CAS 2018

[Rich_E]

My heart says Waves. My head says BC by around 15 to 20, if played at a 'neutral' setting, based on what I've seen of both teams this season and recent results. Adjusted for rhe DV home ground advantage, I'm thinking BC by 5 to 10 points. But regardless, I reckon it will be one of the highlights of the 2018 schools rugby season and plan to give Scots v Shore a miss. Going to DV instead.

EDIT: I've adjusted my initial predicted margin from 15 - 20, down to 5- 10, after reconsidering home ground advantage

 

[sidelineview]

With only 2 days to go 'til the biggest game of the CAS season, I can't believe how quiet this thread has gone, especially considering that much of the recent activity has been GPS blokes.

So what are all your thoughts re BC v WC at DV and other matches this weekend?
.

There has been an eerie kind of silence in the lead up to this match.
Maybe no one wants to say too much in case they jinx themselves. There's certainly no cockiness from either camp.
There's no reason to be cocky because last week Waverley were seriously tested by Cranbrook and Aloys put it to Barker in the first half at least.

My thoughts are: firstly, there should be a very good size crowd turn up to Death Valley and the atmosphere will be electric. The low setting and acoustics of the ground make the crowd seem louder and we all know how enthusiastic Old Boys can be on the sidelines. There's been a few nervous throw-ins into lineouts in the past from opposing teams on the Northern side of the ground where the boisterous Old Boys congregate. Home ground advantage should boost the Double Vs chances.

Barker deserve to be favourites when you look at their playing roster. The team and individuals in the team have had a good year and there doesnt seem to be any injuries. At full strength they're a powerful side and they've taken the last few years to build up to this point. This is what they've been working for. They'll be trying that's for sure.

Waverley will be trying their hardest to spoil the party for Barker and they'll believe they can do it by the time the ref blows his whistle to start the game. Their coaches will see to that. Even though Barker have an impressive team on paper, Waverley have a very solid team and everyone of them will be ready to lift and give 100% in front of their home crowd. I dont think there'll be any shortage of courage and determination shown on the paddock on Saturday.

It will be interesting to see what tactics both sets of Coaches come up with. My guess is that Barker wont change anything and why should they, but the Waverley coaches might have something up their sleeves to gain an the advantage. Both sets of coaches will have studied their opposition intently to work out the strengths and weaknesses and both teams will be well prepared.

Also both sides have some very talented players with the x factor who can pull a rabbit out of their hat. Just one dropped ball, one penalty or one missed tackle through fatigue can change the momentum of a game like this and see points scored.

The match up between the forward packs will be entertaining to say the least. There's some tough and talented boys opposing each other, but overall it should be a memorable game and schoolboy rugby at its finest.

May the best team win and if there's Custard Pie at the end of 70 minutes the Queens Park crowd will go crazy.

 

[Peabody]

There has been an eerie kind of silence in the lead up to this match.
Maybe no one wants to say too much in case they jinx themselves. There's certainly no cockiness from either camp.
There's no reason to be cocky because last week Waverley were seriously tested by Cranbrook and Aloys put it to Barker in the first half at least.

My thoughts are: firstly, there should be a very good size crowd turn up to Death Valley and the atmosphere will be electric. The low setting and acoustics of the ground make the crowd seem louder and we all know how enthusiastic Old Boys can be on the sidelines. There's been a few nervous throw-ins into lineouts in the past from opposing teams on the Northern side of the ground where the boisterous Old Boys congregate. Home ground advantage should boost the Double Vs chances.

Barker deserve to be favourites when you look at their playing roster. The team and individuals in the team have had a good year and there doesnt seem to be any injuries. At full strength they're a powerful side and they've taken the last few years to build up to this point. This is what they've been working for. They'll be trying that's for sure.

Waverley will be trying their hardest to spoil the party for Barker and they'll believe they can do it by the time the ref blows his whistle to start the game. Their coaches will see to that. Even though Barker have an impressive team on paper, Waverley have a very solid team and everyone of them will be ready to lift and give 100% in front of their home crowd. I dont think there'll be any shortage of courage and determination shown on the paddock on Saturday.

It will be interesting to see what tactics both sets of Coaches come up with. My guess is that Barker wont change anything and why should they, but the Waverley coaches might have something up their sleeves to gain an the advantage. Both sets of coaches will have studied their opposition intently to work out the strengths and weaknesses and both teams will be well prepared.

Also both sides have some very talented players with the x factor who can pull a rabbit out of their hat. Just one dropped ball, one penalty or one missed tackle through fatigue can change the momentum of a game like this and see points scored.

The match up between the forward packs will be entertaining to say the least. There's some tough and talented boys opposing each other, but overall it should be a memorable game and schoolboy rugby at its finest.

May the best team win and if there's Custard Pie at the end of 70 minutes the Queens Park crowd will go crazy.

I’m sure Scott Coleman’s first tactic will be to name a “Fake Team” this evening - like he did for the Knox clash last year

 

[Hasbeen]

Too many factors to call it. Let's hope it is as good as the 15-14 clash last year, which was the best game of schoolboy rugby I have seen in a long time. The Boys from both sides will put on a fine show. It is gonna be brutal.

