Australian Schoolboys & National Championships 2012

[Brian Westlake]

You need to read a bit more carefully..my words were "when his forwards other than Robertson and 8. Albert Hemopo"


I've long admired Cam Orr as a player but thought he was not at his best yesterday. I know he's had knee problems for over 12 months and whether its this or his shift into the front row his once great running game has suffered. He used to be such a good carrier of the ball when he played in the back row and did it regularly but did little yesterday especially compared to his front row team mate Robertson. I think that in the long term that like OPL he is far too tall to be really successful as a LHP.
I agree that Carolan on one ocassion was driven backwards but the fact was when he and McCalman came on they made multiple quick carries each and lifted the NSW forwards momentum. To that point the QLD loosies had got the better of the NSW pack at the breakdown. The end result of their enthusiastic involvement was a try that saw NSW to get within 3 of QLD with time still left to win it if they were good enough.

CTPE, no offence old mate, but Albert Hemopo was interested in one thing. That thing being Albert Hemopo. Already approached by both The Bulldogs and Saints, his heart lies in another field. Do you honestly think that he would stand back and watch a team mate cop another broken nose and do nothing?

 

[Brian Westlake]

Declan O’Donohoe is pure class, while he may not be the most naturally gifted player in oz it should be well recognized that he is the hardest working and most determined on the football pitch. i would be surprised to see him left out of the oz side, the selectors must remember that hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard and noone is showing more will at the moment than O'Donowho

Quite profound El. Are you in the know or just a dorm mate?
I agree the kid can play, but does Uncles Lee, and more importantly Manu agree?
We shall see. I think he is the right man.

 

[Brian Westlake]

Mate, we must have been watching a different game? O'Connor's technique is visibly flawed as he begins with an arched back and continues to bend moving forward [sorry backwards]. From impact he could not handle the weight on contact more often than not conceding his positional advantage to the opposition loose head allowing QLD to turn the scrum. The couple of bind issues the opposition L/H was penalized for were unfair calls as O'Connor was rapidly backpedaling before the QLD L/H could enforce his grip. Put simply he is in the team because his School Coach is the NSW 1st XV Head Coach. No such favours will be afforded in the Shute Shield Colts Program next year where he will be seriously found out!

Never thought I would agree wholeheartedly with anyone re this area of the game, but, I am on your shoulder here. Give him 8 more years in colts and then maybe 5ths to learn.

 

[Brian Westlake]

Played front row most of my life (41 years young at the at the moment) Started playing there as a 5 year old in Porirua, Wellington NZ. Injury ended my participation in the game with the Oatley Rugby Club last year. I still continue to assist in coaching the tight five at Southern Districts Colts. Unless you or Lee have more frontrow experience than that, then I'll stick with my more informed assessment. He simply is not a T/H prop. From what I understand he only recently moved to the front row as a loosie a few years ago and to a certain degree he still plays like a loosie.

Indeed as was at the game - I wouldn't have made such a detailed report of his scrumming technique if I wasn't. What the?!

I'll also be there tomorrow under the scoreboard, come and see me if you'd like discuss further. Look for a big Samoan wearing Southern Districts gear. I hope to see you then!

Settle down Tiger... Its Rugby, not league.

 

[Brian Westlake]

Keep Digressing

I can sit there all day and watch that voluptuous women pass by me!

I have said to much!

Tomorrow... Near the flag pole...

 

[Brian Westlake]

Tomorrow is a huge day for a lot of aspiring young Aussie rugby players.
Some will be rewarded with the honour of representing their country, yet many others will feel disappointed to miss out.
Do your school, team mates, family and friends proud, leave it all on the field and nothing in the tank.
Good luck to all players and officials, hope luck favours the brave and that injuries aren't a factor.
And somehow, amongst all the madness and mayhem, make sure you enjoy yourselves!!!

IIWII...
The manifestos that are flying about ATM make Karl feel like he is actually Groucho.

Heh? Heh?

 

[It is what it is]

Tomorrow. Near the flag pole.

Be careful Newbie and keep an eye on the grassy knoll.
Is there also by chance a book depository at Riverview?

 

[Brian Westlake]

Be careful Newbie and keep an eye on the grassy knoll.
Is there also by chance a book depository at Riverview?

Books @ Iggys????

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Be careful Newbie and keep an eye on the grassy knoll.
Is there also by chance a book depository at Riverview?

There is an observatory. This sounds like a book depository. It is on the grassy knoll.

