CAS Rugby 2022

[WLF3]

My 2 cents on the game was that the forwards battle was pretty even. Neither team was dominant at scrum time, and other than 1 lineout loss to each team meant the set piece was square. Both halves had excellent games with crisp accurate passing. The difference in teams started from 5/8th outwards. To be honest there was no one in the CAS 2nds backline that would have made any significant difference. The speed differential of GPS backs v CAS was clear, plus they had almost no handling errors. Sadly for this year CAS side the selectors just did not have the players available to match GPS especially in the backs. I know I will get clobbered for this but of the 5 Barker players unavailable 4 were backs. (Macdonald, Biet, Kennedy & Katoa). That fact hurt the depth of talent pool available to selectors for both CAS teams. They went with the best players available and lost fair and square. I know Macdonald is gone for the season but the others may make an appearance later in the year.

Rod, No one will argue about Katoa, the other Barker backs I know not well, and you may well be right.

What I do know is that if you win the battle of the forwards, thus ball retention, you will win most games.
This team DID NOT have the best CAS forward side available, same as last year, some in the 2s should have been in the 1s, 1 very notable.

For what it's worth I also don't think, bar a very few, the talent was anywhere near as good in both associations, as last year, which happens.

Sounds like we are actually agreeing that the best team is not being chosen.

 

[rod skellet]

The CAS forwards were belted. The 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 were man handled each time they ran the ball.

The number 8 and 6 in particular, who should be the dominant ball carriers, did not bring that for the team as they should have.

They started to tip pass in the end with better outcomes over carrying the ball.

You clearly watched a different game to me.

 

[WLF3]

How unexpected Rod.

We needed more Barker players?

Just suit up 15 of them for CAS firsts next year!

Relax RR 1954.

 

[Albi]

It's a good observation Albi,

Both Rep associations have exactly the same preparation time so no excuses there.

IMO there is a difference in style between the CAS schools, Knox normally play a more pick and drive forward style, Waves are more like Randwick ie ball runners, and Barker are probably somewhere in between. I am not in a position to comment on the other 3 schools, although Cranbrook can play an expansive game depending on the year.

I would guess that the GPS schools also don't all play the same style, eg Joeys are runners, all over the ball and expansive, other schools are different.

So that attempts to answer your question about styles, happy to be corrected.

Now, the stronger CAS schools are competitive with the GPS schools, in fact, the CAS school frequently win.
So the talent pool isn't a complete mismatch.

The REAL difference IMO, which happens every single year, is that the strongest CAS team isn't ever picked.
Happened last year, via the wrong props, and many of us expected the CAS to win comfortably, as the CAS schools did v the GPS schools they played, with some big margins.

I also believe the GPS don't always pick their strongest team, there were a few notable cases last year. But I do believe the GPS gets it more correct. Politics has always been, and will always probably be, ever present, this year it was most notable IMO.
Some very strange selections between the CAS 1s and 2s.

Interested to see if I am dreaming, or others agree!

Totally agree with you that the stronger CAS schools are competitive with GPS schools and the trials show that. I do think Joeys, Scots, View and Kings are all playing a very similiar style of rugby. Joeys have changed this year a bit - Kings brutalised Joeys in the final of the last completed rugby season and I noticed that Joeys have this year moved back towards bigger 3 pod ball runners and defenders similiar to what Scots do + they have Jorgenson! Newington play more like the top CAS schools.

Mix up the CAS and GPS boys at the next rep level and I think we will see that many CAS boys perform much better.

 

[Jumping_jack]

You clearly watched a different game to me.

No.

But when your 8 is picked up and carried backwards and starts dropping the ball - that’s when your pack knows it is being beaten.

 

[rod skellet]

Rod, No one will argue about Katoa, the other Barker backs I know not well, and you may well be right.

What I do know is that if you win the battle of the forwards, thus ball retention, you will win most games.
This team DID NOT have the best CAS forward side available, same as last year, some in the 2s should have been in the 1s, 1 very notable.

For what it's worth I also don't think, bar a very few, the talent was anywhere near as good in both associations, as last year, which happens.

Sounds like we are actually agreeing that the best team is not being chosen.

Agreed. I only saw Trinity Barker and Knox previous to todays game. I don't know any of the talent in the Waves side this year so cannot comment on who could have been selected. The CAS forwards came very close to scoring on at least 3 occasions but in the end failed to convert. GPS did not score any points from tight forward play. Both of Barrett's tries came from broken play out wide. One when he ran over the halfback and fullback (both Barker ) from inside the 22.

 

[rod skellet]

No.

But when your 8 is picked up and carried backwards and starts dropping the ball - that’s when your pack knows it is being beaten.

He is not my 8. He is the one chosen by the CAS selectors. In my opinion he outplayed his Joeys counterpart. So yes he got put on his arse a few times but he was one of the CAS forwards best ball runners on the day.

 

[Jumping_jack]

He is not my 8. He is the one chosen by the CAS selectors. In my opinion he outplayed his Joeys counterpart. So yes he got put on his arse a few times but he was one of the CAS forwards best ball runners on the day.