 

[SonnyDillWilliams]

 

[SonnyDillWilliams]

it is eerily quiet ... hopefully I have successfully uploaded an infographic on benefits of rugby

although with talk of pre-loaded Dads and coaches playing silly-buggers

I think it important to reflect that they are kids ... and while I never expect a coach to stand mute or to be yelling tiddly-winks
I also think important to remember "monkey see, monkey do"

if the pre-loaded Dad, the coach , the sportsmaster, even the Headmaster think it is Ok to hurl abuse on say match officials or worse players ... then is it little wonder that child-spectators think that is all OK

I know I was guilty of being a bafoon .... when I was a recent old boy ... a thousand years ago ... but the older I get the more I realise it isn't about the result

if you have to act like a grub to win ... then what have you achieved

so while I love the banter, and love the passion ... I hope all and sundry don't take it too far

as ultimately rugby is a gladiatorial sport that in my view requires a degree of self-control

and it should be both a fantastic spectacle and opportunity to educate and invigorate young men ... as is well summarised in my aforementioned infographic

may rugby be the winner on the day....

 

[Hasbeen]

True and noble words spoken SDW.

 

[sidelineview]

I’m sure Scott Coleman’s first tactic will be to name a “Fake Team” this evening - like he did for the Knox clash last year

Methinks someone is fishing although it will be interesting to see what players run out fit and healthy or even half fit.

 

[Hasbeen]

The beauty of schoolboy Rugby is the unfolding of its unvarnished truth on the blow of the whistle.

 

[sidelineview]

Its not usually the preloaded Dads who are overly exuberant in their barracking, its the younger Old Boys and especially if they've had a long lunch with old school mates.
You see it at a lot of games but Waverley have security on roster just in case. Its a bit hard to put an old head on young Old Boys' shoulders but as long as its kept to a reasonable level it adds to the exciting atmosphere.

The players, some of whom are already 18 and are young men usually play the game in the right spirit, but youthfull exuberance, competitiveness and testosterone make for some fiery clashes. The challenge is not to lose the natural aggression but not to be carded either. That can really throw a spanner in the works and spoil it for a team.
It doesnt take much for the refs to card a player these days. Its just the way it is. The lifting and high tackle rules rule and intercept rule must be difficult to adjudicate on when you're under instructions as a ref.

 

[Hasbeen]

I would not recommend any Barker supporter stationing himself on the northern boundary wearing a Barker rugby cap and trailing his coat behind him ....

 

[SonnyDillWilliams]

Sideline, I agree ... be interested to see starting team for Waverley ... as a few injury clouds

I am assuming injury to Felix valentine means they cannot persist with front row experiment

I like concept of Harley at 2... as he is that big that pollard won't have a field day at scrum time

You field a big front row and u zap the energy of barkers front row... who on a good day can play like extra backrowers

And suddenly you haven't got pollard bobbing around energetic in the backline

So to me key man to exhaust is pollard... so even though he is a strong player I'd be targeting him

Either way I reckon the right game plan can unhinge even the best team

So be interested to see what Coleman/ Cornish come up with

Any Knox supporters able to share secrets to unhinging barker?

 

[Peabody]

Very hard to unhinge Barker - if they're losing on the pitch they always tend to win the handbagging from the sideline by shouting in unison "We've got the girls".

This of course spurs their players on with the thought of potential glamorous after match spoils in addition to the Henry Plume Shield.

 

[Joker]

"We've got the girls".

Reminds me of this from 2004 when this photo did the rounds.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/saucy-photo-offends-school-20040704-gdj9ht.html

 

[sidelineview]

Reminds me of this from 2004 when this photo did the rounds.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/saucy-photo-offends-school-20040704-gdj9ht.html

Knox girls no doubt.

 

[Joker]

Knox girls no doubt.

No it was Barker girls protesting uniform restrictions at the time.
A lot of Knox boys suddenly wanted to change schools though when this happened.

 

[Snort]

Logically, Barker ought to win fairly comfortably. Home ground advantage matters, but not as much as Waverley needs it to. Barker just seems to have too much strength up front and while, in some past seasons, Waverley has been able to compensate for lack of size by playing a fast, wide game in the backs, this year's back line doesn't seem to have that little bit extra that others have had in the recent past.

But, but, but.

Trinity (who are 0 from 3) matched Barker in the first half, and showed that the side has real vulnerabilities. Barker's defence didn't regroup all that well on the counterattack (an area where Waverley is usually strong), and the outside backs made handling mistakes under not all that much pressure. So, while Barker goes in as deserved favourites, it's by no means an unbeatable side.

And, here's the thing. If we were in the ten-game competition, you'd have Barker marked down as winners already. Waverley hasn't been hugely convincing against Aloysius and Cranbrook, and Barker has the strength and depth to last out a long campaign. But this year we're back to sudden death. Everything can turn on a single game, and you know what they say about two-horse races.

Anyway, a huge game. Hope it lives up to the expectations. I'll be at Summer Hill, watching Trinity try to salvage something from a weird season in which they've beaten Joeys for only the second time ever, launched five NSW representatives and three Australian squad members, but don't seem able to win another match.

 

[sidelineview]

No it was Barker girls protesting uniform restrictions at the time.
A lot of Knox boys suddenly wanted to change schools though when this happened.

And all the schoolboys agree there should be more protests like this.

 

[SonnyDillWilliams]

well I suspect if that type of protest was more common ... crowd attendances would certainly be up .... amongst even the non-rugby lovers ... and a few more North Shorites might cross the bridge, and vice-versa

and if that kind of protest was appropriately positioned, I could see how it might affect the goal kicker, match officials etc

Snort ... interesting ..... surely Trinity have to win some games?! I know some at Scots don't feel Savala got given much of a chance at the Nationals .... with the Trinity 10 having had pretty much all the opportunity to impress ....although IMHO the best schoolboy 10 in 2018 didn't even get a look-in to the whole tournament ... so what do I know

 

[Hasbeen]

At least they all wore matching white socks.