 

[PTB]

is it true pulvers been injured and will be ruled out of selection?
surely would of been top ranked half before injury

additionally tuttle and stewart cannot wait

 

[Brian Westlake]

is it true pulvers been injured and will be ruled out of selection?
surely would of been top ranked half before injury

additionally tuttle and stewart cannot wait

What do you mean that they can't wait?
Jack's dad wants to know too

 

[Newbie]

You lot are bloody well incorrigible! Depository, observatory, suppository, we are trying to have a serious rugby discussion, and you gentlemen are bringing this site into disrepute!

LG I have to insist on your intervention please! That is of course if you and CTPE aren't busy getting pummeled from pillar to post (pardon the pun) by a big Samoan bloke in a Southern Districts Hobbits jersey!

Lord give me strength; how am i supposed to soar like an eagle when i am surrounded by turkeys?

 

[Knuckles]

I usually dont comment on schoolboy stuff because well...................it's schoolboys. I prefer the real stuff. However, I ventured out to watch all games on wednesday and the last 3 games on the main deck on thursday.

At this stage I wont make negative comments on players as they are after all kids. But if I was a selector, from the matches I saw my 23 for Australian Schools would be:

1. Pleash (Qld 1)
2. Kitchen (Combined States)
3. Kavapalu (Vic)
4. Vest (Combined States)
5. Manukeu (NSW 1)
6. Dempsey (NSW 1)
7. Randall (Combined States)
8. Fakaosilea (Qld 1)
9. Ferris (NSW 2)
10. McIntyre (NSW 1)
11. Ioane (Qld 1)
12. Toeta (Vic)
13. Foketi (NSW 2)
14. Tanuvasa (Qld 2)
15. Kellaway (NSW 1)
16. Kay (Qld 2)
17. Orr (NSW 2)
18. Sikimeti (Qld 1)
19. Rorke (NSW 1)
20. Natoli (NSW 1)
21. Heenan (Combined States)
22. Stewart (NSW 1)
23. Valetini (Vic)

These selections are made from what I saw over the two days. I have nfi on who are the incumbents and obviously, I am not influenced by the politics of schools selection policy. This will of course change, because once the politics of the cattle trading get involved, kids who played well will no doubt miss out.

I liked the Victorian backline in the 2 games I saw them. They were the only side that showed real attacking intent. The Qld and NSW teams still played that predictable Eddie Jones robotic risk free footy......no wonder we have not improved as a nation!

No-one from ACT really floated my boat....unfortunately. The Combined States 8 looked good, but more like a 6 and apparently the name in the book was different to the kid who ran on. I think there will be a push for the NSW 2's 15, but for mine, he is too erratic. The NSW 1, 15 would look better suited to 10 imo, and the Vic 10 would be good at 12 outside him. The NSW 2 number 9 just pipped the NSW 1 number 9 with better service. If he was behind a pack that new wtf they were doing he would be more effective.The NSW 10 didnt really offer much in the games I saw. But he goes to the right school so he will be there or thereabouts providing his sports master looks after him in the selection room!

Thats my two bob anyway.

Best of luck to all boys!

 

[Lee Grant]

tomasi

I had to look up what I said and wondered what was amiss. It was that O'Connor had his best game of the week. I didn't mean that he was an ace scrummager that day: I will leave that to you grunters who know more it than I do.

Maybe I shouldn't have said that when he should be judged on his scrummaging. The NSW I scrum was being wheeled and the ref kept blowing the scrum up and resetting it. I put it down to the Qld guys trying to wheel the NSW scrum because the ref wasn't penalising NSW. It could have been that the NSW THP was being shoved back on its TH side and the referee applying the U/19 laws too conservatively, thereby favouring NSW.

I wrote that the NSW I scrum had problems against the ACT who kept getting the hits on Day 2. That was understandable when the bench players started in that game but NSW didn't get any better when the regular starters came on.

I will have another look tomorrow to see how O'Connor goes against Sikimeti of Nudgee. We will find out a lot tomorrow when the best teams play against each other.



That goes for a lot other positions too. There is not one position in the forwards where you could put your hand on your heart and say this fellow is a dead cert for selection. I'd like to say, as I have said in other years that the selectors are spoilt for choice, but they are not.

There will be some odd looking selections in the pack. I think it was stonecutter that wrote that they should pick a team for Tonga that will serve well against the Kiwis. I was going to write that myself but he beat me to it. There will be forwards picked that are no frills but do their technical position well with few mistakes and who are harder than more skilful players who we see in the open.

