ISA Rugby 2012

[Pedro]

Why not invite Tonga to play ISA 1s & 2nds on their arrival Tonga is coming over anyway. If ISA prove themselves the best how embarrassing will that make it for CAS & GPS

 

[Pedro]

Of course some of u will say I am a wako why would u say that? To shut me up cause u don‘t really support ISA getting over CAS & GPS. These schools are multi million dollar businesses run as a business with no intention of going broke

 

[Done that]

It was very controversial that he was picked, along with another 6 or so other ISA kids. A lot of GPS & CAS supporters were hoping they would be trounced at the Oz champs, and they thought they were vindicated when NSW II's made the final with the I's missing out.
Any idea where he is playing these days?

Was with West Harbour at the beginning of 2011 but dropped out.I notice he was listed with Randwick prior to the beginning of this season but don't think he started.

 

[Runner]

Feel compelled to disagree with you on this Lee.

Let's talk facts and not hypotheticals for a moment. This thread is about ISA and 'School X' in this case is St Augustines. A school that has produced rugby teams of exceptional quality over the past 4 years or so.

The ISA competition consists of 8 schools playing in the Division 1 comp and another 8 schools playing in the Division 2 comp - potentially 240 1st XV players vying for selection in an ISA squad of 38. This year the selectors chose 18 St Augustines players in that squad - 3 St Augustines 2nd XV players were preferred to their 1st XV counterparts from other schools - how they got to trial in the first place is beyond me, but..

Last week the ISA 1st XV was revealed. 13 players from St Augustines are in the team. A forward from Stannies and a back from St Gregs make up the 15 man team. This team is not 'representative' of the ISA.

The ISA teams have only 2 opportunities to impress NSW selectors. They don't play 4 games like CHS or 3 games like CAS - they play 2 matches and neither of these games is against GPS. Indeed, the 2nds play CCC in their first match. Last weekend, CCC were well beaten by CHS, who in turn were well beaten by CAS through the week. So, in reality, an ISA 2nds player has 1 game against CAS 2nds to press his claim for higher rep honours - can't see it happening for any of the kids in the ISA IIs Lee.

Your assertion above, as it relates to the situation within ISA this year, is flawed. 13 players in the premier association team from the one school is not fair representation of the talent that exists across the 16 schools who make up the ISA.

I am new to this but how many times did CAS and GPS get beaten by ISA in the past?

 

[I like to watch]

The GPS don't play ISA.
ISA rarely beat CAS, but there hasn't been much in it the past few years.

 

[Blindside63]

The ISA site recently uploaded the results for the first 2 rounds. If you review the age group results you can see only 4 schools, Auggies, Stannies, St Pats and Oakhill field teams in each of the A and B divisions in the age groups (13s to 16s). In some cases the ISA season consists of 4 games for an age group A team. All other games are trials or friendlies against other teams that don't have anyone to play. ISA games can be more than a month apart. The outcome of this will be A) These four schools will dominate the ISA competition in the years to come because they have a much larger group of players to select from, and B) If the ISA schools only have 1 or 2 challenging games a season throughout the age groups how can they improve and compete with CAS and GPS schools when they get to the opens?

 

[Tom Ando]

In some cases the ISA season consists of 4 games for an age group A team. All other games are trials or friendlies against other teams that don't have anyone to play. ISA games can be more than a month apart. The outcome of this will be A) These four schools will dominate the ISA competition in the years to come because they have a much larger group of players to select from, and B) If the ISA schools only have 1 or 2 challenging games a season throughout the age groups how can they improve and compete with CAS and GPS schools when they get to the opens?

I couldn't agree more. the same happens in div 2 ISA. We played our gala day, Marist Brothers and Trinity College before we 'started' ISA. We played round one and then Round 2. After that we had two byes because St Pauls pulled out of the comp and now ISA Rep season has started so after our game this weekend v Blue Mountains we don't have another game for 3 weeks and then there is only 4 more round games left in the comp. ISA is a joke. No wonder our club team is flourishing because we have more than 8 games a season with a total of 100 weeks of gaps and byes throughout the comp. How is any team suppose to have consistancy?

 

[Pedro]

I couldn't agree more. the same happens in div 2 ISA. We played our gala day, Marist Brothers and Trinity College before we 'started' ISA. We played round one and then Round 2. After that we had two byes because St Pauls pulled out of the comp and now ISA Rep season has started so after our game this weekend v Blue Mountains we don't have another game for 3 weeks and then there is only 4 more round games left in the comp. ISA is a joke. No wonder our club team is flourishing because we have more than 8 games a season with a total of 100 weeks of gaps and byes throughout the comp. How is any team suppose to have consistancy?

More schools are taking teams overseas in easter, All Saints went to Canada, Stannies opens went to Japan, under 15As and bs went to NZ, Oakhill went to Argintina.

 

[an observer]

Feel compelled to disagree with you on this Lee.

Let's talk facts and not hypotheticals for a moment. This thread is about ISA and 'School X' in this case is St Augustines. A school that has produced rugby teams of exceptional quality over the past 4 years or so.


