All Star Australian Schoolboys team: 2000-2010

[rugbywhisperer]

I'm not arguing here bit I have attended every GPS T&F met for 8 years now and the lead up meets are rarely if ever electronic.
I can't say they weren't but I am not aware of any.
Brett was a damned quick runner, bit I still doubt the 10.2 was electronic - that is Olympic qual times and heas never been in that room.
Anyway, there's no point here as he ain't in any way a half decent rugby player. He was actually scary at times but as I said, a very quick puppy indeed.

 

[spectator]

The name of the person who holds the records the he couldn't break was a man by the name of Lynton Johnson who is legendary in Australian athletics. He was an aboriginal man from Ipswich Grammar in the mid to late 80s who ran times that had the entire Athletics body in this country at his feet and he was destined for stardom. However, one night on the drink he put his arm though a glass window and severed many of the nerves in his arm. He went back to running after the injury but he could never reach the same dizzying heights again.

If anyone is interested Lynton ran this time as a 16 year old; 10.59s 1986 L. Johnson - IGS - IGS

For those interested the entire set of records can be found at this page.

http://www.gpsqld.org.au/

Bit of a digression here but I remember as a Uni student in the early 80's hearing about this lightning quick aboriginal kid at IGS. A few mates and I decided to go out to QEII to watch him at GPS. At the time he was running in the Under 13's, and if memory serves me correctly he did the 100m in a smidgen over 11.00, which was the fastest of the day.

He then anchored his relay team and hauled in the runner from BGS just before the line after giving him 20-30m start. Super quick!! Could also long jump well over 7m. We were convinced he would go on to be Australia's fastest ever, but that glass incident cruelled all that.

The only other Qld schoolboy I have ever heard of coming close to that ability was Stapleton. I understand it was also raining on the day he pulled his hammy just before the finish line.

 

[Tinman11]

That run

Are you speaking of Lynten Johnson of IGS that ran 10.59 as a 16 yr old. That was a good run and he actully went on to represent Australia at the world juniors in canada 1988 after he injured his arm in the IGS school boarding house. He was not on the drink and would have been expelled if he was. Brilliant guy and athlete that lost faith in a sport tainted with drugs.

Thats not true at all.

I have competed against Brett many times in athletics and he has run some incredible times. He has also run them at the GPS championships where it is electric timing, I won't quote a time until I can dig one up but he has run on record a lot quicker than 10.8 electric.

On inspection the only GPS record he holds is the U16 200m which he ran in - 21.85s 2003 B.T. Stapleton - TGS - TGS.

However the only reason that is the case is because he ran in the open division from the time he was 15. He won the open 100m three years in a row - however it meant that he didn't get the 15 and 16 year old records because he was competing in the opens. Using his wikipedia as a reference in his senior year he pulled his hamstring 5 metres from the line, however he still won the race but the injury cost him the record. He still ran 10.69 electric with the injury. If he has run in his own age group and with better luck it is realistic that he could have owned both the U15 and open GPS 100m records, but alas he owns none. It is debatable if he would have broken the U16 record because it was a legendary run that has not been broken for 25 years.

The name of the person who holds the records the he couldn't break was a man by the name of Lynton Johnson who is legendary in Australian athletics. He was an aboriginal man from Ipswich Grammar in the mid to late 80s who ran times that had the entire Athletics body in this country at his feet and he was destined for stardom. However, one night on the drink he put his arm though a glass window and severed many of the nerves in his arm. He went back to running after the injury but he could never reach the same dizzying heights again.

If anyone is interested Lynton ran this time as a 16 year old; 10.59s 1986 L. Johnson - IGS - IGS

For those interested the entire set of records can be found at this page.

http://www.gpsqld.org.au/

The times of 10.2 that have been reported are times that he has run at other competitions and were probably hand timed, however I have seen him win races after giving the competition a 10 meter start and would not doubt any time that has been quoted.

