NSW Schools - Trial Games and Selections 2014

[Boof]

Fair call

 

[blackie]

@saccophilus, the Country Schools Association have announced that this is their last year of operations.

This was on the basis that the Country lads now have pathways through CCC, CHS and to a very small degree ISA. AICES seem on the verge of pulling out of Under 18 rugby.

This works well for those lads going to a public high school, a private catholic high school, Stannies, Kinross, All Saints, Oxley or Chevalier, or boarding at one of the Sydney High Schools. If they don't attend one of those, then the lad from the bush has no show of getting known by the Clipboards. The JGC programme is about the only ray of hope.

The magic may happen, but it is in short supply.

Unfortunately the pathway to ISA through the Div 2 competition is an uphill battle given that these boys are not noticed on a week to week basis by the people that matter and are given 20 minutes to prove themselves at the selection trials.

Despite victories over St Pius (31 to 10), St Gregs, Darramalan and St Andrews (53 to 12) and being undefeated in ISA Div 2 , Chev couldn't secure 1 position in the ISA 38 man squad. Given the number of Country players participating in the Schools competition, notable omissions are the Best Forward and Players Player from the 2013 Country campaign and the 2013 Country Player of the year (injured at the time of the trials) who both attend Chevalier.

 

[S'UP]

Though we've never formally met, I'm pretty sure Lee Grant Esq was in attendance, clip binder and camera in hand, and a good match report will no doubt turn up pretty soon.

For mine, the ISA boys were very polished and clearly knew each other's style of play very well. They ran CHS left and right and got quite a few overlaps on the wings, many of which turned into tries. This seems to be their game plan to counter the number of large heavyweights in the CHS lineup. The CHS backs just needed to keep their heads up and count the numbers at every ruck and mall to counter this. A few missed tackled by CHS contributed to ISA's success. The ISA forwards were all terriers when it came to tidying up any loose ball and they were a well drilled machine when it came to ruck and maul. CHS tried hard, and came out firing, but ISA had too much ammunition in the end. Scrums were a relatively even matchup, while the CHS line-out again stole several ISA throws, and took all of their own (bar one).

Looking forward to Lee's report.

I agree re the CHS backs, they compressed as the forwards came under pressure from the more mobile ISA pack. Interestingly that is exactly what happened at training on Saturday afternoon, with CHS 2's scoring out wide as the backs didn't number up.
CHS were galant and never gave up scoring just before time, with more game time together i think CHS would improve, as said in a previous post the ISA players appeared to understand each others games better.

 

[tavytoo]

"Players from New England, Central North, Far North Coast and, Mid North Coast will face each
other in both the 16s and open divisions, with Illawarra also fielding a team in the 16s, and
Hunter, in the opens."
Looks like Illawarra actually sent a team of 16s last years to the TAS carnival

one of the local private schools sent some players up and one boy was selected into country side. I think he was a league winger who then came over to play union & was then selected into JGS this year. . suspect it was a hybrid team rather than a IDRU side

 

[Monty Python]

... [snipped and extracted] ... competition for the #2 slot
* Ed Craig (EBHS, Combined States 2013)
* Matt Serhon (New, NSW1 2013)
* Evan Pritchard (View)
* Jack Nettleton (ISA)
* Hosea Fotokava (View)
* Jakob Sedgeman (Scots)
* Jono Burke (Kings)
* Widders-Leece (Knox)

Glad to leave it up to the selectors. Nice to be spoilt for choice... but what a task!

 

[Brainstrust]

Glad to leave it up to the selectors. Nice to be spoilt for choice. but what a task!

Considering there is NSW 1, NSW 2, and Combined states, and most sides will likely take 2 hookers, theres a good chance maybe 5 will get through..

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Glad to leave it up to the selectors. Nice to be spoilt for choice. but what a task!

There will be pretty tough competition for nearly all positions not just the #2.

 

[10to12]

Blue 33 White 17
GPS 2s 65 CAS 2s 17

 

[Monty Python]

Today's results:

Tuesday, 17 June 2014 - The Scots College
GPS (White) 17 - GPS (Blue) 33
GPS 2 65 - CAS 2 17 (2013 GPS II 31 CAS II 0) [2012 GPS II 36 CAS II 25]
GPS 1 36 - CAS 1 25 (2013 GPS I 29 CAS I 14) [2012 GPS I 35 CAS I 12]

 

[The Taxi Driver]

36-25 to GPS.

Why are SGS boys selected when they are playing in a Thirds Comp - surely there are stronger players in GPS 1s?

 

[Quick Hands]

Except TAS is GPS and they have kids in it

ALthough in the past I believe that players from any association (CHS, CCC, GPS etc) who didn't make their association rep team could still be selected for Country Schools. (Provided the school was in a country area of course)

EDIT: Of course Country Schools will no longer pick a team after 2014.

