Australian Schoolboys & National Championships 2016

[The Honey Badger]

Greetings all,

It is time we turned our attention to the next big thing in the School rugby calendar. The Australian Schools and Australian Schools Barbarians upcoming fixtures.


The Teams

Australian Schools

I have sorted the names based on their position played at Champs, I have added any information I could find on the school website and and any information I know of the players. I only know some of the NSW boys and seen them play. Others should be able to add to this if they wish.


Attempt to format, hopefully easier to read,

Does anyone know if any players represented Aust or Aust A last year?

There is no No 6, but 3 8's named. Anyone got a guess as to the first choice 8 and 6?


POSITION FIRST SURNAME SCHOOL TEAM
1 Lloyd Gorman Brisbane State High School QLD 1

2 Sean Farrell Brisbane Boys’ College QLD 1

2 Lachlan Lonergan Trinity Christian College ACT

3 Opeti Helu Newington College NSW 1
Converted back, very big very fast, does a mountain of work trucking the ball
3 Thomas Ross Darmalan College ACT

3 Laurence Tominiko Keebra Park State High QLD 1
http://www.keebraparkrugbyleague.co...o-selected-australian-schoolboys-rugby-union/
4 Matthew Wilshire Toowoomba Grammar School QLD 1

5 Esei Haangana St Paul’s Catholic College (NSW) CS

5 Rory Suttor The Shore School NSW 2
Sugarman Mclean award NSWII
5 Harry Wilson St Joseph’s College, Gregory QLD II
26th player named, Sugarman Mclean award QLD II
7 Luke Gersekowski St Edmund’s College ACT

7 Fraser McReight Brisbane Grammar School QLD 1

8 Sunia Finefeuiaki Marcellin College VIC

8 Justin Sikimeti St Patrick’s College QLD 1

8 Francis Soakai-Tai Erindale College ACT

9 Ryan Lonergan Trinity Christian College ACT
Played Australia A Last year
9 Joshua Vuta Somerset College QLD 2

10 Adam Doueihi St Patrick’s College NSW 1

10 Isaac Lucas St Joseph’s, Gregory QLD 1

11 William Eadie St Joseph’s, Gregory QLD 1

12 Nick Wilkinson St Joseph’s College NSW 1
Played 10 for school
13 Hunter Paisami Pakenham Secondary College VIC

13 James Armstrong Knox Grammar School NSW 2
G&G CAS Player of the Year
14 Yirribi Jaffer-Williams St Joesph’s College NSW 1
Played 13 for School, most elusive and hard to tackle, fast, great step
15 Matthew McTaggart St Joseph’s College NSW 2
G&G AAGPS Player of the year, converted to 15 from 10 this year, great counter attacker
23/15 Luke Osborne The King’s School NSW 1
Sugarman-Mclean award NSW 1 – Tall fast running FB

 

[The Honey Badger]

Australian Schools Barbarians


Position, FIRST, SURNAME, SCHOOL, TEAM
1 Dylan Valeni Westfields Sports HS (NSW) CS
Sugarman McLean award for Combined States
17/1 Tom Osborne St Ignatius’ College, Riverview NSW 2 Plays 1 for Riverview
2 Matthew Faessler Toowoomba Grammar School QLD 2
2 Callum Kent Camberwell High School VIC
3 Bo Abra St Stanislaus’ College (NSW) CS
3 Dan Matthew Kariong Mountains High School NSW 2
4 Lachlan Osborne Canberra Grammar School ACT
4 Liam Rasch Trinity Grammar School NSW 2 RUPA Man of the Match, in Championship final, Late but very worthy call up, G&G CAS Most Valuable player
DNP/5 -Angus Blyth The Southport School QLD Did not play champs, Late call up – Very Tall Timber
19 Henry Sharp Anglican Church Grammar QLD 1 Assume Henry is a Lock?
6 Charles Rorke St Ignatius’ College, Riverview NSW 2 Has had a very strong season for school, scored plenty of trys
7 Dylan Pietsch The King’s School NSW 1
8 Tom Serhon Newington College (NSW) CS
9 Tyzac Jordan Waverley College NSW 2
9 Tate McDermott Sunshine Coast Grammar QLD 1
10 Hinkley Halo Vaovasa Cranbourne Secondary College VIC
10 Mackenzie Hansen Daramlan College ACT
12 Matthew Orpen The King’s School (NSW) CS Kings Captain, very good mid field
13 Jordan Petaia Brisbane State High School (QLD) CS
13 Tristan Stanghon Anglican Church Grammar QLD 1
22/ back William Harrison Marcellin College, Randwick NSW 2
14 Luke Rixon The Shore School NSW 2 Very quick, was playing 15 for school, recovering from injury,
14 Ben Simpson Brisbane Boys’ College QLD 2

 

[The Honey Badger]

