AIC Rugby 2018

[Cameron Toop]

A shame for one but a good ( and deserved ) opportunity for another

He's an interesting player BB - at the start of this season some thought he might play the 2 spot before he ended up at 8. Anyway - good on him

Agreed BB is a player on the rise and one to watch . He wouldn’t be replacing a prop. BB is a number 8.

 

[HJ Nelson]

Photos from tonight's games

GPS Navy v GPS Gold
AIC v CSS

https://www.tremainfocused.com/blog/2018-queensland-schoolboys-trials

 

[Confucius Say]

Fantastique job HJ. It must have been wet out at Ballymore.

 

[Garry Owens]

This might be one of the strongest years for AIC in a long time that might lead to as many as 7 or 8 Representatives in Queensland Schoolboys ( 1 and 2 )

Wouldn't be surprised to see up to half a dozen from Combined Schools as well

Unheard of for the last few years

Hmmmm

I posted this at end of Feb and had completely forgotten about it until I tried to put together “ teams of the day” x 2 based on best player performances from what I could tell last night and tonight

Day 1 - I only had 4 from AIC and 3 from CSS

Day 2 though I had 8 from AIC and 3 still from CSS

So yeah , depending on tomorrow , I could definitely see 7-8 AIC Reps in QLD 1 and 2

A bumper year for AIC

CSS I reckon could take up to 5 spots

 

[pundit]

Sounds like the boys are going well. Any scores from tonight’s games / notable performances?

 

[Prince Henry]

I had 8 after first night. What took you so long?

Maybe 10+ after tonight. Skill level in GPS Navy was pretty poor and only great athletes kept them in front of the AIC boys.
19-5 at half time was not a true reflection of the game but AIC won second half 7-5.

AIC scrum was superior and every time they went wide, they looked dangerous. Hard to say who was best - they were all magnificent against the much hyped GPS boys.

Showed plenty of depth in 2nd half too when GPS brought on their starters from the previous night.

 

[Garry Owens]

Tennison Woods and Maritz were worth 3 to 4 tries between them - in what they scored ( well at least Connor O'Regan's try that was set by Maritz ) but probably moreso defensively in what they saved in the first half just with better defense beating good offense

Take those 2 out of the game and there is easily a 15 to 20 point swing in the result

That's not taking anything away from a few other notable performances

- The scrum did well here and there - John Downes and Sam Finnochiaro well done ( Downes also good in general play when he was on )

- Big Bruce finally showed up when it mattered - well done

- Harry Fox was impressive

- Ben Byrnes continues to make the most of his chance

- Connor Scurr surprised me when he came on

But no disrespect to these boys or other boys - who were dogged and disruptive in the 2nd half especially which flustered Navy who had more Turnover than Woolworths - but outside of LTW and Maritz they really didn't have anyone who could score on Navy

 

[Garry Owens]

I thought Navy really missed Spencer Jeans out there tonight at 9

Organisation was a bit rickety - especially in 2nd half and some leadership was lacking , in the forced plays and trying to hit home runs off very carry , instead of building

It showed a lack of respect for AIC who did lift and were very active in getting off the line in the 2nd half , where , the GPS boys were out of whack and lacked organisation and maybe a bit of energy.

Good for AIC to have the moral victory in the 2nd half - but truthfully , the GPS forwards could do whatever they wanted through the Centre and in the Strike Zone in the first half . Granted ....they were getting shut down by LTW and Maritz out wide who were magnificent ...but when they twigged and they centred it and pounded away with their forward runners - Reno Gerrard especially ( who came off at half time ) - it wasn't really a close contest when they figured it out and flicked that switch

But again , credit to AIC who took what Navy gave them in a sloppy affair in the 2nd half

Interesting concept this year with the "mixed" GPS Teams

Reality is with such a high concentration of reserves playing for the majority of the game , in previous years , they would have been GPS 3 starters - who managed to just scrape home over AIC last year . From memory ( and someone correct me if I am wrong ) but I think the GPS 2 game last year was around a 20 something point result

It will be interesting to see how the boys fare tomorrow against Gold - no doubt they will be fired up

 

[pundit]

Thanks for the update guys. Keep them coming!

 

[Prince Henry]

If AIC play like tonight they will give Gold a very competitive game tomorrow, albeit Gold had a 60 point win against CSS.

Across the park there was commitment in defence, good passing skills on both sides and whilst both wingers had strong games, they were the beneficiaries of the inside work of their team mates. Just basic things like low body height into contact from 2, 4, 5 and 8 and running square to the line from their 10/12/13 helped the boys close the gap from previous years. After Navy looked a bit ominous early, they hung in.

In addition, now the AIC boys are getting serious about their S&C, they look like they can compete physically with GPS - mixed or not, their starters could not put away the AIC bench players. Clearly, they are playing as a squad these AIC boys.

 

[Garry Owens]

Well Downes , Finnochiarro , Tevega and Fox are well sized - but truthfully , Byrnes and Geraghty are not sized enough for where they are playing and won't and shouldn't IMO be ahead of

LOCKS

Fred Fewtrell ( ACGS )
Will Chaffey ( TGS )

who I have as the stand out locks over the last 2 nights . Head and Shoulders above everyone else. Literally.

