NSW AAGPS 2024

[The Chairman]

Kings - South Africa
Joeys - New Zealand
Shore - Australia
Riverview - Ireland
Scots - France
Newington - England

 

[Joker]

Kings - South Africa: Lots of big humans up on the high veldt of Parramatta, with a giant front row bomb squad in the 2nds ready and waiting.

Shore - Scotland: Underperformance, followed by hope, followed by surprise overperformance, followed by unrealistically high expectations the following year, followed by the ongoing reality that the trophy cabinet remains empty.

Joeys - New Zealand: No surprise when they do well (which history tells you is often), much enjoyment from everyone else when they don't.

Newington - England: Usually big like 'Orcs on steroids', usually do ok but should do better, had a great team a while ago and still living off it.

Scots - France: All the talent in the world, amazing one week then appalling the next, don't travel away well, and you never know which 'Scots' team will turn up.

Riverview - Australia: Historically punch above their weight, have had some golden eras, have some great years without being Number 1, have a massive inferiority complex against little/big brother located across the water.

Outstanding

 

[Goosestep]

Outstanding

Grammar -
High -
TAS -

 

[Goosestep]

Kings - South Africa: Lots of big humans up on the high veldt of Parramatta, with a giant front row bomb squad in the 2nds ready and waiting.

Shore - Scotland: Underperformance, followed by hope, followed by surprise overperformance, followed by unrealistically high expectations the following year, followed by the ongoing reality that the trophy cabinet remains empty.

Joeys - New Zealand: No surprise when they do well (which history tells you is often), much enjoyment from everyone else when they don't.

Newington - England: Usually big like 'Orcs on steroids', usually do ok but should do better, had a great team a while ago and still living off it.

Scots - France: All the talent in the world, amazing one week then appalling the next, don't travel away well, and you never know which 'Scots' team will turn up.

Riverview - Australia: Historically punch above their weight, have had some golden eras, have some great years without being Number 1, have a massive inferiority complex against little/big brother located across the water.

View could be Wales too

 

[The Chairman]

Grammar -
High -
TAS -

Would like to see Grammar play a game or 2 in the Firsts to see if we could get one of the all time upsets. Sort of more of a Uruguay situation there then.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Grammar = Japan. Frisky on their day. Generally well structured but just lack the punch.

High = Wales. Once upon a time a strong program but those days are gone and the players are with other programs.

Tas = Uruguay. Always shows up but we don’t know too much about them.

 

[propsarespeedy]

Tas are a bit of a mystery, do they play GPS summer sport? I know they come to the athletics and head of the river (sometimes) but I haven't really seen them in much sport apart from Footy. What were their footy teams like before they dropped to the 3's comp?

 

[The Chairman]

Tas are a bit of a mystery, do they play GPS summer sport? I know they come to the athletics and head of the river (sometimes) but I haven't really seen them in much sport apart from Footy. What were their footy teams like before they dropped to the 3's comp?

They send 2 fours to Head of the River every so often, they send a few 400m runners to Athletics Carnival and I think they are in some form of AAGPS Cricket. Bit of an odd situation.

 

[Game_Day_Ritual]

Youngest ever was not James O’Conner.

The youngest Wallaby was Brian Ford, who played one rugby union Test in 1957, The only man to play for Australia at a younger age than James O'Connor, He debuted for the Wallabies against New Zealand aged just 18 years and three months.

Joker how old was Pat Howard when he played his first game?

 

[Game_Day_Ritual]

The Waratah Shield GF was held today after being relaunched in 2022

2022 Hunter Valley Grammar School defeated Randwick Boys 22-12

Today Central Coast Grammar School defeated Randwick Boys 25-18

To watch a replay click on
https://nswrugby.tv/rugby-union/schools-rugby/waratah-shield/

The Waratah Shield is a rugby union knock-out competition for high school teams from New South Wales, Australia. First contested in 1963, it is organised by New South Wales Rugby Union in conjunction with NSW Schools' Rugby Union and NSW Combined High Schools and attracts around 100 entries each year. St Edmund's College, Canberra is the most successful school with fourteen victories. The competition was open to all high schools in NSW, until 2004, the ACT was released due to their dominance.[1] The Shield was not contested from 2018 until it was relaunched in 2022

Thats fantastic news the Waratah shield is back, hopefully it will foster some interest from High schools.

 

[Joker]

Joker how old was Pat Howard when he played his first game?

19 years 4 months

 

[RushingRob]

Youngest ever was not James O’Conner.

The youngest Wallaby was Brian Ford, who played one rugby union Test in 1957, The only man to play for Australia at a younger age than James O'Connor, He debuted for the Wallabies against New Zealand aged just 18 years and three months.

Yeah, James O'Connor was the youngest ever to play Super Rugby (17), but second youngest to play Wallabies.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Who would people say in their opinion is the best NSW GPS Wallaby?

For me I go to Stirling Mortlock.

I expect a Nick Farr-Jones for a few and Phil Kearns

I think Angus Bell has every chance to end up one of the greatest if he stays fit.

 

[Rugby Survivor]

Beale or Burke would have to be up there in regards to tests played. Burke had huge impact on games with his immaculate goal kicking.
Mortlock a Wallaby Captain but Bell likely to surpass them all.

 

[AroundTheAnkles]

Who would people say in their opinion is the best NSW GPS Wallaby?

For me I go to Stirling Mortlock.

I expect a Nick Farr-Jones for a few and Phil Kearns

I think Angus Bell has every chance to end up one of the greatest if he stays fit.

Matt Burke - just think about the points contribution he made on the way to the '99 world cup victory across the quarters, semis and final.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Beale falls just behind this lot. Had a long career and a John Eales Medalist but was disjointed at times and I don’t think we ever really saw a long run of his best.

Tests played he’s right up there but was an era of less competition and more games played. 60-70 tests during the 80s-mid 2000s is the equivalent of 100 now.

Burke is a legend and would walk into the current team which should count for something.

I just remember Mortlock dominating his opposite 13s around the world and having a really successful Career with the Brumbies.

 

[Joker]

Who would people say in their opinion is the best NSW GPS Wallaby?

For me I go to Stirling Mortlock.

I expect a Nick Farr-Jones for a few and Phil Kearns

I think Angus Bell has every chance to end up one of the greatest if he stays fit.

actually I think Ken Catchpole is the greatest.

 

[Joker]

All right then. What is your pick for the greatest AAGPS team ever?

1. Tony Daly
2. Phil Kearns
3.
4. Steve Williams
5. Tom Bowman
6.
7. Phil Waugh
8. Tim Gavin

9. Ken Catchpole
10.
11. Arthur Tonkin
12.Kurtley Beale
13. Stirling Mortlock
14.
15. Matt Burke

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Surely KB (Kurtley Beale) is the 10 and not 12? I’d have Foketi, Inman as better Centres than KB (Kurtley Beale) but not in 10, 15

Craig Wing in the 12?
Ben Kennedy 6?
Lachie Turner at 14? He was a beast of a schoolboy

 

[DropGoal]

Ok. A challenge

Which national team could be est reflected in a AAGPS school and why? Please avoid the “s” word at all costs. Schools could be multiple countries.

Example

Joeys- France. They run the ball and display a fearless attitude to aftergame food choices.

I did it on who founded them

JOEYS - France
SCOTS - Scotland
Riverview - Ireland
SHORE - England
Kings - Australian colonies