They will be players who do the basics right and I just don't meant the obvious stuff but fellows who get up from the ground quickly and can realign when there is a turnover around the ruck and yarda yarda. They are also those who can make a dominant tackle when a normal one is made by others, and they can latch on time after time to help a mate by adding their bulk to his.

In recent years I have been watching these things in boys and I am not very good at it because the eye is always drawn to the ball.

The backs are better and there will be some shoe-horning of players into the XV by playing them out of position. But I have no clue who the scrummie should be and writing this before the big game I reckon that Horwitz is not assured of the 10 jersey, though he would be the front runner. There has been a lack of class in the 9s also, as there is no Wessels this year.

From 11 up there is matter of choice but I would have liked to see it more in the forwards.

Tomorrow will be significant for obvious reasons. I'm guessing that the teams, especially the 1st XV, are picked already but that there will be 2 or 3 players switched in and out of the Twos

Incidentally, there will be no camp as they had last year between the England tests and the NZ tests. This served to analyse the Oz players in both sides better in an opposed environment, and the changes made for the NZ test were salutary. I suppose this is because the players are touring and they can do the same kind of thing before they get to the final stages and play the Kiwis.

Good luck to all the lads tomorrow, both in the game and in selections.
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[Knuckles]

Seems to me not too many people bothered to look at the Victorian scrum. The 3 is sensational. He has tremendous shape at scrum time, is very strong, is not the typical passive Australian 3 as he attacks on engagement. He is a big unit, who gets around the field really well as has I high workrate. I bet he doesnt make it though..........

 

[Newbie]

... ... ... ... ... ...

9. Ferris (NSW 2)

... ... ... ... ... ...

14.Tanuvasa (Qld 2)

... ... ... ... ... ... This will of course change, because once the politics of the cattle trading get involved, kids who played well will no doubt miss out. ... ... ... ... ...

Very profound statement, I Agree!

Glad to see Ferris in your pick! His form at the NSW trials were very good IMO, and he has carried this into this week!

 

[Knuckles]

will be very interesting to see if they select kids who have already signed league contracts...............

 

[Micheal]

Pulver was injured, however, he is not out of selections as he will be fit from tomorrow onwards and thus will be able to play for Aus A / Aus if he is selected. From what I've heard about his performances, a selection would be warranted, something impressive from CS.

 

[Lee Grant]

Knuckles I gave you a "like" not because I agreed with all your selections (no that I can talk: I was too much of a wimp to select a team because I have no clue about too many positions). I did so because your thought processes are right.



You said:

The NSW 1, 15 would look better suited to 10 imo, and the Vic 10 would be good at 12 outside him.

McIntyre will have to be in the team somewhere because he's got the oldest head in the tournament and the skill to do something with how he reads the game. Selectors love those players

I had seen him, or remembered him more likely, only as a flyhalf before but seeing him with the 15 jersey has changed my mind because he was probably the best of the week in custodial skills in awkward moments as well as being good on attack, as an individual and as a facilitator of others. He is a fellow that could play Grade very quickly after school. Stewart likewise.

His goal kicking was execrable a few weeks ago but he has fixed that up.

There would be a case for picking him at 10 and playing the excitement machine Placid (who plays anything but) at 15. I like the Victorian lad too but think he will be more likely the starter for the Twos. He's a fine player who I remarked on earlier in the week, and is the best Victorian no.10 at the comp since Leali'ifano, years ago now (and was playing for CS in those days.)

I'm pretty sure that 2. Kitchen and 7. Randell are injured, and note that both 11. Ioane and 13.Tanuvasa had ball hogging issues during the week.
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[Lee Grant]

will be very interesting to see if they select kids who have already signed league contracts.....

I spoke to the ASRU President, Br. Bob Wallace, the other day and he said that selectors pay no regard to this matter. He said that the ASRU philosophy is to give all lads a good rugby experience in the union code and if they ended up in league, so be it.

He said that a few years back they did things differently and lads had to declare one way or the other and it was a nightmare and counter productive.

He appreciated the views of others who said that spots should not be wasted on future league players but the selectors were basically all school teachers and they looked at things from a school and not an ARU or Wallabies point of view. Naturally, they hoped that many of the boys they picked went through to play for the Wallabies but it was not their main purpose.

I didn't think to ask him: what about the money from their biggest sponsor, the ARU, provides, and will if I see him again.

Maybe some folks will offer stories about boys who were disadvantaged recently and they will say that they have it from the horses mouth that what I said is wrong, but I will take the word of Brother Wallace myself.
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