NSW CHS Rugby 2014

[Sideline Eye]

Copied from the NSW Schools thread.
Congrats to the 7 CHS boys in NSW 1 and 2, and the 2 in the shadow group. Very well deserved.

Apparently the NSW Schools website has had a fit. The various conveners have been asked to publish the below as widely as possible. I was forwarded this email last night. However, These teams will be in the papers this morning and all team members have been contacted by phone.

NSW Schools Rugby Union U18 Teams 2014
Attached are the NSW Teams and Shadows for the Australian Schools Championships to be held at St Ignatius College Riverview from the 29 June to 5 July.

Players listed in the NSW 1 and 2s are to attend a medical at the NSW Rugby Union Headquartes Moore on Sunday 22 June at 9:30am.
Shadow players are not required at the medical.
N1
Position, Name, School/Association
1. LHP Phil BRADFORD , Hunter Sports High/CHS
2. H Ed CRAIG , Epping Boys High/CHS
3. THP Vunipola FIFITA , Newington/GPS
4. RL Tobias RUDOLF , The Scots College/GPS
5. LL Tom PIRODDI , Newington/GPS
6. BSF John WALKER , St Augustines/ISA
7. OSF Lachlan ANDERSON , Oakhill College/ISA
8. No 8 Angus CRICHTON , The Scots College/GPS
9. Half Harrison GODDARD , Oakhill/ISA
10. Fly half Connor O’SHEA , St Josephs College/GPS
11. Wing Sepsa TAROGI , Newington/GPS
12. IC Luke LOUGH , St Augustines/ISA
13. OC Henry HUTCHISON , St Ignatius/GPS
14. Wing Connor WATSON , Knox Grammar/CAS
15. FB Guy PORTER , The Scots College/GPS
16. H James WIDDERS-LEECE , Knox Grammar/CAS
17. LHP Hosea FOTUKAVA , St Ignatius/GPS
18. THP Will McRAE , St Augustines/ISA
19. L Andrew VATUVEI , Sarah Redfern High School/CHS
20. BR Hugh SUMMERHAYES , Cranbrook/CAS
21. Half Stephen KIRBY , Barker/CAS
22. IB David SMERDON , Barker/CAS
23. OB Sione AFU , St Augustines/ISA

N2
Position, Name, School/Association
1. LHP Meline LAIMANI , Newington/GPS
2. H Evan PRITCHARD , St Ignatius/GPS
3. THP Jacob SEDGMAN , The Scots College/GPS
4. RL Nathanial GITTOES , St Josephs College/GPS
5. LL Will FINLEY , Lisarow High School/CHS
6. BSF Nick BURKETT , Barker/CAS
7. OSF Dechlan MOORE , St Andrews Cathedral School/ISA
8. No 8 James LOUGH , St Augustines/ISA
9. Half Nick DUFFY , St Josephs College/GPS
10. Fly half James DAY , Oakhill/ISA
11. Wing Billy FREEMAN , St Ignatius/GPS
12. IC Joe WILLIAMS , Knox/CAS
13. OC Simon KENNEWELL , Newington/GPS
14. Wing Tom WRIGHT , St Josephs College/GPS
15. FB Jack McGREGOR , St Ignatius/GPS
16. H Matt SERHON , Newington/GPS
17. LHP Harry JOHNSTON-HOLMES , Merewether High School/CHS
18. THP Francis BROWN , MacKillop/CCC
19. L Beau PETTERSON , St Ignatius/GPS
20. BR Jun WOODHILL , Shore/GPS
21. Half Harry ROWE , Hills Sports High/CHS
22. IB Will McDONALD , St Josephs College/GPS
23. OB Jayden WRIGHT , Hunter Sports High/CHS

Shadows 1
Position, Name, School
1. LHP Jordan LOTOANIU , Bass Hill High
2. H Jake NETTLETON , St Augustines
3. THP Alex MASSIMO , St Gregorys
4. RL Lachlan SWINTON , Knox
5. LL Andrew DAVIES , MMC Warriewood
6. BSF Jack HAYSON , St Ignatius
7. OSF Jake PIERCE , Knox
8. No 8 Brett VAN ZYL , Knox
9. Half Theo STRANG , The Scots College
10. Fly half Sam RENTON , Cranbrook
11. Wing Jordan THOMAS , St Augustines
12. IC Ned YEOMANS , Kinross
13. OC Layton TALI , Hills Sports High
14. Wing Ben FONTAINE , St Augustines
15. FB Kirt ANTHONY , St Edwards Gosford

 

[Hugh Jarse]

CHS in the NSW Schools

NSW 1
1. LHP Phil BRADFORD , Hunter Sports High/CHS
2. H Ed CRAIG , Epping Boys High/CHS
19. L Andrew VATUVEI , Sarah Redfern High School/CHS

NSW 2
5. LL Will FINLEY , Lisarow High School/CHS
17. LHP Harry JOHNSTON-HOLMES , Merewether High School/CHS
23. OB Jayden WRIGHT , Hunter Sports High/CHS

Shadow
1. LHP Jordan LOTOANIU , Bass Hill High
13. OC Layton TALI , Hills Sports High

There may be some bolters (or promotion from Shadow) in the Combined States team, which will be announced on Monday.

Congratulations. Stay fit. Listen to the coaches.

Edit: Typo from original email with NSW All Schools list corrected after @Monty Python post confirmed from list in Sunday Herald.