 

[waves]

My 1st XV

15. Mark Gerrard ('00) - NSW Narrabeen Sports High School
14. Drew Mitchell ('01) - QLD St Patricks College
13. Rob Horne ('06 & '07) - NSW Oatley Senior Campus
12. James O'Connor ('07) - QLD Nudgee College
11. Digby Ioane ('02-'03) - QLD Gregory Terrace
10. Quade Cooper ('05 & '06) - QLD Churchie
9. Will Genia ('05) - QLD Brisbane Boys College (c)

8. Ben McCalman ('06) - NSW Kinross Wolaroi College
7. Beau Robinson ('04) - NSW St Stanislaus
6. Rocky Elsom ('00) - QLD Nudgee College
5. Sam Wykes ('05) - NSW Patrician Brothers Blacktown
4. Dean Mumm ('02) - NSW The Kings School
3. James Slipper ('07) - QLD The Southport School
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau ('02 & '03) - NSW Granville Boys High School
1. Benn Robinson ('02) - NSW The Kings School

16. Pek Cowan ('03 & '04) - NSW Narrabeen Sports High School
17. Nathan Charles ('06) - NSW Knox Grammar
18. Dan Palmer ('05 & '06) - NSW Warilla High School
19. Richard Brown ('01) - QLD Nudgee College
20. Colby Fainga'a ('08) - ACT St Edmunds College
21. Kurtley Beale ('05 & '06) - NSW St Josephs College
22. David Pocock ('05) - QLD Churchie
23. Luke Morahan ('06 & '07) - QLD The Southport School

11 - NSW
10 - QLD
1 - ACT

http://austschools.rugbynet.com.au/verve/_resources/AUSTALIAN_SCHOOL_PLAYERS_SORTED_BY_SCHOOLS.pdf

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Waves, no room for Pocock or Beale in the starting line up?

 

[waves]

Waves, no room for Pocock or Beale in the starting line up?

I picked them on the bench because Beale played at 10 during high school and also Pocock at 12 so preety tough decisions but the people in their positions are quality players aswell.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I remember a post from Lee where he was recalling KB (Kurtley Beale) and QC (Quade Cooper) playing 10 and 12 and just lighting the joint up, so that would be my natural inclination. Was Beau really a better schoolboys openside than Pocock? I know Pocock played quite a bit of 12, but he did also play 7 right? He is the best young forward I've seen come out of the Schoolboys system in many a long day.

 

[waves]

I remember a post from Lee where he was recalling KB (Kurtley Beale) and QC (Quade Cooper) playing 10 and 12 and just lighting the joint up, so that would be my natural inclination. Was Beau really a better schoolboys openside than Pocock? I know Pocock played quite a bit of 12, but he did also play 7 right? He is the best young forward I've seen come out of the Schoolboys system in many a long day.

Couldnt tell you to be honest among the 7's I managed to find McCutcheon, Robinson, Salvi, Tomiki and Fainga'a were the big names there. Lets not get this wrong Pocock would be my starting 7 although I just thought he played majority of his schoolboy career at 12.

As for Quade and Beale probably a good attacking show not too sure about defence though O'Connor just sets a good balace for the front line in my opinion.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Yeah fair enough.

 

[International Badboy]

No offence but in terms of school boys and how they played at school Kurtley is definately the starting 10

 

[Lee Grant]

waves

Anybody who saw the Australian Schoolboy Championships with Beale and Cooper in them would never pick Cooper above Beale. Cooper was in the Qld reserves one year, behind Lucas, and played poorly in the tournament the following year. Believe if or not: the best feature of his play in that 2nd year was his defence; don't laugh, it was.


That first year he got in Oz Ones reserves behind starter Beale based on his brilliance for Churchie not on form for Qld, but the second year he made the starting team at 12 with Beale preferred at 10. Had Beale not been injured as a 15 y.o. before the GPS trials he would have been 3 years as the Oz Schools flyhalf as he was better than Lucas and Leali'ifano that year on their best day - based on the performances of those two in the 2004 tournament.


