CAS Rugby 2013

[rtd32]

Barker 38 - Knox 3
Harry jones and Tyson Davis are probably the best back line combination CAS rugby has seen for a while (trinity supporters may dispute me here)... The scoreline didn't really reflect the game but barker are nearly impossible to stop in general play. Knox have a strong forward pack (I believe they were missing a few players) and they definitely had the size over the barker boys. Also their 11 paek is a speedster that was a handful at times and stopped a fair few tries. But barker were just too good. Stoltz and Smerdon combined well for barker also

 

[footylover101]

aloys with a broken arm and broken ankle to winger and halfback, harry williams missing got beaten by a lot.

 

[footylover101]

was there a good crowd at knox?

 

[Lee Grant]

Yeah - it was a gala day as well as the start of the footie season.

Agree with the comments of the two teams. Harry Jones lived up to the hype at fullback for Barker - not only on his own account but also to set up other players.

I was impressed by him last year - including his cameo for Oz Schools at St Marys - but am even more so now.

Didn't realise what a boot he has on him.

More later.
.

 

[rtd32]

how did the trinity v waverley game go?

 

[Eshayz]

wow. Knox didnt end up pulling through like I thought. Batker could be strong but then again we could see upsets like we did last season.

 

[benson13]

how did the trinity v waverley game go?

Cold and windy afternoon at Queens Park makes it tough for any visiting team, Waverley got up in 1sts (38 - 20) and Waverley 2nds had a bigger win margin.

1sts backline is starting to take some form. The #9, #10 & #12 are linking up well and picking out gaps in the opposing defence.

Forwards aren't huge but they are mobile and do not stop giving a little more space to the #9 to pick his passes and drop in some good kicks.

#9, #12 & #13 should be in the running for CAS squad selection coming up if they keep their form going.

Trinity forwards are big but where just outplayed on the day. #7 for trinity by far the best player for them.

 

[Artbeet]

So, very interested to get feedback on the Williams era at Knox after the first hit out ? Is he worth the $150k investment ?

 

[rtd32]

Will be interesting to see barker v cranbrook. Both sides came off with big wins yesterday so it may be a close game. Anyone at the cranbrook v aloys game backing them to come on top against barker? One thing i took away from barkers game is that they are displaying similar defensive form to last year. Last years side won matches through keeping their opposition to a small scoreline - this years side looks to have similar capabilities in defense so you'd have to have a pretty impressive offensive side to beat them

 

[Lee Grant]

I wrote a blog on the game at Knox yesterday, with some pics, here:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/cas-barker-thrash-knox/

rtd32 - could you please have a look at it and let me know if you can see any boo-boos so I can change them.

Cheers

LG

 

[abe01]

Good read, is it possible to get copy's of the photos?

 

[Lee Grant]

None of them are complete photos. They are my photos and I cropped all of them, then scaled what was left down. So now they are about 120K only in size (to reduce them for the blog); so you couldn't print them and put them on the mantlepiece. They are tiny.

I don't keep the originals as they take up too much computer space - the originals were about 2Mb to 6Mb in size.

I could e-mail some to you but you could probably use your browser to get copies of them though I don't know how you do that. I'm not a much of a computer person - or a photographer, for that matter.

 

[The Chosen]

Nice report, Lee- yes despite the dropsys a few times, Barker were too slick especially in the outside backs- the import/new boy(No.15) was certainly dynamic.
Knox No 13 went off early- whether that was the reason for their defence on right wing-not sure. Once you can understand but Barker's 2nd try was a virtual rerun of the first. Barker ran away with it in the 2nd half-inflicting heaviest defeat on Knox ( by Barker) that I can remember in a long time.
THe Williams `experiment' might need oxygen in the next week or so. The huge crowd on hand will not be repeated again this season- many on hand to see what Matt Williams might bring to a School Coaching gig-the bulk would have left very disappointed.
Lee-any thoughts on this factor?