Sorry, Didnt format in a table,

{Mod Edit} Mods to the rescue

 

[The Honey Badger]

Australian Schools Barbarians


Position FIRST SURNAME SCHOOL TEAM
1 Dylan Valeni Westfields Sports CS
Sugarman McLean award for Combined States
17/1 Tom Osborne St Ignatius’ College NSW 2
Plays 1 for Riverview
2 Matthew Faessler Toowoomba Grammar QLD 2

2 Callum Kent Camberwell High VIC

3 Bo Abra St Stanislaus’ (NSW) CS

3 Dan Matthew Kariong Mts High NSW 2

4 Lachlan Osborne Canberra Grammar ACT

4 Liam Rasch Trinity Grammar NSW 2
RUPA Man of the Match, in Championship final, Late but very worthy call up, G&G CAS Most Valuable player
DNP/5 Angus Blyth The Southport School QLD
Did not play champs, Late call up – Very Tall Timber
19 Henry Sharp Anglican Church QLD 1
Assume Henry is a Lock?
6 Charles Rorke St Ignatius’ NSW 2
Has had a very strong season for school, scored plenty of trys
7 Dylan Pietsch The King’s School NSW 1

8 Tom Serhon Newington (NSW) CS

9 Tyzac Jordan Waverley College NSW 2

9 Tate McDermott Sunshine Coast QLD 1

10 Hinkley Halo Vaovasa Cranbourne VIC

10 Mackenzie Hansen Daramlan College ACT

12 Matthew Orpen King’s School (NSW) CS
Kings Captain, very good mid field
13 Jordan Petaia Brisbane High (QLD) CS

13 Tristan Stanghon Anglican Church QLD 1

22/ backWilliam Harrison Marcellin College NSW 2

14 Luke Rixon The Shore School NSW 2
Very quick, was playing 15 for school, recovering from injury,
14 Ben Simpson Brisbane Boys QLD 2

Have tried to table for easy viewing.

No specialist 15 selected, anyone know who they might play at Fullback.

 

[sidelineview]

Harrison

 

[Lee Grant]

Does anyone know if any players represented Aust or Aust A last year?

There is no No 6, but 3 8's named. Anyone got a guess as to the first choice 8 and 6?

8 Sunia Finefeuiaki Marcellin College VIC

If there had been a Player of the Tournament at the national championships I would have given it to this bloke - though as for other no. 8s, the ACT 8 was terrific in the mud.

I didn't think there was a standout 6 but Sunia F was sometimes on the side of the scrum.

I wouldn't pay much regard now as to who plays what position in the second and back rows of the touring team from what we know now. If we could attend all the training sessions we would get a better idea - but the touring team was picked for the Kiwi game and they will be playing a different kind of footie than they played in the nationals, let alone for their schools.

And they were selected accordingly.

As you mentioned - Ryan Lonegan played for Aus Baas last year - and he was the only one to play in either Oz School side in 2015 unless there were add-ons.

In your earlier Baas team you mentioned Rixon wasn't a specialist fullback but he went OK there for Shore before he got hurt in the nationals. You mentioned he was recovering, but his coach told me that he was iffy for the Baas game - though that was a while back.
.

 

[Not in straight]

In your earlier Baas team you mentioned Rixon wasn't a specialist fullback but he went OK there for Shore before he got hurt in the nationals. You mentioned he was recovering, but his coach told me that he was iffy for the Baas game - though that was a while back.
.

I understand L Rixon is fit and intends to play. I would guess he would play on the wing, where he did at Nationals.

He would have been in the running for player of the tournament as well.

 

[Rachet_84]

If Aus School not touring UK this year it would have to be 2017 ? If so, there will be some boys that are happy they turning 17/18 next year and undertaking year 11/12 as it will be an awesome trip that only a select few get on.

 

[The Honey Badger]

Schoolboys are touring Samoa and then to New Zealand, Departing 18 September for Samoa. They play 1 match against Samoa then in Auckland they play Fiji, New Zealand Barbarians and then New Zealand, last game V NZ on 8/10.

Think this will be a pretty awesome trip.

Thanks Lee Grant for your comments. I was trying to get a bit of discussion happening on the 2 Australian Schools teams and how they might perform.

Agree that the Vic NO 8 was a standout at Riverview.

 

[Shane Smeltz]

Luckily not too many elite Schoolboy rugby players go on to become Neurologists, or Cardiologists, or Forensic pathologists or such.

Being in Yr 12 and being away O/S from the 18 Sept - 10 Oct when the first HSC exam is on October 13th, would certainly interfere with with those plans.

Best a Yr 12 rugby player on that tour can hope for is a trade.
I know there are bonus ATAR points for making Aus Schoolboys but somehow I don't think those points are going to make up the difference

 

[The Honey Badger]

Good point Shane, obviously this is not ideal timing.

