Australian Schoolboys & National Championships 2013

[Lee Grant]

Is this a prediction of the selected boys positions ?

Yes

 

[JstWaiting4amate]

Cheers Lee

 

[Newbie]

Presumptive is one of those beautiful legal axioms - amazingly it has great application in the area of selections as in presumptively entitled.

If I didn't know you any better CTPE I would suggest that you're being overly presumptuous!

I leave it at that before I'm 'Red Carded'

 

[en_force_er]

Good to see Fereti Saaga make the Schools team as a prop.

Only a couple of years ago he got sat down by Vic Rugby development staff and was told if he wanted to make it big he had to switch from 8 to prop.

Obviously it was a good choice.

 

[Lee Grant]

Thanks for that tid-bit. There is certainly something of a backrower in his play, but the Vic scrums seemed to go OK; so he must be going well in that department.

He had a good week and RJ Sa'aga got called into the Vic side and did well at THP when he got on.

I'm assuming that they are related. RJ (or Arjay) was a crowd favourite. There's a photo of him in the blog on one of his many runs.
.

 

[Lee Grant]

I guess his style of play just isn't what the selectors are looking for. Good luck to him.

That could be right though one doesn't know.

As George Smith has mentioned: the selectors have a checklist of things they watch for in each unit of the team, including the backrow unit.

BPA was a tight no.7 of the Phil Waugh type: he didn't show a lot of linking ability compared to Wilkin, McCalman and MacMillan.

On the other hand he was an important part of the NSW II pack which I thought was as good as the NSW I pack was in tight work.
.

 

[I like to watch]

I hope he wasn't marked down for not linking.
It looked to me that the coach wanted them to pick and go all day.

 

[en_force_er]

Thanks for that tid-bit. There is certainly something of a backrower in his play, but the Vic scrums seemed to go OK; so he must be going well in that department.

He had a good week and RJ Sa'aga got called into the Vic side and did well at THP when he got on.

I'm assuming that they are related. RJ (or Arjay) was a crowd favourite. There's a photo of him in the blog on one of his many runs.
.

Yeah, both brothers and both converted back rowers.

It seems to be a trend in Vic that you take a kid who MIGHT have a chance of making it as a back rower and teach him to play front row. There was one who had a late call-up into Aus schools last year (though admittedly he had more front row-esc skinfolds).

It's not the worst trend with the way professional rugby is moving but it would be nice to see them slim down a fatty rather than fatten up a loosey.

That's modern rugby I guess.

 

[Lee Grant]

Arjay could lose a few kilos, even as a prop.

On Fereti S - I thought he was Victoria's best player during the week.

 

[strokeside]

I hope he wasn't marked down for not linking.
It looked to me that the coach wanted them to pick and go all day.

Checking 2012 programme, BPA was in the NSWI's, so it looked like he was already down the pecking order, you gotta feel for him, he's taken a couple of knocks.

 

[I like to watch]

I think he was on the bench in the 1's last year.
The 2's bench ranks above the 1's bench.
So he has moved up the pecking order quite a bit.
If that was any consolation to him.

 

[Done that]

Yeah, both brothers and both converted back rowers.

It seems to be a trend in Vic that you take a kid who MIGHT have a chance of making it as a back rower and teach him to play front row. There was one who had a late call-up into Aus schools last year (though admittedly he had more front row-esc skinfolds).

It's not the worst trend with the way professional rugby is moving but it would be nice to see them slim down a fatty rather than fatten up a loosey.

That's modern rugby I guess.

There's been a number of backrowers converted to props over the years , eg. Laurie Weeks at Joeys comes to mind

 

[Spieber]

There's been a number of backrowers converted to props over the years , eg. Laurie Weeks at Joeys comes to mind

Tony Daly, Phil Harry

 

[Rugby Winner]

I think he was on the bench in the 1's last year.
The 2's bench ranks above the 1's bench.
So he has moved up the pecking order quite a bit.
If that was any consolation to him.

Interesting that two OSFs and one BSF were selected for the Australian side and one OSF and two BSFs selected in the A's. Wonder how far down the pecking order he was?

 

[strokeside]

Can someone with better analysis skills than me please advise: The Aust side appears to be light-on for replacements in the backs?

 

[I like to watch]

The bench is a 5/3 split.
Not sure what you are saying?

 

[Rugby Winner]

Assuming then in the forward pack replacements:
2x FR
1x 2nd Row
2 x Back Row?

 

[I like to watch]

2 props
1 hooker,lock,back rower

 

[strokeside]

looks like the young fella , Hutchison, is the only replacement for centers, wing & full back, unless the 9 & 10 replacemnt have special talents?

 

[I like to watch]

The backup 10 could definitely play 15,and probably wing.