 

[Sideline Eye]

[snip] Believe it or not, there was a time when CHS were much stronger than they are at present relatively speaking. Is it part of a cycle, or a consequence of the AAGPS Premiership Arms Race? I suspect the latter and it will be an extraordinary year when CHS will be competitive against AAGPS.
[snip]
Schools are inherently traditional organisations and change occurs slowly, so I can't see the trials programme radically changing in the short term.

Looks like the program for the final day of trials could stay as it is for now, and perhaps the relative strengths of the associations is indeed due more to ebb and flow of the cycle, or at least a major part of the mix.

Apparently the GPS I v CHS I fixture in 2011 was a draw, and yesterday's match was close to that. So the dominance of the last two years seems to be bookended by some more even pairings. Though clearly not dominant, I'd say CHS was competitive yesterday at 22-20... What an extraordinary year

 

[Monty Python]

CHS in the NSW Schools

NSW 2
21. Half Harry ROWE , Hills Sports High/CHS

Unfortunately, I heard from a snout today that Harry Rowe was mistakenly included for another Harry from GPS (Harry Emery possibly). Poor kid, but I'm told he took it well.

So, one less in the stats for CHS.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^^ That is the sort of stuff that I have become accustomed to seeing from another Rugby Administering body.

 

[Top Cat]

CHS in the NSW Schools

NSW 1
1. LHP Phil BRADFORD , Hunter Sports High/CHS
2. H Ed CRAIG , Epping Boys High/CHS
19. L Andrew VATUVEI , Sarah Redfern High School/CHS

NSW 2
5. LL Will FINLEY , Lisarow High School/CHS
17. LHP Harry JOHNSTON-HOLMES , Merewether High School/CHS
23. OB Jayden WRIGHT , Hunter Sports High/CHS

Shadow
1. LHP Jordan LOTOANIU , Bass Hill High
13. OC Layton TALI , Hills Sports High

There may be some bolters (or promotion from Shadow) in the Combined States team, which will be announced on Monday.

Congratulations. Stay fit. Listen to the coaches.

Edit: Typo from original email with NSW All Schools list corrected after @Monty Python post confirmed from list in Sunday Herald.

Nice to see Phil Bradford there . A very deserving player.

 

[Boof]

Nice to see Phil Bradford there . A very deserving player.

Yep well done Phil and Harry J Holmes, 2 Hunter U 17s reps in there, great stuff boys.

 

[Monty Python]

Looks like the program for the final day of trials could stay as it is for now, and perhaps the relative strengths of the associations is indeed due more to ebb and flow of the cycle, or at least a major part of the mix.

Apparently the GPS I v CHS I fixture in 2011 was a draw, and yesterday's match was close to that. So the dominance of the last two years seems to be bookended by some more even pairings. Though clearly not dominant, I'd say CHS was competitive yesterday at 22-20. What an extraordinary year

Fair 'nuf. CHS was certainly competitive on Friday, and if they drew in 2011, then there is certainly enough ebb and flow to keep things as they are. I've heard some comment that GPS just weren't as good this year, but with all the talk of the GPS juggernaut and spurious recruitment tactics, etc, it seems unlikely they could be that much worse this year than previous years. More likely that CAS and CHS were just stronger this time around.. If true, it can only strengthen the argument that things go in cycles. I think the difference may simply have been that they didn't have any superstars this year (Jones, Kellaway, etc). Regardless, CHS showed a lot more structure to their game than I've seen in recent years, and the backs certainly covered their wings and made their tackles more effectively than I've seen for a while. The 22-20 scoreline was a credit to the CHS boys and their coaches.

As per last year, the forwards more than matched it with the GPS pack. Nice mix of selections in the NSW 1 and 2 sides, though I think CHS and ISA might feel like they could have had a slightly better representation in the NSW sides than they got. Not a complaint, just an observation.

Special mention on the selections of Phil Bradford and Ed Craig from CHS - they must have really impressed the selectors to be chosen above their GPS counterparts. If they were on par, or only a hair's breadth between them, surely the incumbents would have been given the gig.

Good luck to all the boys as they prepare for the champs next week. Should be some good footy next week out at Riverview.

 

[Brainstrust]

I thought that CHS were very good on Friday. GPS seems to come together later than the other squads, and talk this year was the coaches were trying to get them to play to a set up that was pretty hard to learn in a short time. These things may have added to their performance. But one thing was obvious was that they got beaten at the breakdown by both CAS and CHS because they weren't committing enough players. I dont know what the penalty count against GPS was, but they seemed to have a lot against them because of infringements at the ruck. Well done to CHS for putting them under so much pressure.

 

[Flank]

I agree on this. Francis Brown (Mackillop, Warnervale) was the only CCC rep in last year's Aussie School's squad and he was only called in at the last minute as a replacement for a fallen prop. He is back this year and should be, at the least, in the NSW 1 side. There are numerous other players who should come in to reckoning such as James Wilkinson (St Edwards, Gosford), whom is playing the house down for Gordon Colts, at hooker.
These are only two very strong players amongst many and hopefully the selectors can give as much weighting to their games as they do to the GPS/CAS/ISA matches. There is no doubting the quality of talent in the Sydney Private School Competitions, however, this does not mean that there aren't brilliantly talented rugby players elsewhere. Just look at the recent under 17s competition: Central Coast claimed the title and their team included numerous boys who will feature in the CCC side this year and will still be eligible next year.

Let's hope every young player is on an equal footing and if they play better than their opposite number, then they will be selected, regardless of where they are from.

I doubt given the bias of selectors never considering the CCC boys will any be returning next year as we all know its not about the talent in particular the big lads who play for the colts who were outstanding for CCC. What a sore joke.