Then you also have the monsterous Tom Van Der Schyff who is a genuine talent and of course Harry Fox who has done well over both nights and Big Bruce who showed up tonight but has to do it again tomorrow night - and the Padua pair will likely fly the AIC flag in the lock stocks

6/8

Reno Gerrard ( TSS ) has got to be close to the first guy picked and Bailey Tautau ( NC ) , for mine , was the best forward of the night tonight . Will Macpherson ( ACGS ) had a big night last night but was a bit quieter tonight . Matt Englebrecht ( NC ) was a real surprise tonight and really showed up ........these are big powerful guys - bigger and more powerful than anyone AIC is running in the space ( not so much Macpherson who is tall but lankier and a genuine additional lineout option at 6 ) I have these guys as the most obvious to be across the 6 and 8 spots for now - and in a continuation of where they have been and what they have been doing in the trial season

The point is .......I suspect guys like the Bens , realistically , are 7's and probably have to make it there . They are both big hearted players who give it their all - but do they have the class / impact over , Will Roche or Cayle Manu ? Personally I don't think so - but it only matters what the selectors think . I have them around a similar mark to TGS's Dougal Gray and ACGS's Connor McKinlay ( not trialling )

When it comes to Props and Hookers ....I have been a big John Downes and Sam Finnochiarro fan all season..........but I can't see anyone beating Nesta Mahina ( BSHS ) as the best 2 going around in Opens Rugby in QLD . Zane Nongorr ( TSS ) and Emile Tuimavave ( BGS ) lead the way in the Prop stakes . But hey ......8 Props will get chosen across the 2 teams and 4 Hookers ....so you'd expect Downes and Finnochiarro are as certain as Maritz and Tennison Woods in the backs. Those are the 4 that are pretty much unbackable ( or so you'd think ) and after that it's a bit of a lottery where 3 or 4 out of another half a dozen might get the right bounce

 

[Garry Owens]

With Carter Gordon ( BBC ) not doing the Open Rep season and with Campbell Parata ( TSS ) out of the picture , all of a sudden there is a real ? over the 10 spots. Reesjan Pasiota ( NC ) should be the first guy picked - but there are 3 other spots that need to be filled . IGS's Meli Dreu will likely end up in one of the other spots - but as to the other 2 ? Who knows

Dane Shadlow from the CSS was very good last night but a bit quieter tonight . Connor Scurr from SPC surprised when he came on tonight

 

[Galloper]

Well Downes , Finnochiarro , Tevega and Fox are well sized - but truthfully , Byrnes and Geraghty are not sized enough for where they are playing and won't and shouldn't IMO be ahead of

LOCKS

Fred Fewtrell ( ACGS )
Will Chaffey ( TGS )

who I have as the stand out locks over the last 2 nights . Head and Shoulders above everyone else. Literally.

Then you also have the monsterous Tom Van Der Schyff who is a genuine talent and of course Harry Fox who has done well over both nights and Big Bruce who showed up tonight but has to do it again tomorrow night - and the Padua pair will likely fly the AIC flag in the lock stocks

6/8

Reno Gerrard ( TSS ) has got to be close to the first guy picked and Bailey Tautau ( NC ) , for mine , was the best forward of the night tonight . Will Macpherson ( ACGS ) had a big night last night but was a bit quieter tonight . Matt Englebrecht ( NC ) was a real surprise tonight and really showed up ....these are big powerful guys - bigger and more powerful than anyone AIC is running in the space ( not so much Macpherson who is tall but lankier and a genuine additional lineout option at 6 ) I have these guys as the most obvious to be across the 6 and 8 spots for now - and in a continuation of where they have been and what they have been doing in the trial season

The point is ...I suspect guys like the Bens , realistically , are 7's and probably have to make it there . They are both big hearted players who give it their all - but do they have the class / impact over , Will Roche or Cayle Manu ? Personally I don't think so - but it only matters what the selectors think . I have them around a similar mark to TGS's Dougal Gray and ACGS's Connor McKinlay ( not trialling )

When it comes to Props and Hookers ..I have been a big John Downes and Sam Finnochiarro fan all season....but I can't see anyone beating Nesta Mahina ( BSHS ) as the best 2 going around in Opens Rugby in QLD . Zane Nongorr ( TSS ) and Emile Tuimavave ( BGS ) lead the way in the Prop stakes . But hey ..8 Props will get chosen across the 2 teams and 4 Hookers ..so you'd expect Downes and Finnochiarro are as certain as Maritz and Tennison Woods in the backs. Those are the 4 that are pretty much unbackable ( or so you'd think ) and after that it's a bit of a lottery where 3 or 4 out of another half a dozen might get the right bounce

Thanks for your input GO.

Out of interest, of the various GPS forwards referred to in your post above, how many are turning 18 this year?

I'm not familiar with all of them, but I think at least Gerrard, Tautau and Tuimavave are 18 this year, that extra year of growth and S&C does give the older boys a significant advantage.

Also, what odds on the AIC wingers being picked at 11 and 14 in the Qld 1's this year?

