Australian Schoolboys 2014

[Lee Grant]

It's hard to compare from year to year because there's no Oz A games in 2014 and sometimes they process a lot of players, as in 2013 when they went on tour to Europe.

But as a sample (only) from games in Oz for Aus Schools Ones:

2013 v Fiji - Fereti S (starter) was the only Vic in the matchday 23
2012 v Tonga - Moli S and Kavapalu (both reserves)
2011 v NZ - Allan F started
2010 v Samoa - none

There wouldn't be too many years when the Vics got two fellows starting for Australia, and another on the bench, in a Schools' "test match".

PS - any idea how Moli S is tracking after his ACL thingo?
.

 

[formerflanker]

They don't really. HSC boys are screwed as their exams will be almost immediately after they return, whereas VCE (Victorian) boys are a bit more fortunate as their exams don't start till the end of October. Honestly, to get this far unfortunately school work will have already been put on the back burner (though there are a few special cases of very studious talented rugby students).

I also believe there are bonus ATAR points for boys who represent their country?

Yes, you are right. It depends on the University and the degree of competitiveness to get into each course, but up to 5 bonus ATAR points can be awarded by the university the boys apply to. The definition of "elite sportsperson" usually means selection in State representative teams.

 

[aka_the_think]

http://www.schoolsrugby.com.au/2014/news/australian-schools-team-v-fiji-announced/

1 Vunipola Fifita Newington College
2 Ed Craig Epping Boys’ High School
3 Shambeckler Vui Ipswich Grammar School
4 Reece Hewat St Joseph’s Nudgee College
5 Andrew Vatuvei Sarah Redfern High School
6 Maumau Monu Canberra College
7 Connor Moroney St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace
8 Harley Fox Anglican Church Grammar School
9 Nicholas Duffy St Joseph’s College
10 Connor O’Shea St Joseph’s College
11 Joey Fittock The Southport School
12 Sione Tuipulotu St Kevin’s College
13 Izaia Perese Anglican Church Grammar School
14 Ah-Mu Tuimaleali’ifano Roxburgh College
15 Jordan Fulivai St Francis Xavier College
16 Phil Bradford Hunter Sports High school
17 Evan Pritchard St Ignatius’ College
18 Gavin Luka St Joseph’s Nudgee College
19 Tom Blake Marcellin College
20 Hugh Summerhayes Cranbrook School
21 Harrison Goddard Oakhill College
22 Jordan Jackson-Hope St Edmund’s College
23 Sepesa Lola-Tarogi Newington College

It may have been mentioned, but where on earth is Crichton?

I'm probably opening up a can of worms here, but is anyone else baffled by the fact that the best 1st XV in the country - Scots College - don't have a single representative in this team?

I would LOVE to see a Scots 1st XV v Australian Schoolboys game, can someone make it happen?

 

[Newbie]

Greetings all,

It has been a long hiatus for me admittedly, one predominantly enforced due to work and study commitments. Anyway it’s good to be back and hopefully I have some valuable information to share.

As all are acutely aware we are only a few days away from the Australian Schools v. NZ Barbarians game and I have been informed from some of my ‘NZ out-laws’ (you can pick your wife but not her family unfortunately) that they will not suffer the same humiliation they suffered two years ago on home soil.

For those that are not aware, two seasons ago the NZ Secondary Schools Rugby Board (‘the Board’) introduced a ‘Seniors Only ’ selection criteria, whereby only students in ‘Year 13’ (Australian Year 12) were eligible for selection in the NZ Schools team. In its first year (2012) of implementation it was met with much disgruntlement when the NZ Schools team was handed its backside by the touring Australian team. Most considered the approached to have backfired after the shock loss to the Australian lads.

My reputable source from over the ditch went on to inform me that when the ‘Seniors Only’ policy was introduced there were several year 11 and 12 boys who were worthy of selection in the NZ Schools team but had to fall back into the NZ Barbarians team (the traditional second tier NZ Schools team). As most will remember this team convincingly beat the touring Australians. Moreover, there were apparently 4-5 players that were definite selections in the NZ Schools team had the new policy not been introduced. Two of these lads who were apparently precluded from selection in 2012 (both of whom toured with the NZ Schools team last year) were young guns TJ Faine (NZ U20 and Auckland ITM Representative 2014) and Damien McKenzie (NZ U20 and Waikato ITM Representative 2014).

Nevertheless in 2013 ‘the powers that be’ continued with the new approach notwithstanding the fact that students worthy of selection were still being precluded. Accordingly last year’s shock loss to the Fijian Schools team and - the desperately lucky last minute - victory against Australia resulted in a ‘back to the drawing board’ approach. Consequently what ‘wasn’t broke and did not need fixing’ is now back in vogue and therefore ‘if you’re good enough you’re old enough’!

