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Australian Schoolboys & National Championships 2015

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Brainstrust

Watty Friend (18)
The game plan seemed to be play it tight, which was totally into the kiwis strength. They killed us at the break down and we kept trying to play that game. The coaches have to take responsibility for much of what didn't happen. I don't know what the % was but felt like NZ had 75/80% of the ball? Aus spent the first 20 minutes tackling. I thought 9's delivery was slow, 13 had a shocker running away from support and spilling everything that came his way, and all the hype around the WA 11 is totally unjustified as he looked out of his depth at 11 or 10. When we didn't drop the ball or got turned over, the 9 box kicked it away. When we should have held ball in hand. The turning point came just before half time when the aust 10 took a great high ball only for Aust pack to stand there and watch the kiwis turn it over and score just on half time. Fair to say Aust got schooled in most parts of the game tonight.


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The Guru

Fred Wood (13)
My word i was so impressed with NZ 10 . What a masterclass - like all good players -he had so much time .
The Aussie boys were so rushed.
Unfortunately that is the biggest loss in over a decade .
 

The Guru

Fred Wood (13)
What the match proved to me was the chasm that exists between NZ rugby and Aust rugby. This match was like watching re-runs from Eden Park. The Aust team was second best at everything and shown up physically and skill wise.
What is going on with our youth development?
If that's the best of our next generation we're in bigger trouble than I'd imagined. For posters to be trying to excuse or diminish the extent of the defeat only serves to perpetuate the sub-standard nature of our rugby system.
Without doubt the boys tried, without doubt they'd be disappointed, but without doub they were never in the hunt.

1) this is the biggest loss for either country in over a decade;
2) vast majority of losses in last ten years is 5 points or less ;
3)NZ changed its selection policy 2 years ago after Aussie had won 4 out of last 6 years.( and won in Nz in 2013).NZ now pick best players not just boys in grade 12 and NZ have not lost since.

3) the real chasm ( think grand canyon) is in under 20 s;
4) the ARU must address the number of schoolboys playing rugby at school and then being offered a NRL contract at 16 years old. Tape Morea was the biggest loss.The 2 best players in the Qld comp this year did not try out for selection after signing for the Broncos. Last year the best player signed with Cowboys. This year if I read the posts correctly you had 2 boys in NSW who were selected but switched to NRL. The list goes on.

And Mr Pulver says " the NRC will fix this " Go figure ?
 

Gungenia

Billy Sheehan (19)
1) this is the biggest loss for either country in over a decade;
2) vast majority of losses in last ten years is 5 points or less ;
3)NZ changed its selection policy 2 years ago after Aussie had won 4 out of last 6 years.( and won in Nz in 2013).NZ now pick best players not just boys in grade 12 and NZ have not lost since.

3) the real chasm ( think grand canyon) is in under 20 s;
4) the ARU must address the number of schoolboys playing rugby at school and then being offered a NRL contract at 16 years old. Tape Morea was the biggest loss.The 2 best players in the Qld comp this year did not try out for selection after signing for the Broncos. Last year the best player signed with Cowboys. This year if I read the posts correctly you had 2 boys in NSW who were selected but switched to NRL. The list goes on.

And Mr Pulver says " the NRC will fix this " Go figure ?


right you are ; AND
Gulp !! The last 2 years both won by NZ have been the biggest losses in over 10 years.
 

Gungenia

Billy Sheehan (19)
The game plan seemed to be play it tight, which was totally into the kiwis strength. They killed us at the break down and we kept trying to play that game. The coaches have to take responsibility for much of what didn't happen. I don't know what the % was but felt like NZ had 75/80% of the ball? Aus spent the first 20 minutes tackling. I thought 9's delivery was slow, 13 had a shocker running away from support and spilling everything that came his way, and all the hype around the WA 11 is totally unjustified as he looked out of his depth at 11 or 10. When we didn't drop the ball or got turned over, the 9 box kicked it away. When we should have held ball in hand. The turning point came just before half time when the aust 10 took a great high ball only for Aust pack to stand there and watch the kiwis turn it over and score just on half time. Fair to say Aust got schooled in most parts of the game tonight.


100 % agree Plus 10 overplayed his hand and 2 got hooked after missing another tackle.
But how good was Tony Hunt at 13 in Baa Baas

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Brainstrust

Watty Friend (18)
Im going to have a closer look at the game later on, by I don't recall the 10 overplaying his hand as I think he distributed everything to the designated runners. Only on a kick return he ran it? Might be wrong but didn't look like that. Re tackling it looked like a lot of our pack were just tackling too high on the big guys. It was interesting to see a NZ 10 basically kick every touch away. I guess if you know you'll get it back at the breakdown in 3 rucks you can afford to play field position. Aussies just couldn't afford to give them any more ball otherwise they would have had about 100% of it.


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Rugrat

Darby Loudon (17)
Disappointing result on the field. Congratulations to lads though in the honour of representing your country. Great crowd and support. Struggling to understand the coaches leaving certain players, particularly in the backline, on when they are having a shocker. Disappointed to see no adjustment to game plan or shape when we were getting belted. The forwards were dominated from the get go but they hung in as a pack and defended well and then they spread out and it was down hill from there. Felt our tight 5 were let down somewhat by looseys being away from the breakdown after the first 20 Clean out non existent. Have we in australian representative rugby decided that we must only ever commit minimum numbers to the breakdown and loose forwards are now backs in both attack and defence?
 

