NSW AAGPS Rugby 2016

[Quick Hands]

I take my laptop to the Apple Mac store, as my baby boomer IT skills are not the best in this particular area. If not ready by them I simply do a repeat of the New/Oakhill game format for the New/Kings game.

We're probably of similar age. When I got a new computer, I was having the same issues and someone gave the tip about changing browsers and it worked.

 

[sidesteppa]

First half highlights of Joeys defeating Knox at Knox. Watch in HD [avail now on Chrome browser], will take a few more mins on Safari.

 

[Azzuri]

I think Kings at the very least deserve credit for having pies hot and ready to go at 8.30am. The breakfast of champions.

@QH you are clearly a great man and very likely a fellow retired Apex Predator (aka Retired Front Rower) I do agree that the King's valiant, albeit gastromicalky challenged effort perhaps warrants something approaching a polite golf clap. However every time I eat a Shore pie I hear the unmistakable volley of cannon fire from Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

 

[Brian Westlake]

@QH you are clearly a great man and very likely a fellow retired Apex Predator (aka Retired Front Rower) I do agree that the King's valiant, albeit gastromicalky challenged effort perhaps warrants something approaching a polite golf clap. However every time I eat a Shore pie I hear the unmistakable volley of cannon fire from Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

Better than the school that plays Die Walkure?
I much preferred the Tristan Und Isolde Sausage Rolls.

 

[Azzuri]

Better than the school that plays Die Walkure?
I much preferred the Tristan Und Isolde Sausage Rolls.

Look closely and you will spot said Sausage Roll in the foreground.....

 

[Brian Westlake]

First half highlights of Joeys defeating Knox at Knox. Watch in HD [avail now on Chrome browser], will take a few more mins on Safari.

Great Fillum there Ss! Team sheets? To see the players anyone?

 

[Brian Westlake]

Look closely and you will spot said Sausage Roll in the foreground...

View attachment 7736

Not a bottle of Fountain Tomato in sight. Never trusted these buggers!

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Not too impressed with the SJC kicks in general play

 

[Quick Hands]

Not too impressed with the SJC kicks in general play

From the Knox perspective, I'd imagine that the highlight of their afternoon was the bagpipes. Things seemed to go downhill rapidly after that.

Obviously, Matt Williams doesn't coach the pipes and drums.

 

[sidelineview]

Based on yesterday's results, the gulf between GPS and CAS is wider than ever.

Even though its only trial form, it doesn't look too bright for CAS, but they might surprise .... stranger things have happened.
However, CAS defeated GPS in the U16s Final two years ago, so what's changed?
That question could be answered on another forum.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

From the Knox perspective, I'd imagine that the highlight of their afternoon was the bagpipes. Things seemed to go downhill rapidly after that.

Obviously, Matt Williams doesn't coach the pipes and drums.

the beauty of the bagpipe is that it doesn't require coaching: it sounds the same whether played expertly or otherwise.
Still I'd back Williams to prove me wrong.

 

[BRUMBIEJACK]

Based on yesterday's results, the gulf between GPS and CAS is wider than ever.

I think the reality is that the GPS/CAS gulf is wider at Opens than ever before but not below that. Think it reasonable to assume that the relative influx of talented rugby players who appear in GPS Opens makes the gap appear. Two years ago CAS 16s beat GPS 16s. In Opens two years later the CAS team would be largely similar to the 16s but I'd wager the GPS one will have lots of new faces. Would be interesting to compare. For instance yday Waverley 16As beat View 16As. Waverley 1sts (admittedly w/o 3 run on fwds and great back) were done decisively by View. Would wager that the Waverley 1sts in two years will have many of yday's 16As but wonder whether this would hold for View. Know already of new school rugby blood in SIC that have joined in Yr 11 & assume same holds elsewhere in GPS. What u call 'the gulf' I see as short-sighted diminution of wider schoolboy rugby talent for short-term success of GPS schools at expense of broader schoolboy rugby. GPS are ensuring that the gene pool of a narrowly-supported sport is becoming even more limited. But hey, who cares about the greater good as long as I'm alright and the Old Boys are happy.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I think the reality is that the GPS/CAS gulf is wider at Opens than ever before but not below that. Think it reasonable to assume that the relative influx of talented rugby players who appear in GPS Opens makes the gap appear. Two years ago CAS 16s beat GPS 16s. In Opens two years later the CAS team would be largely similar to the 16s but I'd wager the GPS one will have lots of new faces. Would be interesting to compare. For instance yday Waverley 16As beat View 16As. Waverley 1sts (admittedly w/o 3 run on fwds and great back) were done decisively by View. Would wager that the Waverley 1sts in two years will have many of yday's 16As but wonder whether this would hold for View. Know already of new school rugby blood in SIC that have joined in Yr 11 & assume same holds elsewhere in GPS. What u call 'the gulf' I see as short-sighted diminution of wider schoolboy rugby talent for short-term success of GPS schools at expense of broader schoolboy rugby. GPS are ensuring that the gene pool of a narrowly-supported sport is becoming even more limited. But hey, who cares about the greater good as long as I'm alright and the Old Boys are happy.

Dont question the last sentence but statistically the thesis assumes that all the talent lies outside either school system until it magically appears in Yr 11 and then only @ GPS schools.
Not only did the CAS 16s beat GPS 2 years ago (by a very small margin in a very close game) but the CAs team was heavily knox influenced - as you'd expect.
i couldn't see Armstrong in the Knox side and he would be their best player if he played but i didn't think SJC had a complete set of answers either. there was pretty shoddy tackling and their defensive alignment at times made Knox look they had a clue.