Admittedly I did try to console my ‘penis relation’ by informing him that the team which toured in 2012, and the team that was selected in 2013 contained, IMO, some of the best Australian rugby talent for some years (e.g., Jonah Placid and Andrew Kellaway etc.) and that he should not take it so hard … lol. That he could live with, but the loss to Fiji was apparently the straw that broke the Camel’s back insofar as the Board was concerned. For mine the loss to Fiji came down to one player, the unstoppable Viliame Kikau (now tearing it up with the Nth Queensland Cowboys), nevertheless change has occurred!

As it stands I am being informed that our boys can expect to have their proverbial backsides handed to themselves (which ultimately will remain to be seen). However I was able to confirm that the New Zealanders are taking the Australian and Fijian Schools tour seriously and expect nothing but a 100% win ratio from both their NZ BaaBaa’s and Schools team. The fact that the Board got the ‘High Performance Unit’ of the NZRFU involved in the selection process is cause for concern (especially the changes they implemented with respect to the selection trials). Either way good luck to our boys in NZ I am sure they will give their all!

 

[Lee Grant]

It may have been mentioned, but where on earth is Crichton?

I'm probably opening up a can of worms here, but is anyone else baffled by the fact that the best 1st XV in the country - Scots College - don't have a single representative in this team?

I would LOVE to see a Scots 1st XV v Australian Schoolboys game, can someone make it happen?

Crichton was injured and Tuaina Tualima took his place.

Yeah I noticed that too about Scots yesterday. They don't even have a player in the touring party.

A few non-Scots GPS fans would be smirking about that because of matters that they have talked about in the Scholarship etc thread, but regardless of how they got to the school they played some wonderful ensemble rugby that was a pleasure to watch.

I thought the Scots boys were under-represented in the NSW sides too.

That game you mentioned is not going to happen, but I would have backed Scots on a dry track mainly because Oz Schools wouldn't have the combination Scots had until they played a few more games.

It's ironic that Oz Schools is without, arguably, three of the best schoolboy players in the country: 2 Alex Mafi, 13 Henry Hutchison and no 8/centre Angus Crichton.

If they beat NZ without them they will do very well indeed.

Scots should have some cracking players in Oz Schools next year - but I said that last year.

PS - folks may think that "aka_the_think" is a Scots' supporter, but I assure you that he is not (and the same goes for me).
.

 

[Lee Grant]

Greetings all,

It has been a long hiatus for me admittedly, one predominantly enforced due to work and study commitments. Anyway it’s good to be back and hopefully I have some valuable information to share.

G'day Newbie,

Let's hope that your in-law relative has egg on his face shortly.

The disturbing news is that the NZRFU is now involved.

Although we have bitches about who is picked here (see above) our process is better than what the Kiwis used to have. (Cue some more whingeing quoting that.)

Their annual national tournament was between individual schools, and good players not in the best local rugby schools didn't get to play before the NZ Schools' selectors. Their coaches sent DVDs in for the selectors to look at.

I was told by an ex-junior rugby official of a NZ province that he and his mates used to shake their heads when they saw some of the names picked, or not picked, for NZ Schools teams from their area because they knew the names of the best local lads.

PS - about their selection trials this year: what was the format? Did they pick lads from the North Island and South Island etc to play against each other - or what?
.

 

[ruggasXV]

Is there an Australia A team playing this year?

 

[Lee Grant]

Is there an Australia A team playing this year?

No
.

 

[Newbie]

... ... ... PS - about their selection trials this year: what was the format? Did they pick lads from the North Island and South Island etc to play against each other - or what?
.

LG,

I will get back to you on that. I'm on my way out with me ole dad (who is a mad Bulldogs supporter) to the game. I'm actually wearing my Waratahs (away) jersey, and as I told my dad it's the only 'blue and white' jersey I own ... lol.

However I do recall being told about a different format. It was something about running a provincial style competition concurrently with the schools finals - but as said above I will get back to you. I do know that the new format was a strong recommendation of the NZRFU HPU!

 

[Sideline Eye]

Very surprised that Duffy beat Goddard to the starting side

I believe young Goddard arrived in NZ a day or two late due to a death in the family. Likely to be the reason for the switch for game 1.

 

[Sideline Eye]

How do these kids study?
In the olden days the games were played after the HSC if they involved a tour.

Supposed to have study time during camp and on tour, but there hasn't been much spare time at all apparently. They'll have a week on return to swot up, but missing 2 weeks in preparation is a big ask. Shame about the timing, as even the extra 5 Atar points they get at some Uni's is little compensation for the time they've already given up, plus this 2 weeks.

