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Australian Schoolboys 2014

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Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Australia on the backfoot with the loss of (10) early on.
Agree with RedsHappy,
our forwards were nowhere near as intense and efficient as NZ's at the breakdown.

Lineouts were also poor, both in attack and defense.

Best for Aust (15) Fulivai (13) Yeomans and (9) Goddard.

Even with 15 on the field, Australia will have to improve significantly to hang on against a full blown NZ schoolboys team especially in the forwards.

Missing Crichton and Hutchison. (yes i have the blue glasses on)

Missing Mafi as well - big loss.

AUS were shown that there is a difference between Schoolboy 1st XV games and Schoolboy Rep games, and playing The Darkness in terms of intensity, accuracy, reduced time and space.

Always worried that there were too many loose forwards selected in the squad, and that some of the loosies selected were not good breakdown payers.

Many posters have already commented about the lack of players who play big, and the vulnerability of choosing only 1 specialist #15.

Will there be someone on a plane to NZ tonight?

Thankfully no injuries from today.

Gotta feel sorry for the Fijian boys who face the Big Bros from NZ this afternoon.
 

RedsHappy

Tony Shaw (54)
Reflecting now, I'm more positive re the final match coming on Saturday than I was at the 70 minute mark today.

What team no matter how good (esp schoolboys) would not struggle with 14 playing 15 for 68/70 minutes, particularly when the loss is a #10? You don't rehearse for 'red card #10 all game'. This fact will give the coaches selection and coaching challenges, isolating genuine problems from those legitimately forced by the total absence of a 10 to steer play.

Part of the problem for our forwards was their scattered uncertainty as to whether they should attack the breakdown or stay in the defensive line - in fairness I think a big chuck of their corresponding breakdown inefficiency came from a hesitancy driven by their knowledge that a man down for the entire game would expose their defensive line and what to do about it, go to the breakdown or stay back and defend or support the pass out of the ruck?

Our handling and penalty-giving in attack was IMO our worst 'no excuses' problem - have they been watching too many Wallabies vids?
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Here is my revised team for the NZ Test:
1. Gavin LUKA — St Joseph’s Nudgee College QLD 1
2. Ed CRAIG — Epping Boys’ High School NSW 1
3. Vunipola FIFITA — Newington College NSW 1 (VC)
4. Andrew VATUVEI — Sarah Redfern High School NSW 1
5. Reece HEWAT — St Joseph’s Nudgee College QLD 1
6. Hugh SUMMERHAYES — Cranbrook School NSW 1
7. Connor MORONEY — SJC Gregory Terrace QLD 1
8. Harley FOX — Anglican Church Grammar School QLD 1 (C)
9. Harrison GODDARD — Oakhill College NSW 1
10.Connor O’SHEA — Saint Joseph’s College NSW 1
11.Ah-mu TUIMALEALI'IFANO — Roxburgh College VIC
12.Sione TUIPULOTU — St. Kevin’s College VIC
13.Izaia PERESE — Anglican Church Grammar School QLD
14.Joey FITTOCK — The Southport School QLD 1
15.Jordan FULIVAI — St Francis Xavier College ACT

16.Richie ASIATA — Anglican Church Grammar School QLD 2
17.Shambeckler VUI — Ipswich Grammar School QLD 1
18.Phil BRADFORD — Hunter Sports High School NSW 1
19.Tuaina TUALIMA - Brisbane State High School, QLD 1
20.Tom BLAKE — Marcellin College VIC 1
21.Nicholas DUFFY — St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill NSW 2
22.Ned YEOMANS —Kinross Wolaroi School CS
23.Sepesa L0GA-TAROGI — Newington College NSW 1


Running the Water:
Evan PRITCHARD St Ignatius’ College NSW 2
Maumau MONU — Canberra College ACT

Kicking Tee
Jordan JACKSON-HOPE — St Edmund’s College ACT (red card stand down)

Notes:
#2 Craig, #10 O'Shea, and #15 Fulivai can not get injured, or have an off day.
#1 and #6 could be anyone depending on how the boys have been training.
 

Natal shark

Peter Burge (5)
Sorry back line player especially as Redshappy
pointed out there was uncertainty at the breakdown
and still couldn't adjust
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
@Natal Shark, There were only 3 reserve backs that the coaches could have used:

21. Nicholas DUFFY, St Joseph’s College (halfback)
22. Ah-Mu TUIMALEALI’IFANO, Roxburgh Park College (Centre)
23. Joey FITTOCK, The Southport School (Wing)

Fittock and Tuilmaleai'ifano didn't get on at all IIRC.

