QLD GPS Rugby 2013

[fairplay]

I would not be surprised if GT beat BBC this weekend and throw their hat into the ring as contenders for the title.

 

[SeaEagles]

I would not be surprised if GT beat BBC this weekend and throw their hat into the ring as contenders for the title.

I picked GT as the banana skin for a few contenders last week, so I can see where you are coming from with that call.

Having seen NC, BBC and TSS play in recent weeks it is hard to see that GT team having the strength across the park to beat one of them.

BBC also have Wilkins back this week as posted earlier. He brings something else to an already good team which must have some belief embedded after the Churchie win.

 

[SeaEagles]

Interested in views on BSHS next game at Home against Nudgee. As I haven't seen Nudgee play this season would appreciate a comment from someone who has seen both teams play as to where the game will be won and lost and why.

NC will play pick and drive and ball control and will do it well. They will also defend tightly either side of the ruck.

I really question the strength of the BSHS defensive line. They will want to ensure they defend well on the fringes and with some real line speed because they can expect Mafi and Co. running like steam trains at them all day.

That said BSHS have some real fire power out wide - I f I was them I would be hitting the line hard out wide and stretching NC right from the start.

I think BSHS will score a few tries, but will have their work cut out stopping NC from barreling over the gain line at will

 

[Sam Hauser]

Home team named first:

ACGS v TSS
BSHS v NC
GT v BBC
BGS v IGS
(TGS v Downlands)

 

[fairplay]

I picked GT as the banana skin for a few contenders last week, so I can see where you are coming from with that call.

Having seen NC, BBC and TSS play in recent weeks it is hard to see that GT team having the strength across the park to beat one of them.

BBC also have Wilkins back this week as posted earlier. He brings something else to an already good team which must have some belief embedded after the Churchie win.

I agree, except I think that if BBC have a bogey team it is GT.

 

[Lee Grant]

I'm also pretty sure, but not totally, that Pocock played QLD Schoolboys at 7 and not 12

He played 7 for Qld I and Oz Schools in 2005.

I remembered his playing for Oz Schools v Japan at Scots and the Japanese lads side-stepped him.

But this wasn't when they had the ball, it was when Pocock had the ball: he terrified them, as TPN did at the same age in school rugby (as a backrower).
.

 

[Monday's Expert]

Still a few out of position!
I believe Stephen Moore and James Hanson played prop at schoolboy level. Also I am not sure Higginbotham played firsts at TSS, even though he has made up for it since!
Would be hard to separate Cooper, O'Connor and To'omua as 10s based on what I saw. They clearly dominated all games I saw them play (they didn't play for "my" school so I only saw them once per year) but would rank JOC (James O'Connor) 3rd and couldn't split Cooper and To'omua. Swanepoel played in a dominant TSS side and may have had better schoolboy form than Genia and from what I saw Jonah Placid brained them at 15.
Great debate though given the great talent that has been around the last 10 years.
I would have to go back to my schoolboy days and remember how dominant Tom Barker was for BSHS. An absolute nightmare to play against in 73 and 74! Can he smile and laugh a bit and translate that to his current team at BBC?

Saw quite a few of these blokes and hold the following opinions. Anae, Higgenbotham, Horwill and Smith all bloomed later in life and are not fairly here in terms of their SCHOOLBOY form - IMHO. Higgenbotham was in the TSS thirds and more interested in surfing. the others were all big lumps but did not realise their full potential until after school. Elton Flatley was a very dominant Schools player who obviously went on with it and whilst JOC (James O'Connor) is possibly with better feet, he is not a patch on Flatley for the aura he held as a player at NC and in Q and A schools. Pocock and Setu formed part of a very scary Q and A backrow in 2005. I have never seen a more muscular specimen than Pocock as a Schoolboy 7 - absolutely unbelievable. There as also a boy called Waterman who was at BBC around 2005-6 or so and potentially could have been anything after being selected as an A Schools 6. he may have ended up at the Brumbies but fell off the radar with form and attitude, I thought I'd heard. TSS's Peraka has been one of the most dominant schools props in the last few years.

 

[leftrightout]

Saw quite a few of these blokes and hold the following opinions. Anae, Higgenbotham, Horwill and Smith all bloomed later in life and are not fairly here in terms of their SCHOOLBOY form - IMHO. Higgenbotham was in the TSS thirds and more interested in surfing. the others were all big lumps but did not realise their full potential until after school. Elton Flatley was a very dominant Schools player who obviously went on with it and whilst JOC (James O'Connor) is possibly with better feet, he is not a patch on Flatley for the aura he held as a player at NC and in Q and A schools. Pocock and Setu formed part of a very scary Q and A backrow in 2005. I have never seen a more muscular specimen than Pocock as a Schoolboy 7 - absolutely unbelievable. There as also a boy called Waterman who was at BBC around 2005-6 or so and potentially could have been anything after being selected as an A Schools 6. he may have ended up at the Brumbies but fell off the radar with form and attitude, I thought I'd heard. TSS's Peraka has been one of the most dominant schools props in the last few years.