By all means pick Cooper as a better flyhalf now ; but you may have worked back and figured out that he must have been a better Schools flyhalf also, but he wasn't; plain wasn't; not for his state or his country.


You couldn't have argued either that Beale was inferior playing for Joeys compared to Cooper for Churchie, not that I ever saw Cooper play for his school. For 3 years Beale was a marvel and I saw just about every game he played for the Joeys 1st XV including trials. Besides our geography would no doubt preclude your watching both boys play each weekend.


Pocock is the best Australian Schools 7 I have even seen. He may have played 12 for Churchie but you have to give weight to how he played for his state and country. Like TPN as a schoolboy opponents were actually scared of him, or seemed to be. waves did you see Poey play for Qld or Oz Schools?


Besides, with that logic you would never have nominated TPN at 2 because he didn't play there until he went to the Brumbies. He played in the backrow.


And Robinson as a schoolboy in front of him? I thought Jono Jenkins was better in 2004 than he was and Beau was no. 2 behind him for NSW, but maybe the selectors were impressed by how he played off the bench for NSW v. Ireland at Cranbrook when he was borderline dirty and he got in the Oz team.


He was a decent schools player but he was a couple of levels below Pocock as a schools 7 and you couldn't compare him to Gill either.


Then there's Genia ahead of Turner who was picked for Oz Schools but didn't play because he decided to quit school and go on tour with the Force. I think you way have worked your way back on Genia too waves.


Genia was unremarkable in the 2005 Oz Schools tournament and the only thing I can remember about him was his Afro hairdo. He ended up as reserve for Oz A Schools; so was 4th ranked in his year.


When I have given this opinion earlier a few Queenslanders squealed because he was a star for BBC. I am quite sure that he was, but, as I wouldn't judge a club player for a Wallaby spot, especially if he didn't shine in Super Rugby, nor would I choose a lad for a 10 year Oz Schools XV based on his form for his school alone.


There are other flaws in the team based on the the Oz Schools tournaments and performances for Oz Schools. I doubt if anybody was better as a schools player in the decade than 3. PAE, or 4. Peterson in their positions. JOC (James O'Connor) was in the reserves in his year for Oz Schools and deservedly so ... yarda, yarda.

At 15. Toua and Gerrard would be close though I remember Gerrard as a centre, though the memory fades.

I might pick a team myself one day but probably not. I enjoy the subject so much I would waste too much time on it.

 

[International Badboy]

seriously how do you know all this shit?

 

[dobduff11]

Because Lee is a schoolboy rugby knowledge god

Also Quade shouldn't be considered for 10 because of his silly hair when he was at Churchie.

Was Digby worthy of an all-star spot on the wing?

 

[International Badboy]

oh and Special K needs a centre spot

 

[BrumbiesPolynesian]

Lee

How about Jack Lam?

 

[dermo]

Luke Jones is probably one of the biggest schoolboy players ive ever seen, would he be a contender?

 

[Lee Grant]

Smaller than Peterson but size would not be the primary determinant in selecting the team. Jones was like a schoolboy 3M, who would also be a candidate though I can't remember him as a schoolboy player to be honest. I would nominate him just above Wykes but not above Mumm though the memory blurs a bit.

The 2009 team was not the best Oz schools team of the decade but it had more players who had promise of Super rugby potential than other Oz Schools teams I can remember. Maybe some folks might go back through all the teams of the decade and count the number of future Super players in each year and point out that my opinion must be bunk, but they would miss the point that it's the opinion of players, made at the time they were at school, that is the relevant point.

Working back from the future is not to the point.

 

[Lee Grant]

Lee

How about Jack Lam?

He would be right up there but he was never going to be picked ahead of Pocock in his year and he played 6. and 8. anyway (and 12 the year before) - but he didn't make either Oz Schools team during the domestic season though he went on tour. Maybe he was hurt earlier in the year.

I think he was an under rated player at school, and has been since: one of those hard head meat and potatoes players that Oz rugby is so short of.