Apologies when I say “your 8”, I don’t mean yours. But as in as a forward, when your 8.
I hope that clarifies.

 

[Jumping_jack]

He is not my 8. He is the one chosen by the CAS selectors. In my opinion he outplayed his Joeys counterpart. So yes he got put on his arse a few times but he was one of the CAS forwards best ball runners on the day.

I thought he did some great things - those kick off steals - his aerial game was top notch stealing those kick offs - his tip on passes - his lineout work was superb- he stole two lineout balls - his defensive awareness.

But as a ball carrier, he was belted.

 

[WLF3]

Agreed. I only saw Trinity Barker and Knox previous to todays game. I don't know any of the talent in the Waves side this year so cannot comment on who could have been selected. The CAS forwards came very close to scoring on at least 3 occasions but in the end failed to convert. GPS did not score any points from tight forward play. Both of Barrett's tries came from broken play out wide. One when he ran over the halfback and fullback (both Barker ) from inside the 22.

You know what Rod, now that I think about it, and it applies to both associations.
This is what you get when you choose rep teams after only 1 comp game, yes there have been earlier games but many will argue that things are tested then, the comp requires every team to put it's best team up.

Mind you politics is still an unhinged factor.

In the good OLD DAYS these teams got picked after a full season, so lots of viewing occurred!
Why these rep games are being played now I don't know, maybe HSC exams, but the rep season is very short, it worked in the good old days, and we all did the HSC, these days many boys don't.

 

[Waves]

anyone have an idea for gen blue selections?

 

[Jumping_jack]

anyone have an idea for gen blue selections?

Are you a player?

No one here is selecting, purely speculating.

 

[Waves]

hey jumping jack no i mean as whats your "predicted" gen blue teams just good to see other peoples thoughts and reasons behind their chosen players.

 

[west best]

hey jumping jack no i mean as whats your "predicted" gen blue teams just good to see other peoples thoughts and reasons behind their chosen players.

It may be hard to know at the moment, considering there is still GPS v ISA, CAS v CHS to come on Friday.

 

[notreleasing]

any surprise standouts from either game? obviously there were some players we knew were very good but interested to see if anyone unexpected stood out in the rep matches

 

[Jumping_jack]

any surprise standouts from either game? obviously there were some players we knew were very good but interested to see if anyone unexpected stood out in the rep matches

Unexpected:

Cas 1sts - Sayoun was very good. Phillipson was also very good.

CAS 2nds Aloys 10 - should move up

Ekanayake for CAS Seconds - should move up.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

Was it Ekanayake who was injured as a Reserve in 1s game?

 

[Rugby friend]

Was it Ekanayake who was injured as a Reserve in 1s game?

Yes- Blue card

 

[WLF3]

You should probably be careful perpetuating something like this which you don't know to be correct, and, which I haven't seen mentioned on these pages, and, with my involvement in the school I know to be incorrect. If you base it on the fact of one team in the age group for both the 14s and 15s, they have 29 and 31 kids in each age group respectively, which is not significantly different to other years (for example, there was only one u16s team in 2019, the same year Aloys First XV beat Waverley's First XV at Death Valley, I'm sure you recall, being not that long ago and when your older boy was either in the opens or 16s).

SAC will never genuinely threaten a title, which has been largely the same for 90 years. It may be better for them to play a whole season of evenly matched 'invitationals' rather than against the better CAS sides, I don't necessarily disagree. But to say that 'in 1-2 years Aloys may not be able to put up a 1st XV team' is way off the mark. There is a strong but small rugby community at the school and it has very genuine support from the School, top down, with a keen will to see it continue. It won't cease to exist.

Hector, sorry, I am sure you mean well, BUT I think you should carefully have a re-read through the thread. I didn't say that, someone else did, I just commented on this viewpoint. Yes I well remember when Aloys won well at Death Valley, and my eldest was in the 16s, it was the 1st time I had ever heard the Aloys 1sts winning song, which is sad.

I have a nephew currently at Aloys, and quite a number of my immediate family have gone through Aloys.
Like many, I wish it was all stronger, albeit that there is a rugby community keen to see it continue.

The fact is at the end of the day, with 9 teams across years 7 -12 it presents many issues like safety, boys enjoying the game, and boys from other schools getting a game.

It is up to the school if it really wants to continue down this path or not.
It's not a good situation but needs to be resolved.

 

[rod skellet]

From a combined CAS/GPS 1st XV , this is my combined team.

1Barrett (Joeys), 2Ata (N), 3Sayoun (B, can play either loose or tighthead), 4McCrea (Scots), 5Cooper (View), 6Villiamu (N), 7di Stasio (Scots), 8Hooper (B), 9Phillipson (B) 10 Katoa (B), 11 Tonga (Kings), 12 Cailoli, 13 Leahy (Joeys), 14 Taukamo (New GPS 2nds) 15 MJorgensen Joeys (Capt).

If Katoa is available post his Tongan national team duties he demands selection.