AS @Lee Grant has suggested, Goddard could have played #10 with Duffy coming on as a halfback but there seems to be bit of a lack of balance in the squad backs with too many centres and no utility spare Fullback/Wing, although I think Loga-Tarogi may have played some 15 for NEW.

Fulivai seemed to do OK as an emergency #10, but this left the team vulnerable out wide, which the Barbars exploited to score a couple of their tries.

With the 6 backs playing against 7 for all but 2 minutes of the game, I'd have thought that a couple of them may have been given a bit of a rest from their workload by bringing Joey F or Ah-Mu T on for a 20 - 30 minute cameo.

Perhaps the Coach had decided that the game was lost and didn't want to risk injury to Joey or Ah-Mu, so they didnt get any game time off the bench.

Playing 14 vs 15 for most of the game really gives the Coach some serious challenges on how they manage the bench and the tactics they employ.

Can you imagine how much easier it would be for the Wobs to play New Zealand with Carter red carded in the second minute, and no Slade/Cruden/Taylor/Barrett on their bench?
 

RedsHappy

Tony Shaw (54)
@Natal Shark, There were only 3 reserve backs that the coaches could have used:

21. Nicholas DUFFY, St Joseph’s College (halfback)
22. Ah-Mu TUIMALEALI’IFANO, Roxburgh Park College (Centre)
23. Joey FITTOCK, The Southport School (Wing)

Fittock and Tuilmaleai'ifano didn't get on at all IIRC.

.......

Just as an aside, JF played at #13 in QLD GPS for TSS.
 

Jasdec

Ted Fahey (11)
HJ
can you recall if the Aust 6 or 7 went into the backline for defense on the NZ set plays?
12 looped the 13 passed to the 15 to the 14 who scored unnoposed.

NZL #14 scores off the end of a simple set piece try.

AUS ran out of numbers in the backline (being 1 player short).
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Another centre in the squad!

He did play wing at 2012 U16 Nationals (for the Good Guys) and at 2014 U18's (for the other mob:)).
 

Natal shark

Peter Burge (5)
HJ
can you recall if the Aust 6 or 7 went into the backline for defense on the NZ set plays?
12 looped the 13 passed to the 15 to the 14 who scored unnoposed.

NZL #14 scores off the end of a simple set piece try.

AUS ran out of numbers in the backline (being 1 player short).
No drift defence open side going for 9 , 9 going for 10 and 6 drifting
behind the back line
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Our #10 should be banned for life. Probably the worst tackle I've ever seen. If we're fair dinkum about eradicating these tackles from our game we need to take a stance. <edited by mods>.
 

Jasdec

Ted Fahey (11)
Our #10 should be banned for life. Probably the worst tackle I've ever seen. If we're fair dinkum about eradicating these tackles from our game we need to take a stance. <edited>.
I am finding it hard to disagree with you qwerty, however,
  1. the send off in a televised international, (youtube special)
  2. the assumed banning for the match (Test V NZ), which for most schoolboys is the pinnacle of their short careers thus far and
  3. the panning of the camera on him being consoled by some adults (parent / coach?) during the match whilst off the field,
will probably do to go on with.

Would not have been a good look to have the kiwi stretchered off in a neck brace or worse.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
HJ
can you recall if the Aust 6 or 7 went into the backline for defense on the NZ set plays?
12 looped the 13 passed to the 15 to the 14 who scored unnoposed.

NZL #14 scores off the end of a simple set piece try.

AUS ran out of numbers in the backline (being 1 player short).

NZ Set Pieces in the first half were:
9:23 Game time. NZL Attacking scrum. 5 m out. AUS pack down with 8 in the scrum. 6 backs defending.
NZ win ball and go nowhere. NZ win breakdown and pick and go. Goes nowhere. NZ win next phase (NZ overlap developing on their left). NZ one out run to tackle. Quick recycle to NZ with #9 going right. Tackled for no gain but left side is opened up further. Pick and go to the right for NZ. No gain. 6 Aus defenders to theie left as NZ halfback passes long cutout (3 players) to their right. Aus has 4 defending 3 NZers. NZ #10 steps back into traffic to beat Aus 15 and AUs 7 tacklers. Aus #12 comes in but misses (tough tackle to make). Other Aus inside defenders were 2, 6, 1, and 8. NZ #10 scores at 10:12 on the clock.

There were enough defenders to cover attack. Aus beaten by step inside and 2 poorly executed tackles.