 

[sidelineview]

Dont question the last sentence but statistically the thesis assumes that all the talent lies outside either school system until it magically appears in Yr 11 and then only @ GPS schools.
Not only did the CAS 16s beat GPS 2 years ago (by a very small margin in a very close game) but the CAs team was heavily knox influenced - as you'd expect.
i couldn't see Armstrong in the Knox side and he would be their best player if he played but i didn't think SJC had a complete set of answers either. there was pretty shoddy tackling and their defensive alignment at times made Knox look they had a clue.

It was a good, close game in the U16s Final in 2014, but only one team won.

Heavily Knox influenced? .... let's have a look.
Of the 23 players who represented CAS:
Knox had 8 players in the team
Trinity - 6
Aloys - 4
Waverley - 3
Barker - 2

 

[BRUMBIEJACK]

Dont question the last sentence but statistically the thesis assumes that all the talent lies outside either school system until it magically appears in Yr 11 and then only @ GPS schools.
Not only did the CAS 16s beat GPS 2 years ago (by a very small margin in a very close game) but the CAs team was heavily knox influenced - as you'd expect.
i couldn't see Armstrong in the Knox side and he would be their best player if he played but i didn't think SJC had a complete set of answers either. there was pretty shoddy tackling and their defensive alignment at times made Knox look they had a clue.

Not at all. Some kids from the start are actually attracted to rugby-playing (ie private) schools often because their dads think it's a good idea. GPS/CAS schools have much talent from U/13s as a consequence. What I'm saying is that in my experience, over and above the normal churn that occurs in schools, some GPS schools deliberately target good rugby players to attend their schools in Yr 11/12 to bolster their chances of a premiership. This is much less the case in CAS schools (economic differences aside for some schools - thinking Waverley here). Hence grabbing a few extra players can make a big difference to the result of the 1sts, which is what it is all about. It also means that kids who would normally be 1st XV standard are pissed off & playing 2nds but if an injury to the star happens you have a locally-produced very good player ready to take the position he should have had in the first place. The system provides star power and depth in one fell swoop.

 

[Brian Westlake]

Not at all. Some kids from the start are actually attracted to rugby-playing (ie private) schools often because their dads think it's a good idea. GPS/CAS schools have much talent from U/13s as a consequence. What I'm saying is that in my experience, over and above the normal churn that occurs in schools, some GPS schools deliberately target good rugby players to attend their schools in Yr 11/12 to bolster their chances of a premiership. This is much less the case in CAS schools (economic differences aside for some schools - thinking Waverley here). Hence grabbing a few extra players can make a big difference to the result of the 1sts, which is what it is all about. It also means that kids who would normally be 1st XV standard are pissed off & playing 2nds but if an injury to the star happens you have a locally-produced very good player ready to take the position he should have had in the first place. The system provides star power and depth in one fell swoop.

Well bugger me!!!!

I honestly thought that Mrs Westlake and I chose the school my sons went to was due to EDUCATION!!!

 

[Quick Hands]

Not at all. Some kids from the start are actually attracted to rugby-playing (ie private) schools often because their dads think it's a good idea. GPS/CAS schools have much talent from U/13s as a consequence. What I'm saying is that in my experience, over and above the normal churn that occurs in schools, some GPS schools deliberately target good rugby players to attend their schools in Yr 11/12 to bolster their chances of a premiership. This is much less the case in CAS schools (economic differences aside for some schools - thinking Waverley here). Hence grabbing a few extra players can make a big difference to the result of the 1sts, which is what it is all about. It also means that kids who would normally be 1st XV standard are pissed off & playing 2nds but if an injury to the star happens you have a locally-produced very good player ready to take the position he should have had in the first place. The system provides star power and depth in one fell swoop.

Don't think that CAS schools are above matters best discussed on the thread which dare not speak its name. Just that in rugby, CAS isn't as attractive - if we were to talk swimming for example............................

Not many GPS schools have just built $10 aquatic centres or run professional swim squads from their premises.

 

[Not in straight]

Not at all. Some kids from the start are actually attracted to rugby-playing (ie private) schools often because their dads think it's a good idea. GPS/CAS schools have much talent from U/13s as a consequence. What I'm saying is that in my experience, over and above the normal churn that occurs in schools, some GPS schools deliberately target good rugby players to attend their schools in Yr 11/12 to bolster their chances of a premiership. This is much less the case in CAS schools (economic differences aside for some schools - thinking Waverley here). Hence grabbing a few extra players can make a big difference to the result of the 1sts, which is what it is all about. It also means that kids who would normally be 1st XV standard are pissed off & playing 2nds but if an injury to the star happens you have a locally-produced very good player ready to take the position he should have had in the first place. The system provides star power and depth in one fell swoop.

The critical word is "some" GPS schools. And it is some not "All" GPS schools (perhaps even "MOST" not "ALL")

But I fear from sideline talk yesterday that CAS schools are doing the same.

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

 

[BRUMBIEJACK]

Well bugger me!!!!

I honestly thought that Mrs Westlake and I chose the school my sons went to was due to EDUCATION!!!

There is that. And also, and I expect to be howled down here, some people want the social justice and help for less fortunate that some schools seek to instil in their students. The sport element often sits diagonally opposite to these lofty goals.

 

[BRUMBIEJACK]

Don't think that CAS schools are above matters best discussed on the thread which dare not speak its name. Just that in rugby, CAS isn't as attractive - if we were to talk swimming for example..........

Not many GPS schools have just built $10 aquatic centres or run professional swim squads from their premises.

You may well be right in certain CAS schools - the school fees in 2/3 of CAS schools would be equal to that of their GPS cousins. As a Waverley parent though I think I can confidently say that there aren't any rivers of sporting scholarship (or other) gold that flow through the school. What you see is what you get.