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NSW AAGPS 2024

Doing my HSC

Doing my HSC

Allen Oxlade (6)
View 2025

1. G Tancred
2. Osbourne (vc)
3. Naughton
4. Spora
5. Cabot
6. Perkins
7. Dempsey
8. Conna
9. Grover (C)
10. Garling
11. Folkes
12. Mcgrath
13. Davis
14. Field
15. Plamondon

HM

Wormwell
T Tancred
Reich
Gacuitua
Feilien
Hartman
Tucker
Lenehan
 
AnonomousEmu

AnonomousEmu

Bob McCowan (2)
HailMaryEnthusiast said:
My predicted 2025 team for View
1. Tancred
2. McGrath
3. Osborne
4. Spora
5. Cabot
6. Conna
7. Dempsey
8. Perkins
9. Grover
10. Garling
11. Folkes
12. McGrath
13. Dalton
14. Anderson
15. Tucker

Open to opinions, just my humble prediction
Click to expand...
Quite a strong team. I'll throw in some alternatives. Folkes would most likely go to fullback and I believe that either Lasceles or Plamondon, both 16's would shift to the number 14 position. In regard to the front row, I belive that Osborne or Naughton could shift into the hooker role. Second row is a hotly contested position with Tancred (16s) and Johnston making very strong cases throughout this season.

HM: Lenehan, 14, Tucker, 13, Croal, 3, Reich 4
 
Joker

Joker

Peter Sullivan (51)
808DCC26-E7B5-4539-9047-4CA9E2F21F35.jpeg


A tale from the wise, old badger

note. I wrote this in 2013 but never published by the mods as it was too wordy. Bugger you. It takes time and eloquence to tell a tale. Enjoy


AAGPS…. many say the nursery of Wallabies or home of the triangle or tambourine playing programs for future NRL players. Over the past few decades, AAGPS have enjoyed dominance in the schoolboy rep games with not much opposition shown besides the occasionally team in red from tier two of Sydney Schools. Yes, it is best to say AAGPS has relished their dominance of schoolboy rep rugby. This week we once again we make our way north to the highlands of Warrawee to watch some rugby, freeze in the cold, be forced to eat a very ordinary BBQ and do a little trainspotting.

This command of schoolboy rep rugby has not always been the case. Join me as we peek through the mists of time, back to when there was no mobile phone, streaming TV, Spotify or Uber eats. Here we see a very different picture of the schoolboy rugby landscape. Here's why.

In the 1970s the schoolboys rep teams were evenly balanced between private school associations and the combined public schools. The 1970s saw Matraville High School dominate but mainly because of three brothers who were from another rugby planet. Plus, a number of other from the mob which made them even more incredible.

In 1977 Matraville High ventured to the muddy track at Hunters Hill to take on the defending GPS premiers, Joeys, in a trial match. It was a mismatch. The Joeys boys were run off their feet, clutching at shadows and chasing leather all game. At one stage during the game a frustrated Br. Terry, the Joeys coach, yelled out to the captain Mark Burgess, “tackle the black kid!”. Burgess responded, “which one? There are hundreds!” Joeys lost the game but still went on to win the AAGPS. Later that year the Australian Schoolboys contained those incredible brothers, Gary, Glen and Mark Ella.

You see many of these players could never dream of an education at a fancy independent school. Hence for many years the Combined High Schools (CHS) dominated the rep games and the Schoolboy teams. Simply put they had a massive talent pool with many kids playing league on the Sundays. This pool has shrunk due to the game being withdrawn from many progressive high schools. Basket weaving and navel gazing has taken over. But in the 70s & 80s games also took on another aspect …. class warfare.

