Queensland Schools have iced an historic week for Rugby in the Sunshine State, defeating NSW I 37-20 in the final of the Novotel Australian Schools Rugby Union Championships at Ballymore in Brisbane on Sunday.
Hours after the Queensland Reds held aloft the Super Rugby trophy, Queensland Schools extended their dominance at the national championships, fighting back from a 10-point deficit at halftime to topple NSW five-tries-to-three to claim an impressive sixth-straight title.
Victorious coach Carl Marshall from Brisbane Grammar School said his side had drawn plenty of inspiration from the newly-crowned Super Rugby champions.
“We went to the final last night as a group and I certainly think the Reds victory inspired our boys,” Marshall said.
“At halftime we were trailing 20-10 and hadn’t had much possession but we believed we were the better team and we backed ourselves to win.
“We regrouped in the second half, got back to our game plan of playing direct and it came together for us which was great.”
Queensland were aptly rewarded for winning the Jika Travers Shield with eight players selected in the Australian Schoolboys side which will take on England at St Ignatius College, Riverview in Sydney on 28 August.
NSW, however, will field the most representatives in the side with 10 players selected.
Brisbane State High School pair - centre Chris F’Sautia and lock Curtis Browning - have been rewarded for standout performances at the championships with selection in the national squad for a third-consecutive year.
F’Sautia is the most capped Australian Schoolboy in history with 11 caps and has played every game for the representative side since 2009, while Browning, the grandson of former Wallaby Dick Marks, has eight caps.
Marist College backrower Tom Cusack returns for this second year alongside Ipswich Grammar hooker Maile Nguamo and St Ignatius College backrower Michael Wells while Endeavour Sports HS halfback Waldo Wessels and St Augustine College lock Rhys Dombkins have graduated from the 2010 Australia A side into the first team this year.
St Francis College forward Feao Fotuakai is perhaps the rags to riches story of national section. He was playing No.8 for the Combined High Schools second side during the QRFSU Open Schoolboy Trials last month before earning a call-up into the Queensland I side for the national champs. He scored a try in today’s final and has been selected in coach Stephen Phillpotts’ side as a tighthead prop.
Australian Schools squad to play England Under 18 at St Ignatius College, Sydney 28 Aug 2pm
Alan Ala'alatoa (Newington College), Mark Baldwin (Newington College), Brogan Roods (Newington College), Curtis Browning (BSHS), Chris F'Sautia (Brisbane State High School), Tom Cusack (Marist College Canberra), Rhys Dombkins (St Augustine’s College), Allan Faalavau (Dandenong High School), Feao Fotuakai (St Francis College), David Horwitz (The Scots College), Jim Stewart (The Scots College), Feleti Kaituu (St Joseph’s Nudgee College), Sean McMahon (St Joseph’s Nudgee College), Benjamin Lawley (Knox Grammar School), Scott Malolua (Marist College Ashgrove), Jake McIntyre (Alstonville High School), Maile Ngauamo (Ipswich Grammar School), Alex Northam (Killarney Heights HS), Harry Scoble (Wanneroo SHS), Saia Tanginoa (Prairewood HS), Caleb Timu (Marsden SHS), Michael Wells (St Ignatius’ College), Waldo Wessels (Endeavour SHS). Andrew Elliot(Manager) Stephen Phillpotts (Coach), Paul Geddes (Asst Manager), Tim Rapp (Asst Coach), William Maher (Physiotherapist), Dr Michael McLean (Doctor)
Australia A Schools Squad to Play England Under 18 at Oakhill College, Sydney 24 Aug 3pm
James Caterson (Endeavour Sports HS), Jack Debreczeni (Trinity Grammar School), Richard Hardwick (Churchlands SHS), Craig Hunt (St Joseph’s Nudgee), Tom Moloney (St Joseph’s Nudgee College), Sam Johnson (St Edmund’s College), Fa’atausili Lafaitele (Victoria Point SHS), Angus Le Lievre (St Joseph’s College), Ephraim Lesa (Lalor Secondary School), Patrick McCarthy (Aquinas College), Jock Merriman (Shore School), Will Miller (The Scots College), Andrew Robinson (St Mary McKillop College), Harry Rorke (St Ignatius College), Jonathan Vaux (St Ignatius College), Nathan Roye (Newington College), Nathan Scarano (Knox Grammar School), Tautala Tasi (Ipswich Grammar School), Corey Thomas (Guildford Grammar School), Scott Tolmie (Cyril Jackson SHS), Campbell Wakely (The Southport School), Terrin Walls (St Patrick’s College), Jack Walters (The Scots College), John Rownes (Manager), Jarred Hodges (Coach), Peter Gibson (Asst Coach), Tom Lombardo (Physiotherapist)
