and yeah , Pats should make a game out of it - but in the end Iona at home with an outright premiership on the line will be too tough

Iona by 8+

Agree Garry - although mindset is a funny thing - I think the fact that an outright premiership is on the line for Iona could work against them. It’s a maybe call on my part - but the danger they face is that in their heads even if they lose they still win a flag. That stuff can mess with schoolboys heads. The strength of Ashgrove last year was not just their players but their mindset. They were ruthless. Not sure Iona is made of the same stuff.
Anyway can’t wait for that result . I can hear hundreds of MCA supporters silently wishing i’m right

 

[Torpedo Punt]

2019 will see many year 10s playing firsts from year 11 due to the half year intake that makes up year 11. ( 2018 year 10s being the first preppies starting at the half year. So year 10 form is crucial for 2019. All schools having a much bigger year 10 cohort than 11s.

 

[Galloper]

Agree Garry - although mindset is a funny thing - I think the fact that an outright premiership is on the line for Iona could work against them. It’s a maybe call on my part - but the danger they face is that in their heads even if they lose they still win a flag. That stuff can mess with schoolboys heads. The strength of Ashgrove last year was not just their players but their mindset. They were ruthless. Not sure Iona is made of the same stuff.
Anyway can’t wait for that result . I can hear hundreds of MCA supporters silently wishing i’m right

I certainly don't know if the Iona First XV are mentally fragile or not, but the question as to whether they are better off playing SPC at home this weekend to seal the premiership, rather than away, is an interesting one.

Normally playing at home is a significant advantage, but this week it's at least possible that the weight of expectation and a big home crowd will make Iona's task more, rather than less, difficult.

Conversely, Paddies should have a "nothing to lose, everything to gain" mindset with their first-ever AIC rugby premiership at stake.

If Iona are at full strength and switched on you'd think they will win fairly comfortably, but if Paddies get out to an early lead who knows?

 

[Ali Barber]

So now some dust has settled since Saturday and sees Villa now 3 wins from 5 and one of those wins an absolute destruction of Padua I think referring to them (Villa) as one of the bottom teams may be a tad harsh What has happened to Padua though? I mean Villa played fantastic rugby on Saturday but still... is there real problems at Stafford?

I'm told by one of their dads that Danny Heenan (10) and a couple of other key player were out. Shows the depth between 1sts & 2nds in the competition is very wide.

 

[Ali Barber]

I certainly don't know if the Iona First XV are mentally fragile or not, but the question as to whether they are better off playing SPC at home this weekend to seal the premiership, rather than away, is an interesting one.

Normally playing at home is a significant advantage, but this week it's at least possible that the weight of expectation and a big home crowd will make Iona's task more, rather than less, difficult.

Conversely, Paddies should have a "nothing to lose, everything to gain" mindset with their first-ever AIC rugby premiership at stake.

If Iona are at full strength and switched on you'd think they will win fairly comfortably, but if Paddies get out to an early lead who knows?

Iona have something to train for this week and they know they'll be in for a match with everything at stake. They haven't had this since Round 2 against Ashgrove and it's why Iona haven't put teams away big time in the last 4 weeks. That will change this week for sure. It's not beyond SPC at their best and they will turn up hoping to share a Premiership.

 

[Garry Owens]

This is sort of what this weekend is like

Iona is Danny Noonan

And everyone else heckling his final putt are the rest of AIC ( but predominantly Maristinians )

 

[Confucius Say]

Best defensive team (St Pat) v best attacking team (Iona) of 2018. Iona won't want to leak as many point as they have been.

 

[Garry Owens]

^Yet you only rated them 5th place at the start of the season ( doubting that if they couldn't do anything without Skelton and Sikmetti then chances are slim )

Yeah should be a battle though

 

[Vik]

Hey VIK,
It’s looking like Padua are on a bit of the same projection as Villa with year 9 and 10 progressing well. The year 10 game between Padua and Villa was quite a brutal battle with Padua just edging it. Year 9 going to Villa in another very close game. It will be interesting to see what Padua do next year with the firsts. There could be up to 10 non-grade 12ers in the team with the view to building for 2020. Or they may go with mostly grade 12ers. I can see arguments for either approach. Either way, 2019 will likely be another tough year for Padua.


The Current year 10 cohort is strong at Villa / Ashgrove and Laurie’s - Padua certainly are in the mix there and interestingly Iona can’t be discounted - Pats and Paters are weak in that age group.

Villa Year 10s are currently smashed with injuries which is why they haven’t fired this year - I have heard something like 7 players from their 2016/2017 premiership side are currently injured and have been out basically all year so far.
Last year Ashgrove /Villa and SLC shared that flag and the year before it Ash and Villa.

It’s is a competitive age group and as all these boys move into Year 11 it should have the makings of a crackerjack 2020 race. And it’s why I think Villa be very competitive next year.

Roll on 2020!!!!


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[Vik]

Iona have something to train for this week and they know they'll be in for a match with everything at stake. They haven't had this since Round 2 against Ashgrove and it's why Iona haven't put teams away big time in the last 4 weeks. That will change this week for sure. It's not beyond SPC at their best and they will turn up hoping to share a Premiership.

I don’t wish Ill for Iona by any means, if they beat Pats they will be worthy premiers obviously. So good luck to them - it was only last year that Iona had a horror year. So they have come far since 2017. It is good for the comp overall. I think either way it goes Iona have done well - But it ain’t out of the question for Pats to cause the upset. And I think we all agree on that.

 

[Confucius Say]

Before last year, I don't think Ashgrove had won in many year. Padua won 2 before that and didn't St Ed and St Peter win years before that and maybe Iona and Villa before that?

Just found the list 2007-15. Relative drought for Ashgrove. Look like very level play field.

2007​

Marist College Ashgrove​

2008​

St Laurence’s College​

2009​

Iona College & Marist College Ashgrove​

2010​

Villanova College​

2011​

Marist College Ashgrove, St Edmund’s College & Padua College​

2012​

St Peters Lutheran College​

2013​

Iona College​

2014​

St Edmund’s College​

2015​

�Padua College​

​

 

[Confucius Say]

^Yet you only rated them 5th place at the start of the season ( doubting that if they couldn't do anything without Skelton and Sikmetti then chances are slim )



Yeah should be a battle though

Yes, total under estimate. And Padua total over estimate