AIC Rugby 2017

[Garry Owens]

Terrace a bit hard done by perhaps - def a couple of boys that on pure talent probs should have been there .

 

[Tall Paul]

My understanding is that Ashgrove have several forwards out injured in the 9A's, on top of losing two other forwards to BGS since last year.

As a result the Ash 9A's pack is under-strength but the backs look pretty good. Still, Villa should start favorites v Ash at home in the last round.

Re the SPC 9A's game...

Given their usual standard, it makes sense that several of the Marist forwards were out injured for the game.

My 2 cents worth is that the MCA's 9A's forwards were appalling (with only one stand out (one of the locks I think) for most of the game. So many pointless pick and go's that went nowhere and resulted in turnover to SPC.

The MCA back line was very good. The outside backs and fullback were especially so and seemed unstoppable, but only on the few times when they received the ball which, the no. 9 & the forwards seemed intent on preventing for most of the game. Given the class outside, I don't know why they didn't send it wide every time.

SPC were a mess in the forwards and only started to fire in the second half when the MCA pack fell asleep.

Not sure why MCA are considered to be in the same class as the Villa 9A's. Villa have allowed only 2 trys in so far this season, and have handed most teams (including SPC back in round 1) a pretty comprehensive shellacking.

Looking at the leader board, MCA seemed to be just scraping by.

Either way it looks like round 7 will be the decider with Villa at a clear advantage.

 

[Confucius Say]

Terrace a bit hard done by perhaps - def a couple of boys that on pure talent probs should have been there .

Many many disappointed. Should not be! The quality very high and the sportsmanship also incredible.

I only see the last 2 game after international work trip but the coaches did the professional communication to guillotine from 80 triallists to 40 to 22. Could have been four 8s and four 10s of the Met quality on the day.

Strong talent would see all who missed selection hold the head high. Put on excellent technique with no serious injuries across 7 games of short but physical rugby.

The north side school power houses on show. Fantastique!!!

 

[Hands like feet]

Re AIC team stabs, to quote the great frank the tank in old school 'everybody's doing it!' So here goes my crack at it. I haven't seen Padua or Iona this year. Id have had the Padua 13 if he wasn't injured based on what I saw last year. This team is about picking blokes who are a realistic chance at playing in a QLD team, I feel the 1,2,7,8,9,12 & 15 in this group are genuine chances to make a QLD team.

1 tuquri ash
2 smith pats
3 ash/pats
4 dean slc
5 pats
6 ash/villa 8
7 ash
8 Connors pats
9 Rutherford slc
10 ash
11 ash
12 Knopp pats
13 villa/splc
14 pats
15 bucknell ash

I'm sure many will disagree here but I can only go off what I've seen so far..

 

[Mount Franklin]

AIC prediction
1. Ash (Captain)
2. St pats
3. Pad
4. Ash
5. Ash
6. Villa
7. Ash
8. Pats
9. Pats
10. Pad
11. Lauries
12. Ash
13. Pats
14. Ash
15. Pad

Seen most of the games this season and i am certain this will be the squad

 

[Happyman]

Can anyone advise what is the make up of the rep teams this year.

I think last year it was
AIC 1
AIC 2
and Chairmans or has that changed.

 

[Lolinski]

After watching St Pats v MCA last weekend, it's hard to pick many St Pats boys for AIC1 other than No.8 who was exceptional and ..maybe the big prop No.3? If MCA is the toughtest team St Pats play against, if those boys can't perform against MCA, i dont think get easier playing against GPS. In saying that, MCA should dominant AIC1.

Looking at the above AIC predictions, i.e St Pats No13? The MCA centre ran through his opposite all day scoring 2 tries ?? I'm hearing Villa centres / Padua centres are the pick. With still a number of rounds to go, I think we'll get a clearer picture.