 

[rtd32]

I wrote a blog on the game at Knox yesterday, with some pics, here:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/cas-barker-thrash-knox/

rtd32 - could you please have a look at it and let me know if you can see any boo-boos so I can change them.

Cheers

LG

Can't argue with anything you've said. Very well written I might add .

 

[Lee Grant]

THe Williams `experiment' might need oxygen in the next week or so. The huge crowd on hand will not be repeated again this season- many on hand to see what Matt Williams might bring to a School Coaching gig-the bulk would have left very disappointed.

Lee-any thoughts on this factor?

None - but Matt knows his rugby that's for darn sure.

Knox fans should give it time. I'm sure his brief is for the whole school not just the Ones; so maybe we'll see a difference later on as younger players emerge having been coached well from a younger age.
.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Much of the Scots "resurgence" is based on focusing on the rugby programme across the board not just the first XV. Lachlan Fear is trying to do similar at Grammar.

The challenge for the School and parents is can they hold their breath for long enough for these long term future investments to bear fruit.

 

[The Guardian]

Cold and windy afternoon at Queens Park makes it tough for any visiting team, Waverley got up in 1sts (38 - 20) and Waverley 2nds had a bigger win margin./quote]

Thanks Benson13.

Accuracy on these forums I believe is critical, and quite often the truth seems to be bent slightly or simply just quoted erroneously.

For the record the final score at Queens Park in the 1sts was 32-20.

Trinity line out and scrum was the best that I have seen it for a long time, and the forwards are working very well together even with the absence of some key note players.

Unfortunately, the late change to the halves combination due an injury with the 10, clearly caused some issues and the service on this particular day was disrupted to say the least, resulting in a high error count.

With a week under there belt, I think you will see a better effort from Trinity next week, when they return home to Summer Hill.

That said, a sound effort from Waverley this week, but both teams would be placed around middle of the CAS pack based on this weeks performance, and the coaches will need to work hard this week to gain some improvement.

 

[Snort]

Having picked all three winners in the first round, I will now retire from tipping while I'm ahead - there's only one way to go from here. But here are the questions in my mind after week one: is Knox's revival over-rated? And is Cranbrook's resurgence over-rated? I wouldn't go writing off Knox after one week - the fact is that Barker is a side that has run up some big scores this year, and having lost 3-38 to Barker may not mean all that much against Waverley this week. Cranbrook meet the acid test against Barker, and that game could be terrific.

As for the Matt Williams situation, give the guy a break. Wayne Bennett or Jack Gibson or one of those other laconic League coaches always used to mumble that the coach needs the cattle, and turning around a school rugby programme isn't something you do overnight.

 

[rtd32]

Having picked all three winners in the first round, I will now retire from tipping while I'm ahead

As for the Matt Williams situation, give the guy a break... turning around a school rugby programme isn't something you do overnight.

You're a wise man snort, but I'll take the reins from here and we'll see how our forecasting abilities compare.
I'll say barker by <10... Barker rarely make an easy job of cranbrook and it appears that cranbrook have a very strong side this year
I think Knox will go out next week with much more aggression. I'm going to guess they win by <10 also
Trinity should make an easy job of aloys as it appears they have found some form (and given aloys suffered a heavy deficit last Saturday) - I'm guessing trinity by 15+

Your comments of this new Knox coaching staff couldn't be more true... Their first game against a very strong barker side didn't go too well... That doesn't at all reflect their coaching ability. Perhaps if they lose to Waverley by a similar deficit as they did this time last year there may be some credibility in questions over the 'new investment'. All I can say is - given the range of talent that last years squad had and considering where they finished on the table - there was definitely a need for some sort of change.

 

[beeman]

brave man picking Knox over Waves at Death Valley next weekend. Waverley Captain Nick Koutsoukis will be back at 2 and if Ben O'Donnell (10) plays as well as he did agaist Trinity then I see Knox having a very tough job of it. Waverley back line starting to gel together nicely and Lineouts will be back to best with Nick K throwing. Will be an interesting game for sure.