The ISA teams have only 2 opportunities to impress NSW selectors. They don't play 4 games like CHS or 3 games like CAS - they play 2 matches and neither of these games is against GPS. Indeed, the 2nds play CCC in their first match. Last weekend, CCC were well beaten by CHS, who in turn were well beaten by CAS through the week. So, in reality, an ISA 2nds player has 1 game against CAS 2nds to press his claim for higher rep honours - can't see it happening for any of the kids in the ISA IIs Lee.

Your assertion above, as it relates to the situation within ISA this year, is flawed. 13 players in the premier association team from the one school is not fair representation of the talent that exists across the 16 schools who make up the ISA.

Do you really believe that the NSW selectors are only looking at the potential young players in 2 games? By this stage, players have been on the horizon and radar with selectors, and usually for a good reason.

 

[Newbie]

Do you really believe that the NSW selectors are only looking at the potential young players in 2 games? By this stage, players have been on the horizon and radar with selectors, and usually for a good reason.

Not a truer word spoken! Very correct!

 

[I like to watch]

Do you really believe that the NSW selectors are only looking at the potential young players in 2 games? By this stage, players have been on the horizon and radar with selectors, and usually for a good reason.

If you are from an ISA School yes!
A selector may come across you by happenstance if your School happens to play an early season trial against a GPS or maybe a CAS School.
A good acid test will be how many Scots backs are selected and how many from Augs. Not many Scots boys left with their reputations intact after their game. But yet I am willing to wager Scots will have significantly more backs selected than the boys that dominated them.

 

[rugbug]

Lets hope the rain holds off for a few days so the grounds can dry out . Pats looking forward to hosting Stannies on the weekend should be a good game. I believe Pats have a few new faces in their 1sts this week. Team now largely Yr 11 boys.

 

[Pedro]

Hey rugbug Stannies are looking forward to the Pats games, I think all the grades will be a good competition, as far as I currently know stannies 1s are at full strength lots of year 12s, their centre is back and Stannies able to attack from front row through to both wingers and fullback. I and two mates will be there, this 1s game is attracting people from central west to North shore and south coast.

 

[Pedro]

What time do the ISA 1s and seconds play at rat park on Sunday please ?
Is it going to rain Saturday or Sunday ? or both what condition are St Pats ovals in and how is rat park soft or hard ?

 

[rugbug]

Hey rugbug Stannies are looking forward to the Pats games, I think all the grades will be a good competition, as far as I currently know stannies 1s are at full strength lots of year 12s, their centre is back and Stannies able to attack from front row through to both wingers and fullback. I and two mates will be there, this 1s game is attracting people from central west to North shore and south coast.

 

[rugbug]

The weather is good at the moment sunny and about 20 deg and same fri so grounds should dry out. A lot of the council grounds are currenlty closed but imagine they will open again tommorrow. Agree it will be a good contest in all age goups and grades.

 

[Winner]

What time do the ISA 1s and seconds play at rat park on Sunday please ?
Is it going to rain Saturday or Sunday ? or both what condition are St Pats ovals in and how is rat park soft or hard ?

ISA 2nds play at 1.30 vs CHS
ISA 1sts play at 2.45 vs CHS
The ground there drains well.

 

[crofty]

Do you really believe that the NSW selectors are only looking at the potential young players in 2 games? By this stage, players have been on the horizon and radar with selectors, and usually for a good reason.

In response to feedback from ILTW and Observer to my post of last Saturday.......

First, my issue is with the ISA selection process & not the individual players from Augustines. I don't have the knowledge required to determine who are the best 15 players from the 240 who play ISA 1st XV rugby but I do find it incredulous that 13 of them attend the same school.

Second, I am not so naive as to think state selections are determined solely on performances across the inter-association games. I do, however, think that irrespective of the credentials a player brings into these matches it will be virtually impossible to stake a claim running around in the ISA II v CCC or CAS II matches. To illustrate my point (whilst not wanting to appear as having sour grapes) a classic ISA example is the Oakhill lock Gareth Linaker. This lad is in his 3rd full season of 1st XV rugby (not that common for a tight five position holder). He played in the ISA 1s last year, has been a member of the Gold squads and last year was one of the run on second rowers in the NSW U17s side that was victorious over Qld. His form this year has been very strong and from all reports he played well at the ISA selection day. Gareth would appear to possess just the kind of pedigree that should be on state schools selector's 'horizon'. But, this Sunday he will be running around in the ISA 11s. In my view, unless he can repeat his heroics of last year and force his way into the top team for the 2nd game against CAS he will be denied a decent opportunity to compete for a NSW schools spot.

 

[no9]

Always wondered why ISA liked to give CHS a headstart by playing a competition round the day before the NSW trials when the game could have been played on Wednesday of last week without too many problems, but it seems one school has woken up, as it was whispered to me that the ISA I's team will be as fresh as daisies on sunday due to the unavailability of the ground which will miraculously host the trials the next day. I guess some of the Orange boys can have a sleep in now, you'd hope those who booked overnight accomodation can arrange a refund, just can't get a break some days.

 

[I like to watch]

Not quite, tomorrow the School and the Rats share the ovals(4 of them). The outer fields are dodgy but I am confident the main will be ok tomorrow.
Are you suggesting they should have cancelled the games on the outer ovals but played the game/s scheduled on the main oval?
Bear in mind the travelling coach also has a vested interest in the proceedings on Sunday.
Not everything is sinister bug guy!