 

[Garry Owens]

Hey G

What are the odds ?

Gee wiz if I didn't know any better I reckon you might know my fondness for a punt : )

Jokes aside .......mate , to be honest , I would pick both of them as my starters on QLD 1 . It's not just what they do with ball in hand - it's their defensive ability I actually like just as much ( probably more ) than what they can do with the ball . You win games with defense first

But will the selectors pick them ?

The backline I'd run with would be

9. Kirk ( GT )
10. Pasiota ( NC )
11. Maritz ( SPC )
12. Waight ( BGS )
13. Tennison Woods ( MCA )
14. Vaihu ( GT )
15. Bowyer ( BBC )

And yes , Gerrard , Tautau and Tuimavave are 18 this year , however , they were huge when they were 16 and 17 too .......some guys ...........it's just not in their DNA to be big guys

You look at guys like Tom Kibble and Fraser McReight - you always could see as younger blokes that they were probably going to end up in the 102kg to 105kg range fully formed at around that 6'1 mark. That's big . There is good big and too big where you start giving up other things . Yeah Zane Nongorr is a load but I reckon for Props .....Emile Tuimavave has got it right . John Downes too . Got to keep work rate and mobility up

Plus .....it's what you can do with your size without necessarily being the biggest body out there . BBC learned that against Otago where , at face value , they were as outmatched as when Rocky fought Hulk Hogan in Rocky 3 - but you can win in other ways as we all know

Back to Maritz and LTW ....they are not massive but make no mistake they are strong and know how to defend

 

[Galloper]

Hey G

What are the odds ?

Gee wiz if I didn't know any better I reckon you might know my fondness for a punt : )

Jokes aside ...mate , to be honest , I would pick both of them as my starters on QLD 1 . It's not just what they do with ball in hand - it's their defensive ability I actually like just as much ( probably more ) than what they can do with the ball . You win games with defense first

But will the selectors pick them ?

The backline I'd run with would be

9. Kirk ( GT )
10. Pasiota ( NC )
11. Maritz ( SPC )
12. Waight ( BGS )
13. Tennison Woods ( MCA )
14. Vaihu ( GT )
15. Bowyer ( BBC )

Looks like a pretty good backline to me, but what's happening with Gordon and Parata at 10?

Also, is Glenn Vaihu starting from a fair way back in the GPS field for a Qld wing spot?

 

[Garry Owens]

Gordon is being cautious to ensure he is right for start of GPS season

Parata is gone . He's in NZ . TSS just took a major drift in the updated Owens Book ( will issue on the way to the Snow over the weekend !)

Vaihu will be there . Quality player and has trialled well . Although I will say if Matt Stirling had have been healthy he'd be there in the mix

 

[Garry Owens]

On the 13 Spot .........I reckon both Ronan Kapi ( TSS ) and Jordan Carriera ( IGS ) are hella good players and will definitely be in the mix . Carriera was pretty good on the first night - Kapi is all class but I thought that would have come out a bit more over the last couple of nights . Same class as LTW but maybe a bit bigger

 

[fairplay]

You mean the much hyped GPS boys who haven't had a full season under their belts...

 

[Ali Barber]

I thought Navy really missed Spencer Jeans out there tonight at 9

Organisation was a bit rickety - especially in 2nd half and some leadership was lacking , in the forced plays and trying to hit home runs off very carry , instead of building

It showed a lack of respect for AIC who did lift and were very active in getting off the line in the 2nd half , where , the GPS boys were out of whack and lacked organisation and maybe a bit of energy.

Good for AIC to have the moral victory in the 2nd half - but truthfully , the GPS forwards could do whatever they wanted through the Centre and in the Strike Zone in the first half . Granted ..they were getting shut down by LTW and Maritz out wide who were magnificent .but when they twigged and they centred it and pounded away with their forward runners - Reno Gerrard especially ( who came off at half time ) - it wasn't really a close contest when they figured it out and flicked that switch

But again , credit to AIC who took what Navy gave them in a sloppy affair in the 2nd half

Interesting concept this year with the "mixed" GPS Teams

Reality is with such a high concentration of reserves playing for the majority of the game , in previous years , they would have been GPS 3 starters - who managed to just scrape home over AIC last year . From memory ( and someone correct me if I am wrong ) but I think the GPS 2 game last year was around a 20 something point result

It will be interesting to see how the boys fare tomorrow against Gold - no doubt they will be fired up

It’s a shame LTW & Moritz didn’t get any quality ball in attack - why was LTW on the Right Wing, least served position in the whole backline - we know from last year LTW can play wing, he lit up the Reds U16 backline and made the Aust U16 team announced after the carnival,
but isn’t he a Specialist Centre - just saying because I don’t think they looked like making a break from 10 to 13. Their best two players catching a cold on the wing. Missed opportunities.

 

[Garry Owens]

Well looks like the much hyped GPS Boys got the rub of the green again

Out of 46 spots - 6 to AIC and 3 to CSS

80% GPS
20% Other

I did call 7-8 back in Feb and if LTW and Maritz were included - then there is your 8

Sort of stunned that these 2 aren’t there