The boys are given time to study and there are teachers on tour to help with study.

There is an ATAR bonus, and I am led to believe that some University s will make an allowance for a lower ATAR,

I do think these boys need to make the most of this opportunity, its a great honor only a few get for years of playing and training.

There are other ways to skin cats (or other fury animals), bridging courses, mature age entry. ATAR results are not the be all and end all.

 

[Shane Smeltz]

You make good points about more than one way to skin a cat - but certainly no future doctors or Physicists amongst those Yr 12 boys for sure.

IIRC last year at the final and most important game, v NZ, even when NZ were thumping the Aus Schoolboys (as they most certainly will this year also) and the game result was not in doubt and there was nothing to lose - there were three boys that didn't make it off the bench.
I thought to myself, I hope my son, after years of training and playing, is not the boy sitting on the bench for the whole of the last game.

And I hope your boy HB, after three weeks away from home, is also not on the bench for the whole of the NZ game.

 

[Reasoning]

Probably best to ask the players whether they want to go on such a trip and maybe face the possibility of sitting on the bench for the Final Game ? (Wouldn't that be embarrassing)
Most of the boys will get 2 games each at least which is fantastic for them
Seems like bit of sour grapes from someone who's son must have missed out
Comments Re; Doctors, cariologists & Physicts are bunkum - We need more Tradies anyways and there are lots of Educational pathways available to the players to get where you want to in the end
Best of luck to all the Players - they deserve to take this wonderful opportunity & let the powers of be work out a better time frame for the Future

 

[formerflanker]

You make good points about more than one way to skin a cat - but certainly no future doctors or Physicists amongst those Yr 12 boys for sure.

IIRC last year at the final and most important game, v NZ, even when NZ were thumping the Aus Schoolboys (as they most certainly will this year also) and the game result was not in doubt and there was nothing to lose - there were three boys that didn't make it off the bench.
I thought to myself, I hope my son, after years of training and playing, is not the boy sitting on the bench for the whole of the last game.

And I hope your boy HB, after three weeks away from home, is also not on the bench for the whole of the NZ game.

I am struggling to come up with some coaching/selecting rationale for not giving those 3 players some game time. Unless each boy had a hidden injury, all reasonable coaches would send them onto the field.

 

[Rugby Mum 2]

Luckily not too many elite Schoolboy rugby players go on to become Neurologists, or Cardiologists, or Forensic pathologists or such.

Being in Yr 12 and being away O/S from the 18 Sept - 10 Oct when the first HSC exam is on October 13th, would certainly interfere with with those plans.

Best a Yr 12 rugby player on that tour can hope for is a trade.
I know there are bonus ATAR points for making Aus Schoolboys but somehow I don't think those points are going to make up the difference

In the camps they have dedicated study time and the boys who are that way inclined do study. Quite a few from 2015 actually have progressed to further study. You only have to look at Tom Robertson who was a schoolboy player for 2 years. Doesn't seem to impact those boys who really want to study at a higher level.

 

[amirite]

In the camps they have dedicated study time and the boys who are that way inclined do study. Quite a few from 2015 actually have progressed to further study. You only have to look at Tom Robertson who was a schoolboy player for 2 years. Doesn't seem to impact those boys who really want to study at a higher level.

A lot of the boys I know in this program are literally only in school so they're eligible for it.
So, whilst that has its OWN problems, it's not 'rugby limited my schooling' but rather 'rugby kept me at school'.

 

[Rugby Mum 2]

Agree with that. Those who want to study will, those who don't won't. Either way, keeping a boy in school for another year or two is not such a bad thing from a maturity point of view.

 

[amirite]

Agree with that. Those who want to study will, those who don't won't. Either way, keeping a boy in school for another year or two is not such a bad thing from a maturity point of view.

More education is never bad.

The trouble with some of these boys in the HS is glorified baby sitting and the few boys that miss out of Aus 18s because they drop out to financially support their families. Neither of these is a good thing.

 

[Rugby Mum 2]

This is the Australian Schoolboys thread i.e. those who have been selected. So we really should be focussed on celebrating that achievement.

We can't change social issues. Every child at a school has the same opportunity to gain an education some at great expense, and others at nominal cost. It is up to the individual how they choose to acquit themselves.

 

[amirite]

This is the Australian Schoolboys thread i.e. those who have been selected. So we really should be focussed on celebrating that achievement.

We can't change social issues. Every child at a school has the same opportunity to gain an education some at great expense, and others at nominal cost. It is up to the individual how they choose to acquit themselves.

Whilst I agree that the achievement of Aus Schools Reps should be celebrated, this thread is not solely for that. It's a thread for discussion on a topic (in this case, Aus School boys). We can and should discuss social issues around that, this is a precursor to change.

Plus, empathising individual drive to achieve as being the key (or only) component to success is simply incorrect when some kids are already behind at the start line.