Australian U/19 v. England

[AussieDominance]

Always been talented Bruce big and fast but what about his hands/skills? They were the only things stopping him.

 

[lily]

General Lee the game and date has been listed on the schoolboys site. Also Bruce why am I not suprised that you have once again pushed the credentials of a lower grade Uni player. Do you spend your days on Parramatta road spruiking for them?
Aussie Dominance states that he's always been talented except for the ability to catch and pass.
This I thought was a forum related to a game being played sooner rather and later.

 

[Lee Grant]

They changed it during the day - I swear- earlier they had just "Sydney".

At least I thought it was today - maybe it was tomorrow. Have I taken my blue pill today dear?

We Sydney folks are whingeing that the Oz Schools tournament is up in Brisbane again but we will pig out on the England and NZ schools "tests".



lily

Don't be a nark about Bruce. I like his tid-bits - and yours for that matter.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Always been talented Bruce big and fast but what about his hands/skills? They were the only things stopping him.

AD, he is doing quite a lot of one-on-one skills work with Chris Malone.

Also Bruce why am I not suprised that you have once again pushed the credentials of a lower grade Uni player. Do you spend your days on Parramatta road spruiking for them?

I am more than happy to keep my opinions to myself if people object to me expressing them. I have assumed, apparently wrongly, that this forum was a good place for discussing the attributes of players. As I don't participate in bagging players there is not much point in me continuing to be involved in these sort of threads.

 

[tranquility]

Keep it coming Bruce, I'm a big fan.

 

[lily]

AD, he is doing quite a lot of one-on-one skills work with Chris Malone.



I am more than happy to keep my opinions to myself if people object to me expressing them. I have assumed, apparently wrongly, that this forum was a good place for discussing the attributes of players. As I don't participate in bagging players there is not much point in me continuing to be involved in these sort of threads.

I'm interested to know when and how I actually criticized any player. My criticism is of you and your continued belief that SU rugby program is the be all and end all of Australian Rugby. Your previous post mentions Chris Malone. I wonder what club he played with before he went to Uni and England. I only know this because I went to school with him and the O' Hara Bros that own the Nags Head. Ask him how it was growing up in Coolah and also what he thought of Father Spillane.

 

[Bruce Ross]

The reference to bagging players has nothing to do with you, lily, or anyone else for that matter. I was merely making the point, which I have made on many previous occasions, that I refrain from criticising players.

I am quite frequently attacked, as on this occasion, if I express my views on the positive attributes of a particular player. Virtually without exception they are Sydney Uni players. Why? Because I have a day to day association with that club's players and each weekend I watch quite a number of games involving that club. I have very limited knowledge of other club's players.

I read with interest and respect, lily, your views on Manly players because I recognise that you have detailed knowledge of their attributes.

On this and other forums I have been subjected to criticism and often abuse for years because I talk about the positive qualities of Sydney Uni players. I am almost ready to give up which would be a shame as far as I am concerned because I have believed that this forum was an opportunity for people to exchange ideas and learn from one another.

With regard to the player Sullivan I wrote a detailed opinion because I believe he has special qualities. My own club thus far does not seem to share my assessment.

I have never been scared of making a fool of myself by expressing my opinions, but if people like you feel that I should not do so in relation to players from my own club I have little to contribute. I have no insight into players from Manly or Randwick or Penrith. I also have other things I can do with my time.

 

[MrTimms]

Keep it coming Bruce, I'm a big fan.

Yeah Bruce, me too.

 

[Drew]

So the make up of the U19s is going to be schoolboys or anyone eligible? If the ARU was fair dinkum they'd be checking birth certificates as to who is eligible as opposed to who is eligible in the acadamies. Someone else mentioned a colts city v country game, I think that is a good idea as colts appears to be all stick with no carrot, that is, a long hard season for the kids without any recognition/reward of their efforts throughout the year. This point is backed up by only a few colts player being considered for the U20s squad and when they were they instantly moved up to grade.

 

[Lee Grant]

So the make up of the U19s is going to be schoolboys or anyone eligible?

Nobody knows. Nobody's saying, but U/19s in the past usually had lads in it that had left school and would not turn 20 in the current year.

As to whether academy or non-academy players will be used your guess is as good as anybody's.

Maybe folks who remember when U/19s teams used to be picked annually, because they had relatives or friends playing in such teams, could advise. All I can remember is that many lads who were at school the preceding year and were not members of academies used to make the NSW U/19 teams when they had tournaments against Qld, Canterbury and Otago teams. Few of those NSW team members, academy or not, would have been playing grade.

With no such games to pick an Oz team from I'm suspecting that the team they come up with will be a big hairy. I hope that they at least have an U/19 camp for a few days before they pick a team like they did with the U/20 team a couple of times this year. That would make selection fairer, but at a cost.