 

[Quick Hands]

36-25 to GPS.

Why are SGS boys selected when they are playing in a Thirds Comp - surely there are stronger players in GPS 1s?

I assume it's because even in a weak team, there is occasionally a very good player or two and Grammar boys go to a GPS school. Otherwise boys at Grammar would be the only boys in NSW who couldn't be selected in any schoolboy rep team.

In theory, the best player in any GPS school could be at Grammar - according to your theory he wouldn't be eligible for selection based only on the school which he attends.

 

[The Taxi Driver]

It wasn't the case today then. There is a massive step in intensity and skill level for all players between the 3rds to 2nds and then 2nds to 1sts. They are jumping from the 3rds to the very best of the GPS 1sts.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Results Summary (with Historical Comparison [FWIW])

Sunday 3 June 2014 (3 way round robin - Half games only)
CCC def CHS 2 : 17-5
CHS 1 def CHS 2 : 12-5
CHS 1 def CCC : 17-7 (2013 CHS I 56 CCC 7) [2012 CHS I 34 CCC 3]

Thursday 5 June 2014
CAS II 26 CHS II 26 (2013 CAS II 36 CHS II 26) [2012 CAS II 38 CHS II 10]
CAS I 28 CHS I 19 (2013 CHS I 25 CAS I 10) [2012 CAS I 29 CHS I 0]


Sunday, 15 June 2014
CHS II 55 NSW Cnty 10 (2013 NSW Cnty 25 CHS II 19) [2012 NSW Cnty 24 CHS II 10]
CCC 27 ISA II 24 (2013 ISA II 38 CCC 38) [2012 ISA II 15 CCC 14]
ISA I 41 CHS I 24 (2013 ISA I 43 vs CHS I 22) [2012 CHS I 20 ISA I 19]

Tuesday, 17 June 2014
GPS (White) 17 GPS (Blue) 33
GPS 2 65 - CAS 2 17 (2013 GPS II 31 CAS II 0) [2012 GPS II 36 CAS II 25]
GPS 1 36 - CAS 1 25 (2013 GPS I 29 CAS I 14) [2012 GPS I 35 CAS I 12]


To Come

Friday 20th June - Curagul Field, North Turramurra
CAS II v Country 9:00am (2013 CAS II 72 AICES 5)[2012 NSW Cnty 64 AICES 5]
ISA II v GPS (Blue) 10.15am (2013 ISA II 31 NSW Cnty 19) [2012 CAS II 29 ISA II 21]
CCC v GPS (White) 11.30pm (2013 GPS III 50 CCC 21) [2012 CCC 17 GPS III 14]
CAS I v ISA I 12:45pm (2013 CAS I 39 ISA I 12) [2012 CAS I 47 ISA I 7]
CHS II v GPS II 2.00pm (2013 GPS II 67 CHS II 0) [2012 GPS II 38 CHS II 7]
CHS I v GPS I 3.15pm (2013 GPS I 57 CHS I 5) [2012 GPS I 47 CHS I 3]

 

[old fella]

36-25 to GPS.

Why are SGS boys selected when they are playing in a Thirds Comp - surely there are stronger players in GPS 1s?

Nice to see that your world view is so broad. By way of analogy mate, Joey's boys do well in the HSC. No-one complains about that.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

It wasn't the case today then. There is a massive step in intensity and skill level for all players between the 3rds to 2nds and then 2nds to 1sts. They are jumping from the 3rds to the very best of the GPS 1sts.

Did you actually see the white v blue game?

 

[Monty Python]

Why are SGS boys selected when they are playing in a Thirds Comp - surely there are stronger players in GPS 1s?

Small minded indeed. Selectors are a fantastic animal and can sniff a good steed amongst an average pack of horses. Be reminded that wallaby hooker Phil Kearns never made it past Newington's 2nd XV at school.

 

[The Taxi Driver]

Just dealing in facts. We aren't talking academics just rugby and the boys were out of their depth, this year. We can all feel good about selecting boys that aren't up to the standard. You won't hear me cry when my son isn't good enough to sit the 4 unit maths paper or the advanced english paper. That is just the way it is, mate.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Just dealing in facts. We aren't talking academics just rugby and the boys were out of their depth, this year. We can all feel good about selecting boys that aren't up to the standard. You won't hear me cry when my son isn't good enough to sit the 4 unit maths paper or the advanced english paper. That is just the way it is, mate.

I'll take that as a "no".
who scored the first try?

 

[The Taxi Driver]

Small minded indeed. Selectors are a fantastic animal and can sniff a good steed amongst an average pack of horses. Be reminded that wallaby hooker Phil Kearns never made it past Newington's 2nd XV at school.

Again, 2nd XV but not playing in the 3rds comp.

Did you actually see the white v blue game?

Why yes I did hence the comments.