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ISA Rugby 2014

2014 Champions

  • Total voters
    56
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Runner

Runner

Nev Cottrell (35)
Quick Hands said:
They'd all forfeit. St Augustine's used to play in the competition before they went into ISA and won most of their matches by forfeit. No other local schools go in the Waratah Shield anymore for the same reason.
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Now that is a concern for rugby out there.
 
Hugh Jarse

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
The first couple of rounds of 2013 Waratah Shield saw more forfeits than games played. Not a good sign for what is allegedly a trophy for the top NSW Schoolboy 1st XV. But that is for the Waratah Shield thread.
 
Maccasley

Maccasley

Bob McCowan (2)
you make it sound better than it looks.

Unless, this year is a turnaround year, St Pats rugby will never be the same
as it used to be. Yes, some grades are better than others, but the increase in competition, and the (yes, shots fired) overall decrease in Australian-background Australian coming to Year 5, means that there are up to 5 or 6 teams in each grade in Soccer, while 3 or rarely 4 in Rugby.

What im trying to say is, academia is being focused on more than ever (even though the ATAR results are steadily getting better and better) New buildings and wasted money on pointless schemes means that the richer, posher people from higher socio-economic areas are being favoured.

Parents do not encourage their sons to play Rugby because they don't want their precious little son getting hurt by some big farm bred boy from Stannies or Orange.

rugby at St Pats is a highly endangered species, in the fast lane to extinction.
 
R

rugbyfanatic123

Stan Wickham (3)
Loucentre said:
Despite having numerous players with 1st XV experience, I think St Pats are in for a tough year. Through out the age groups the two combining have never been overly impressive and you'd be a fool to discount these facts. Believe it or not most ISA 1st XV's will have returning players and ISA rep's who played in the Open's returning. However, the likes of Daniel Calavassy and Matt Thomas will have benefited greatly from last years season playing in the Halves.

As you have said St Pat's teams love an injury and these players and many others I feel will need to be much tougher and persistent this year. Last year St Pat's centred a lot of their play around their dominant scrum and the tight 5. The coaching staff at St Pats will have to maneuver a whole new strategy as the starch in the front particularly will be down. Benet James who in my opinion will be the linch pin in the front row, will have his work cut out for him leading the tight 5. In my opinion St Pats are going to have to play to their strengths by playing an expansive style of game and heavily involving their backrowers. I believe Albert Jenson will be pivotal in the 2014 season and a very good chance for ISA honours.

A prediction of 3rd is quite audacious and the ridiculous number of votes for St Pats to win in the poll shows St Pats has a lot of supporters online. 3rd is possible but will be very tough as I now consider Kinross to have leap frogged St Pats in the Opens rugby pecking order and needless to say that St Gregs can beat the best on their day and Stannies always provide a tough encounter. Pius were also the big improvers last year, minimising blow out losses and knuckling down, i'm predicting a win or two out of Chatswood this year. The key for St Pats is to lose the arrogance that they seemed to have picked up for no reason over the past 3 years in accordance with their underwhelming results.
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Have to agree with most of what you've said. Many ISA teams have players coming back with Open's experience, particularly the likes of Auggies which will prove difficult for teams. With many underrated players in the ISA, I believe Pats can challenge some of the more established sides. Benet James will be pivotal in that tight 5, as will Angus Chapman, a no non-sense second rower whose work ethic on the field is second to none. Competition looks like it is shaping up to be a thriller and can't wait for it to get started.
 
bluegoldblue

bluegoldblue

Stan Wickham (3)
any trials played this weekend? I know pius had a very much opens squad that went down to chev 25-20 or so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Whale berry

Whale berry

Larry Dwyer (12)
Lineoutlength said:
Any ideas for the ISA u16 rep side this coming season?? Any kids from pius or Greg's in mind ?
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Pius have a new fullback who had his first season of rugby in the 15B last year, came from AFL .
Lightning fast scored 12 tries in 8 games (or similar).
Will be interesting to see how he goes in higher company.
 
Hugh Jarse

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Is the gap between ISA Div I and ISA Div II more related to the quantity of teams in the schools in Div II than the quality of the teams in Div II?

It seems that the top Div II 1st XV's and Age Group A's could do OK in Div I, probably finishing around mid table, but the larger schools like Oakhill, Pats and Stannies would have a logistical scheduling challenge getting "decent" games for their B, C, D and E teams if the likes of Chev and Redfields were in Div I.

School sport is about (or should be about) participation in games for the more esoteric Corinthian benefits of athletic activities rather than "how good am I?", "Winner takes all" premiership title aspirations. Plenty of time for that outside of the school environment.
 
L

Lineoutlength

Bob McCowan (2)
Whale berry said:
Pius have a new fullback who had his first season of rugby in the 15B last year, came from AFL .
Lightning fast scored 12 tries in 8 games (or similar).
Will be interesting to see how he goes in higher company.
Click to expand...
Valid point. I do understand he is playing u16s instead of opens as he is in year 11. Good player improvement in general balls skills and he is a real threat. Also don't pius have a year 10 playing 1st 15
 
R

RugbyTears

Chris McKivat (8)
Hugh Jarse said:
Is the gap between ISA Div I and ISA Div II more related to the quantity of teams in the schools in Div II than the quality of the teams in Div II?

It seems that the top Div II 1st XV's and Age Group A's could do OK in Div I, probably finishing around mid table,......
Click to expand...
You are spot on,Hugh. You only have to watch the annual Div 2 semis to see the standard of rugby played by not just Chev or Redfield but also Central Coast, All Saints & Andrews right across the age groups. They will always remain in Div 2 until they can field 3 teams per age group. Question is, does the school have the capability (grounds, coaches,refs) or the aspiration ? --- there is nothing wrong if the school does not want to have a bigger rugby program. Lets say a school does want to get into Div 1, how do you organise games for their lower grades as they build up numbers year by year ? You can't suddenly pit an Andrews 2nd XV against the Auggies 2nd XV - it will go right back to why Andrews lost their rugby population in the first place. But can we put them in the Div 1 4th XV comp initially? We already have 1st XV vs 3rd XV. If planned properly we can get a school like Chev back in Div 1 assuming they want to be in Div 1 (issues with travel etc). I would love to see them back in Div 1 and St Andrews as well.
 
R

rugbyfan77

Frank Row (1)
Oakhill will win the isa this year, a fairly young team has been picked but a very skilful team.
They have some players that will be pushing for NSW spots with James Partridge (prop) Lachlan Burland (outside centre) and have two halfbacks in there team with Harrison Goddard playing halfback and the other Lachlan Croese playing fullback watch out!!
 
sarcophilus

sarcophilus

Charlie Fox (21)
Sounds fair as the big games for Oaks would be at home this year, it would follow the pattern of the past few years
 
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