 

[Sideline Eye]

Match report from the Australian Schools Rugby site (http://www.schoolsrugby.com.au/):

Fiji Schools started the match well with a try mere seconds after kick off, scoring directly underneath the posts after Australia’s defence was unable to account for an aerial raid from Fiji. Fiji converted to take an early 7-0 lead.

Both sides traded a pair of penalties I the first half with Australian Schools’ with Connor O’Shea from St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill being accurate with the boot all day.

With the scores locked at 10-3 Australia was able to gain momentum and keep the pressure of Fiji’s defence with consistent possession.

Two tries to winger Joey Fittock allowed Australian Schools to gain the advantage on the scoreboard taking Australia’s points to 24 against Fiji’s 10 at halftime.

The second half saw the Australian side fire out of the blocks with two tries to Reece Hewat and Sione Tuipulotu allowed Australia to extend the lead to 31-10.

Despite valiant attempts from the Fijian Schools side the team was unable to keep pace with Australian Schools with the young men in gold taking out the match 50 to 15 after a string of late tries by the Australian backs allowed Australia to cruise home.

The Australian side has two matches left with New Zealand Barbarians and the New Zealand Schools side.

 

[Monty Python]

Lined up for the National Anthems

The Fijian Haka face-off

The scrums were a bit scrappy, but we won our feeds

The lineout was strong - with pinpoint accuracy and winning all our own

The 5pm kick-off at Levin meant lights were needed near the end
Record score for Aust Schoolboys v Fiji Schoolboys


The Australian side started off with a few nerves, with a few poor passes, and were behind in the first 10 minutes by 10-3. They may also have been a bit worried about the size of the Fijian opposition, who looked taller and heavier in every position v their opposites in the Aussie side.

After about 15 minutes, however, the play stabilised and Australia started to get the upper hand. The play was very structured and the boys looked like they knew exactly what they were doing.

By half time the score at 24-10 to Australia, and it looked like the game was firmly in the bag. There was a small question in my mind about the number of players committing to the ruck, as we were getting pushed off some ball early on, but the forwards seemed to adjust by adding one or two players to the breakdown when needed, and from that point on set up a good platform for the backs - and that's how the game was won.

There were no substitutions till about 15 minutes into the second half, when the entire front row got a rest and the subs started coming on. By the full time hooter, the boys had reached 50-15 and everyone with a number on the bench had a run on the park for Australia.

No serious injuries that I'm aware of, and everyone seemed pretty pleased with the outcome. A great team effort with no selfish play and every team member contributed to the team's excellent score.

 

[Sideline Eye]

There was some recorded vision of Oz Schools training at Joeys on Rugby HQ (obviously from earlier in the week).

Here's a link to that story Lee mentions on Rugby HQ last Thursday: http://www.schoolsrugby.com.au/2014/news/fox-sports-rugby-hq-story/

 

[JAKE_THE_PEG]

It may have been mentioned, but where on earth is Crichton?

I'm probably opening up a can of worms here, but is anyone else baffled by the fact that the best 1st XV in the country - Scots College - don't have a single representative in this team?

I would LOVE to see a Scots 1st XV v Australian Schoolboys game, can someone make it happen?

Interesting point about the low Scots representation. I think you'd find Scots would have towelled by the Churchie 1st XV. Such a shame that match doesn't happen. Would be good for increasing interest / profile of rugby. Especially now Qld schooling ages will soon start matching up ... Well in 4 yrs as the gr 8s end up in gr 12

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Such a shame that match doesn't happen. Would be good for increasing interest / profile of rugby.

with what demographic?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Tour update from a snout on the inside:

Yesterday was an important day for recovery and down time.

A "refreshing" dip in Wellington Harbour at Oriental Bay (brrrr) followed breakfast and a good stretching session.

The rest of the morning was spent sightseeing and exploring Wellington City with family or team mates.


After lunch, the team reviewed the Fiji match and started their preparation for the next match against New Zealand Barbarians.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Still no mention of study for the HSC

 

[Quick Hands]

Still no mention of study for the HSC

Careful IS, such heretical thoughts might see you sent to a re-education facility just outside Pyongyang.

 

[Quick Hands]

Tour update from a snout on the inside:

Yesterday was an important day for recovery and down time.

A "refreshing" dip in Wellington Harbour at Oriental Bay (brrrr) followed breakfast and a good stretching session.

The rest of the morning was spent sightseeing and exploring Wellington City with family or team mates.


After lunch, the team reviewed the Fiji match and started their preparation for the next match against New Zealand Barbarians.

Heavy rain, Minimum 6 degrees , maximum 12 degrees. Wellington Harbour would have been an interesting experience.