13:32 minutes. NZL defending scrum on their 10 metre line. 8 AUS piggies pack down.
NZL win ball and move it wide to their right. second phase is on the 1/2 way line. NZ win and #9 box kick to the Aus 22 line where there was only 1 Aus defender (#11) who gets done by the bounce. NZ #7 and #12 attack the ball. #7 Nz stays on his feet and contests for the ball from #11 AUS who is on the ground from approx 3 seconds. #7 for Aus is first one back and turns the tackle into breakdown. #12 NZ joins the breakdown. as does #1 NZ. #4 and #13 form close in defence. #15 AUS is defenc-ding 3 metres back from the breakdown. More reinforcements from both sides (#9, #8, #2, #1) join defence. a4:19 Ref penalises AS 11 for holding on. NZL take a PK and score 3 points.

An additional defender from Aus dropping back from the Set piece could have saved the situation.

18:33 minutes. NZL lineout on NZL 10 metre line. All 8 Aus piggies involved. Untidy tap down from NZL, and ball stolen by Aus #5 bursting through. Aus knock on in the breakdown. NZ Scrum @19:31 on their 22 m line. All 8 Aus piggies pack down.
NZ win scrum and eventually hoof it downfield to #11 Aus for kick return. Next phase is just inside NZL 22 where #14 Perese is finally tackled. A couple more phases and AUS win penalty 25 metres out centre field, which Goddard kicks at 24 minutes.

No problem with numbers defending in backline for Aus.


29:53 minutes. NZL lineout 2 meters on their side of 1/2 way. (Pritchard is subbed off for Asiata). Goddard defends at Hooker. Summerhayes is Halfback. Asiata is front pod lifter. 7 in the lineout for AUS. NZL win lineout at 3. ( passes wide to 10. 3 NZ to his left, 1 to his rear. there are 5 Aus defenders covering the 5 NZL attackers. NZL 10 passes to #13 with #12 wrapping around. #11 appears between 10 and 13 on an unders line. 13 NZL passes to 12 with 15 ranging up outside him. AUS #12 has covered NZL 10 and 11. #13 AUS has drifted off 13 and is moving to his right to follow the ball. #14 Aus nails #12 NZL in a bit of a bonecruncher (possible shoulder charge but not awarded). #13 Aus in close proximity to that tackle and #14 and #13 competed for the ball (on their feet). #13 NZ and #7 NZ join breakdown. 30:11. Referee awards PK to AUS for NZL not releasing in the tackle.

Backline managed to cover this set piece attack, but #15 NZ was open and would have caused problems if the 12 had passed the pill before the Perese tackle.


32:35 minutes. Knock on from the kick off by Aus #5. NZL scrum midway 1/2 way and 22 m line, 5 metres from touch. All 8 Aus piggies pack down. 4 Aus backs set defence line flat on 22 m line. Far side wing sets up on 5 metre line behind 4th defender. NZ attack is #10 on 8 mttres from 1/2 way. with 3 attackers flat and close on halfway line. Quick heel by NZL. #9 passes to 10. #10 cutout pass missing #11 to #13 who draws Yeomans and passes to #12 who draws #14 AUS and shovels the pill on to #15 NZL on the 10 metre line. NZL 15 has #14 outside him and he advances to the 22 line where it looks like #11 AUS has come over in cover to make a tackle. He passes just prior to the tackle to #14. Ball goes forward (probably due to momentum) and #14 leaps over desperate tackle from #12 AUS in the corner. Try time. The ball was moved too quickly for Aus to counter. Aus #15 (defending at in #10 channel) probably didn't stand wide enough to cover the NZL #10. So the Aus #10 and #12 were taken out of the play by the fast and wide NZL passing.

BTW NZL had penalty advantage for the AUS backs offside at that move already.


They were all the NZL fed set pieces in the first half.
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
New Zealand Secondary Schools (Hapakuki Moali-Liava'a 2, Lui Okeamoa-Luamanu, Alex Fidow, Sam Nock, Rieko Ioane 2, Malo Tuitama, Jonah Lowe, Jordan Trainor tries; Trainor 4 con) beat Fiji Schools 0. HT: 31-0


The Kiwis have made a fairly emphatic statement that our boys will need to bring their A game on Saturday.
 

Brainstrust

Watty Friend (18)
Its always a tough call for the coach, but defending the lineout with only 6 backs shouldn't have been an issue with the 10 usually marking one wide of attacking 10. But I don't really understand why our 9 on defensive scrums wasn't defending on NZ 10 giving us even numbers? The Aus back row could have covered any snipe on the edges from the scrum, and if they go the right side of the scrum our 9 is out of play anyway?? Could have used the same set up on our defensive phase play.
 

Captain Cabby

Stan Wickham (3)
It seems they are missing a extra utility such as guy porter who can play fullback/wing/centre. Maybe 7 tries in 4 games wasn't enough to be picked..
 
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