There is a guy playing for TSS firsts who is not only built like Pocock but looks a bit like him at first glance & he plays 6 or 7...i think he will go a long way.

 

[leftrightout]

He and his father have had a problem with TSS since not getting in A teams at TSS in junior school when they thought he should be. Dont think BBC will be winning GPS over TSS.

Didnt James O"connor go to Tss and the the d.o.r. at that time said he was to small and a ball hog"..His parents made the right choice moving him to Nudgee.
We can only see if Bbc number 9s parents made a good choice..it looks as if they have thus far.

 

[Johnny13]

Churchie and Nudgee will be a big one. Both coming off loses.
Is Douglas Macmillan back?

 

[fairplay]

Churchie and Nudgee will be a big one. Both coming off loses.
Is Douglas Macmillan back?

Nudgee won last round..... And they already played each other

 

[the sabanator]

I think Johnny refers to TSS

 

[mbw]

Didnt James O"connor go to Tss and the the d.o.r. at that time said he was to small and a ball hog"..His parents made the right choice moving him to Nudgee.
We can only see if Bbc number 9s parents made a good choice..it looks as if they have thus far.

Dempsey, the BBC 9 left TSS after Grade 7 and should be in Grade 12 this year.
Did BBC hold him and others back or had he repeated before he got there?

 

[TheKing]

There is a guy playing for TSS firsts who is not only built like Pocock but looks a bit like him at first glance & he plays 6 or 7.i think he will go a long way.

I was at the game on Saturday and both 6 and 7 were relatively tall and lanky. Joel Brown, who played 8, is probably the one who's most built like Pocock being shorter and thicker. Plays with red headgear.

Didnt James O"connor go to Tss and the the d.o.r. at that time said he was to small and a ball hog"..His parents made the right choice moving him to Nudgee.

Is that so? I saw on the TSS program that O'Connor was listed as a TSS old boy who attained representative honours. What year did he leave?

 

[Scrummy]

There is a guy playing for TSS firsts who is not only built like Pocock but looks a bit like him at first glance & he plays 6 or 7.i think he will go a long way.

That would be PJ Van den Berg. Ex flyhalf/inside for 16A's (I think) but moved to blind for this years 1st XV

 

[HJ Nelson]

That would be PJ Van den Berg. Ex flyhalf/inside for 16A's (I think) but moved to blind for this years 1st XV

Yes, definitely PJ in the red headgear. Played in jersey No. 8 for some reason, but packed at flanker.
I don't know the other back rowers so well, but I think it was Joel Brown wearing 6 , but playing at No. 8, and Luke Papworth in 7

 

[Breakdown]

I picked GT as the banana skin for a few contenders last week, so I can see where you are coming from with that call.

Having seen NC, BBC and TSS play in recent weeks it is hard to see that GT team having the strength across the park to beat one of them.

BBC also have Wilkins back this week as posted earlier. He brings something else to an already good team which must have some belief embedded after the Churchie win.

With BBC having Wilkins back, how will they likely reshuffle their backline after last weekends impressive performances?

 

[Monster]

With BBC having Wilkins back, how will they likely reshuffle their backline after last weekends impressive performances?

If Wilkins is fit, presumably he will play 15 and Tom Morrison will go back to 2nds

 

[Johnny13]

Some interesting match ups this week. Notable the TSS and Churchie game. Looking forward to see how Mack Mason and Mitch Third play. It seems to be the forwards of Churchie lacking. Hopefully they bring it together for an exciting game.

 

[SeaEagles]

Some interesting match ups this week. Notable the TSS and Churchie game. Looking forward to see how Mack Mason and Mitch Third play. It seems to be the forwards of Churchie lacking. Hopefully they bring it together for an exciting game.

I agree it will be a great game. Mason is playing well and he has two of the best attacking backs in the comp outside of him. His halfback also provides some nice service.

However, the Churchie loosies are not quick enough to the breakdown and despite some good yardage being made in the backs they give away turnovers or miss out on quick second and third phase ball.

They also need to keep mounting pressure on the opposition and not go to sleep. They did this against BBC and BSHS and they got rolled.

If Churchie can fix this - they are a real chance against TSS.