 

[JR2]

Tips for round 5
Villa vs Iona. Villa
Pad vs Splc. Pad
Sec vs Spc. Spc
SLC vs Ash. Ash This is the game of the round,if Ashgrove are anywhere near their best they should win but Laurie's will be fired up,especially being Old Boys day.Should be an entertaining game.

 

[Echidna]

In the trial MCA played poor and still blew SLC away.
MCA have had 4 or so injuries to key players since then but have awsome depth.
If MCA play poor, like they did against Padua they should win by 20+.
If MCA play like they did against St Pats they will put 50+ on the board just like the 3 weeks prior.
This MCA team is so talented in key positions and play like a unit. It will be a hard day for SLC notwithstanding the talent of SLCs 9 and 15.

 

[don't_go_latho]

There is pressure on Ashgrove though, who have been the biggest chokers in the AIC at First XV level for a number of years. Sheehan is a big addition to this Lauries team who didn't play in the trial at flanker. Has the ability to keep the 7 from Ashgrove quiet.

 

[Echidna]

2017 for and against after 4 rounds.

MCA 194 - 55 (+139) including victories over Padua and St Pats.

SLC 86 - 63 (+23) Loss to St Pats, yet to play Padua.

I wouldnt be too concerned with the Ash boys choking.

Pressure is all on the SLC boys, being the start of a new era?? and being old boys day and all.

 

[Hands like feet]

194 points scored in attack to 86 in attack - two and a half times more points what a telling statistic...I guess that is the difference between a well coached attack and a coach saying the old cop out cliche 'play what's in front of you'.

I'm not sure about 'a new era' is - seems to be the same as the last 4 years - poor selections, no accountability, low intensity with training and no effort to increase in rugby knowledge. Sounds more like business as usual. Expect the old boys to be extremely vocal tomorrow if there's a score blow out.

 

[Galloper]

There is pressure on Ashgrove though, who have been the biggest chokers in the AIC at First XV level for a number of years. Sheehan is a big addition to this Lauries team who didn't play in the trial at flanker. Has the ability to keep the 7 from Ashgrove quiet.

So Ash is the team really under pressure tomorrow, not SLC?

Well, here are the reasons why I'm inclined to disagree:

- SLC have no shot at a premiership unless they win, whereas Ash can afford to drop a game;
- Ash have very strong First XV's coming through over the next couple of years, but if SLC don't grab a share of the title this year god knows when they'll next be in contention;
-Ash have well and truly outperformed SLC so far this year, and look the better team on both form and paper;
- home crowd/Old Boy's day just adds to the pressure on SLC to perform, in the back of their minds will be the possibility of performing poorly on the big stage.

I still think SLC can win, but realistically Ash will probably have to have an ordinary day for that to happen. That's a possibility, but I know that the Ash coaching staff have been building/preparing for this particular game for the last 10 months with the pre-season trial used as a training run only, so the boys will almost certainly come out ready to go.

Emosi's likely return tomorrow will help Ash as well, even if he only plays a half.

It will be an interesting game, if SLC get up they will deserve all of the plaudits.

 

[Vik]

So Ash is the team really under pressure tomorrow, not SLC?

Well, here are the reasons why I'm inclined to disagree:

- SLC have no shot at a premiership unless they win, whereas Ash can afford to drop a game;
- Ash have very strong First XV's coming through over the next couple of years, but if SLC don't grab a share of the title this year god knows when they'll next be in contention;
-Ash have well and truly outperformed SLC so far this year, and look the better team on both form and paper;
- home crowd/Old Boy's day just adds to the pressure on SLC to perform, in the back of their minds will be the possibility of performing poorly on the big stage.

I still think SLC can win, but realistically Ash will probably have to have an ordinary day for that to happen. That's a possibility, but I know that the Ash coaching staff have been building/preparing for this particular game for the last 10 months with the pre-season trial used as a training run only, so the boys will almost certainly come out ready to go.

Emosi's likely return tomorrow will help Ash as well, even if he only plays a half.

It will be an interesting game, if SLC get up they will deserve all of the plaudits.