HJ Nelson

Trevor Allan (34)
Staff member
Some photos from the Barbarians game.
While not a close contest, (particularly with 3 yellow cards to the Samoans), at least there were some spectacular tries.

Among the best, Kris Veravis getting flipped as he dived for the line, and some back and forth passing from Angus Allen and Charlie Taylor down the left touchline, Tony Hunt and Tyler Campbell scored several good tries in the mid-field.
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Don't think the fullback (Coward) scored a try, but he was very good.

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More photos on Flickr here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/100900132@N02/albums/72157659375800181
 

I like to watch

David Codey (61)
And seriously what is wrong with the coaching staff not putting on fresh legs in 17,18 and 19? When a game is not close, this is poor management.
That is disgraceful,coach putting his ego ahead of everything else.
He picked the bench,he asked them to give up pkenty of their time,when time is precious for them.
He had an obligation to give them all game time,once it was clear the game was lost.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Just finished watching the game, and lifting of the "cone of silence" about what happened yesterday at Ballymore.

A huge vote of thanks is due for ARU QRU, ASRU and whomever else arranged the filming and streaming of the game. While we can't get the game broadcast live like they do in NZ, a live youTube stream is pretty good given the status of Rugby in Australia. Bravo.

The Game. Australia were outplayed, out-executed and out-coached by The Darkness, and full credit must be given to the mob from across the Tasman for doing that. Not for the first time have they used "warm up" games as trials to sort out their game plan, tactics, strategy and combinations for the final match against the Men in Gold. Meanwhile, we tend to rest on our laurels, and be overly optimistic in our assessment of our own abilities, and rely on X Factor inter-school competition scrapbook reputations to get us over the line.

In recognition of Forum Rules, and the fact that we are discussing a game played by school children, not seasoned full time professional athletes, I think many on here need to take a bit of a deep breath before typing, as will I.

The well thought out NZL game plan was executed to perfection. Our Piggies were beaten in nearly every facet of the game by the NZL players, particularly the loose forwards, and as we all know, the Hairdressers will always look bad if the Engine Room is unable to assert dominance over their opponents. To those harbouring an agenda on the basis that their favourite player missed out on a gig in the big show due to some perceived interstate bias or weird predetermined numbers ratio, I doubt that any of the Barbarians (or Shadow) players could have made a difference to the scoreline yesterday. Yes I acknowledge that in a "trial" match the Barbars nearly beat the Darkness, and that the Barbars thrashed Samoa by more than the Men in Gold did, but it isn't really comparing apples with apples is it? Different conditions, different motivations on different days against teams with different agendas and squads.

Congratulations to all the Australian Barbarians and Australian Schoolboys players. I'm pretty sure that none of them went out there yesterday with an intention of doing other than their utmost best. Well done to all of them. We couldn't ask more of them than to do that. If their best is not good enough, then it isn't good enough and nothing can change that.

If we are to go on a scapegoat hunt, then perhaps we should be looking beyond the playing group, and take a bit of a look into the Coaching, selection, preparation and administration side of things. On the back of a threepeat of losses to The Darkness, perhaps some questions should be asked in these areas. Before we do so, we need to remember that these folk are, by and large, unpaid volunteers doing it for the love of the game, and they are doing their absolute best to help our kids along the Pathway to Gold.

Also some posters need to understand that dominant players in local interschool competitions do not always carry that dominance to the next level. I reckon that there are a few too many people around that seem to believe the player hype on G&GR Schoolboy forum threads, youtube highlight reels, facebook, snapchat, and the gossip in the dunnies at School. Reality can be a bitch sometimes.

Howl for the head of the Coaches and Selectors as much as you want, but remember this is only a game that was played by Schoolchildren, and ... ... ... does it really matter? We have won the RWC twice, but yet we had a very poor record of beating NZL at schoolboy level in the 4-6 years prior to those RWC victories. Look at the statistics of how many ASRU representatives continue to dominate representative selection in Colts, U20's, Grade, Super Rugby and ultimately the Wallabies. Not many. It is Talent, Application and Attitude that will get you there, not just talent alone. A full Junior Rugby/School Rugby scrapbook is no guarantee of future success.

Being Positive:
1. Well done NZL. As usual, you saved your best till last, and it was an enjoyable tactical game of rugby to watch. Veteran Schoolboy Rugby observers would not be surprised with the result.
2. IMHO many will not be happy with how they played (or were allowed to play due to opposition pressure) but Harrison Goddard was my MOM for the Men in Gold, in a team that was well beaten.

See you all in Colts, Grade, NRC and Super Rugby in a few years. Stay fit and listen to your coaches.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
^^^^
Good post HJ.

Amongst other things you mentioned I also thought Goddard played well. It's hard to judge players at the schools level but it looks like Theo Strang and he will have a good shot at the U20s, if not next year, then the year after.

Its hard to judge the other backs given what was happening in front of them, but it looked like fullback Ngamanu has great attacking genes, which one suspected after the nationals. That is only one part of the 15s job and like Placid before him, he will have to learn his custodial duties to the same degree as his instinctive attack.

There's a few promising props around compared to a normal vintage and although it didn't look like there were yesterday, I think the best ones will blossom in Colts after a year or two.

Lock McCauley didn't get a lot of "wraps" but I still think he has the right raw material in him to go further.

Robert Leota is another I rated - I think he is a natural no. 8 that the Rebels should get into their stable.
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