 

[lily]

I just hope it isn't just a rehash of the previous years OZ team that have graduated. They need to somehow take into account the recent development of players. Someone who was weak last year and completely off the radar may have improved considerably. Still I dont know how they will be able to pick a side without a long selection process.

 

[Joe Mac]

Thanks for the update on Will Skelton Bruce, does his time with Samoa U20 exclude him from future Wallaby duties?

LG- I remember reading ages ago the game was on at View, I have even put a note in my Outlook to attend? Have you had the chance to confirm?

 

[RugbyInterest]

So the make up of the U19s is going to be schoolboys or anyone eligible? If the ARU was fair dinkum they'd be checking birth certificates as to who is eligible as opposed to who is eligible in the acadamies. Someone else mentioned a colts city v country game, I think that is a good idea as colts appears to be all stick with no carrot, that is, a long hard season for the kids without any recognition/reward of their efforts throughout the year. This point is backed up by only a few colts player being considered for the U20s squad and when they were they instantly moved up to grade.

Why not go the step further and have interstate Colts game - I for one would love to see NSW v QLD at Colts level

 

[lily]

Back in 2006 clubs could nominate players who were not schoolboy reps to play for a colts rep team. I cant remember who they played.

 

[Lee Grant]

I still have old team lists of the NSW U/19 teams in 2003 and 2005. Saffy was in the 2003 team (with Mumm and C.Shepherd) before the Dark Side got him. He, and they, would have been in the amateur academy but most of them wouldn't have been.

Joe Mac

Yeah it's on the ASRU calendar now as at View, but I know that it just has "Sydney" there for a long time and I swear that yesterday morning it still said that. Mind you, I do have senior moments, or maybe you got your info from a source other than the ASRU site.

No - playing for a non-Oz U/20 team does not exclude lads from being Wallabies - though playing for a 7s or A team would. I can't imagine the big fella playing 7s though.


RugbyInterest

Yeah it would be good to have an U/19 tournament again. Before they used to have NSW and Qld play in a 4 way comp with Canterbury and Otago. Now they could start with NSW, Qld and Combined States teams to fly a kite to see how it works - or have a 4 team comp playing 3 games each in one location over a week.

Folks would want to have it more comprehensive than that but accommodation and travel costs are expensive. It would be too late for this year, but in the future each U/19 tournament would be a valuable precursor to the IRB U/20 tournament the year after.

 

[OppO]

• Gordon Broome

No schoolboys should be used.

Are the selectors the same for U19 as U18?

Broome didn't get picked up in an U18 side, can we take this to mean he doesn't stand a chance for U19?

 

[Lee Grant]

No schoolboys should be picked anyway - just as it used to be.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Thanks for the update on Will Skelton Bruce, does his time with Samoa U20 exclude him from future Wallaby duties?

Sorry, Joe, I just noticed your question. As far as I know Will's participation in a minor nations' U20 competition would not preclude him from playing for Australia or indeed for New Zealand which I think is where he came to Australia from.

As an aside I thought he had an excellent game at the weekend for Uni 2nd Colts. It should earn him a recall to the 1st Colts team.

 

[RugbyInterest]

I still have old team lists of the NSW U/19 teams in 2003 and 2005. Saffy was in the 2003 team (with Mumm and C.Shepherd) before the Dark Side got him. He, and they, would have been in the amateur academy but most of them wouldn't have been.

Joe Mac

Yeah it's on the ASRU calendar now as at View, but I know that it just has "Sydney" there for a long time and I swear that yesterday morning it still said that. Mind you, I do have senior moments, or maybe you got your info from a source other than the ASRU site.

No - playing for a non-Oz U/20 team does not exclude lads from being Wallabies - though playing for a 7s or A team would. I can't imagine the big fella playing 7s though.


RugbyInterest

Yeah it would be good to have an U/19 tournament again. Before they used to have NSW and Qld play in a 4 way comp with Canterbury and Otago. Now they could start with NSW, Qld and Combined States teams to fly a kite to see how it works - or have a 4 team comp playing 3 games each in one location over a week.

Folks would want to have it more comprehensive than that but accommodation and travel costs are expensive. It would be too late for this year, but in the future each U/19 tournament would be a valuable precursor to the IRB U/20 tournament the year after.

Given cost would be the isuue how about playing a interstate colts match as the curtain raiser to the club championship game

 

[Drew]

I think any rep honors for the kids in colts would be good. At present it seems the only way for colts aged kids to be noticed is for them to "step up" to grade, which could prove detrimental to the individual for a number of factors; injuries, stifling of talent to take the step up, loss of self belief due to playing more mature opponents, et cetera.