Just can't see SLC getting up, I wish them well - but I think MCA will have the goods - no choking from this team - but should be closer than some pundits suggest. Ash are the deal this year - no doubt - they will go through undefeated.

 

[don't_go_latho]

So Ash is the team really under pressure tomorrow, not SLC?

Well, here are the reasons why I'm inclined to disagree:

- SLC have no shot at a premiership unless they win, whereas Ash can afford to drop a game;
- Ash have very strong First XV's coming through over the next couple of years, but if SLC don't grab a share of the title this year god knows when they'll next be in contention;
-Ash have well and truly outperformed SLC so far this year, and look the better team on both form and paper;
- home crowd/Old Boy's day just adds to the pressure on SLC to perform, in the back of their minds will be the possibility of performing poorly on the big stage.

I still think SLC can win, but realistically Ash will probably have to have an ordinary day for that to happen. That's a possibility, but I know that the Ash coaching staff have been building/preparing for this particular game for the last 10 months with the pre-season trial used as a training run only, so the boys will almost certainly come out ready to go.

Emosi's likely return tomorrow will help Ash as well, even if he only plays a half.

It will be an interesting game, if SLC get up they will deserve all of the plaudits.

I agree Galloper, I'm sure those out Ashgrove way haven't forgotten that Lauries, Villa, Peters, Iona, Eddies and Padua have all won an outright premiership since Ashgrove last did so though? And anything less than an undefeated premiership this year would be considered a failure? Those who have been following Lauries this year are used to watching error ridden, I'll disciplined performances so anything above that will be considered a bonus.

 

[Happyman]

So Ash is the team really under pressure tomorrow, not SLC?

Well, here are the reasons why I'm inclined to disagree:

- SLC have no shot at a premiership unless they win, whereas Ash can afford to drop a game;
- Ash have very strong First XV's coming through over the next couple of years, but if SLC don't grab a share of the title this year god knows when they'll next be in contention;
-Ash have well and truly outperformed SLC so far this year, and look the better team on both form and paper;
- home crowd/Old Boy's day just adds to the pressure on SLC to perform, in the back of their minds will be the possibility of performing poorly on the big stage.

I still think SLC can win, but realistically Ash will probably have to have an ordinary day for that to happen. That's a possibility, but I know that the Ash coaching staff have been building/preparing for this particular game for the last 10 months with the pre-season trial used as a training run only, so the boys will almost certainly come out ready to go.

Emosi's likely return tomorrow will help Ash as well, even if he only plays a half.

It will be an interesting game, if SLC get up they will deserve all of the plaudits.

It will be in an interesting game both teams are equally athletically gifted with MCA holding an advantage of better coaching and the capacity to train on a more regular basis with fields on site.

I am tipping a close and very passionate affair that will be well worth attending.

Good luck to both teams.

 

[Galloper]

I agree Galloper, I'm sure those out Ashgrove way haven't forgotten that Lauries, Villa, Peters, Iona, Eddies and Padua have all won an outright premiership since Ashgrove last did so though? And anything less than an undefeated premiership this year would be considered a failure? Those who have been following Lauries this year are used to watching error ridden, I'll disciplined performances so anything above that will be considered a bonus.

To answer your question Latho, are the start of the sesaon MCA would have happily taken a joint premiership to start righting the ship, but expectations have changed such that anything less than an outright premiership will be a disappointment given the quality of the opposition.

But make no mistake, I know first hand that there is a Miles-led determination to return MCA to a position where they win First XV titles far more often than they lose them, starting this year, so if SLC want to get in the way tomorrow they won't want to rely on the opposition rolling over for them.

 

[Echidna]

Plse send through progress scores and analysis when available.
Big weekend for all teams but which will determine for some the end of year position.

 

[flemingtj]

10As. SLC 7 MCA 7


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[Bledisloe]

HT at banyo padua 36 st peters 0.....one padua player red carded....very entertaining game so far for PC