In 1981 Joeys had 9 players selected in the AAGPS 1st XV. The rep game was played the second Saturday after the final round at Chatswood Oval. It was well attended by students from other schools and the years 10-12 cattle dogs from Joeys. The previous weekend the AAGPS had steamrolled the CAS team and there were expectations they would beat CHS. There was a large crowd that greeted the players but you sense some tension in the air. Leading up to this game word had spread on the original social media (telephone) that the CHS team was looking to take down the private school lads and they were not going to be nice about it. The CHS team in 1981 were indeed big, I mean enormous. The AAGPS team had Colin Scotts from Scots College and he was regarded the biggest unit in the AAGPS. At 6 foot 4 nothing worried Colin. But on this day when Colin had to look up at least three times at the handshakes including Steve Tuynman did we know AAGPS had a problem.

At the kick off the intention was quite clear, hurt as many AAGPS boys as possible. Remember this was an age that rucking was allowed. A time-honoured tradition of leaving your mark on another was quite common. The CHS forwards tore into rucks and “climbed the mountain” which was smashing your metal studded boots into any exposed body parts and heads of AAGPS boys. Tackles were extremely brutal (and high) plus it seemed many AAGPS players were targeted. Colin Scotts was taken out in the first half with a leg injury. You could see the long angry red lines of bruising and bleeding running down his calf muscle as he sat on the bench. His hair was also red from the cut he had got on the top of his head after a nasty ruck, probably from a CHS boot and the blood ran down his neck and started to stain the back of his white jersey. AAGPS were losing players but the biggest blow was when one of the massive locks struck Peter Tonkin (10) with a massive shoulder charge. Tonkin fell to the ground like a wet towel. He lay their motionless for a while as the play continued. Some of the play came dangerous close. Mercifully the lineman stepped in and the St Johns Ambulance team ran out. Tonkin was helped from the field but he was “not there” yet. He was placed on a bench next to Scotts who kept him steady. Tonkin then inexplicably started to cry calling out, “where am I? Where am I?” Scotts held him close as others came to help.

The game finished, the result was CHS way, but to them the injury toll they had put on the AAGPS team was mission accomplished. Many boys had to refuse selection into the NSW 1 or 2 team as they were injured from that game. Peter Tonkin had Australian schoolboy all over him. He had dominated the AAGPS with silky hands, great game organisation and handy with the drop goal. He was dominate again in the CAS game. The injury he sustained kept him out of further school representation. Fun fact. Peter eventually played many years at Armidale Teacher College Rugby club and he was selected for NSW Country to play against The All Blacks in Tamworth. He still has nightmares about Murray Mexted.

It was only in the 1990s did the influx of public-school rep players start to arrive at independent schools. Some came quietly with the help of league clubs, with the boys enjoying two years of independent schooling. Some institutions just blatantly bought them en masse and this has stained schools' reputations to this day. In the CAS they have no issue with “the word that shall not be named” and hence we have seen a stronger CAS due to the arms race they have every year. AAGGPS schools still hold a slight supremacy but the CAS lads are coming back. And what of the CHS teams? The best cattle CHS has to offer has been pillaged mostly by independent schools and league clubs wishing to “lock in” a talented lad for two years.

I wish all players the very best. I have been given the green light to attend and will be sending score updates as I have done for the past three years. If you “see” me, please come up and say hello and introduce yourself.
 
RushingRob

RushingRob

Ward Prentice (10)
Scots 15as beat Kings 15as, what an incredible achievement by the young lads. In a Glengarry year, Scots' 15as are always beaten 50-0, but not this year. After drawing to Riverview and then beating Kings, these lads are looking bright for the years ahead.
Why did Kings even bother with their fantastic triangle and tambourine players?
 
T

The Beached Whale

Frank Row (1)
Keen to see some action this weekend from GPS 1st XV player Lewis-Thorp. Fast off the line, fiery pass, and big impact through his defence and line attack. Very excited to see his performance this weekend.
 
Joker

Joker

Peter Sullivan (51)
Backintheolddays said:
Great outcome for the Scots Glengarry team, and equally disappointing for the Kings kids.
RR you do lose quite some credibility / support with your petty follow up comment though, particularly when TSC have mastered this art.
They’re 14yo, be better.
Click to expand...
WARNING

You are straying into the lane that “shall not be named”. There is a thread for this. Take discussion there please.
 
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