AIC First XV rugby: Five things we learned; plus the 80 debut boys
AIC First XV rugby: Here’s five things we learned from round 1, plus we name 80 players who made their Firsts’ debut including members of the rookie Iona side.
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What were five things we learned after round 1 of the AIC First XV rugby season last week?
And exactly who made their debuts in an exciting round of schoolboy rugby?
We reveal all the 80 plus debut boys here ahead of our coverage continuing on Saturday.
AIC FIRST XV TEAM OF THE WEEK FROM RD 1
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED
St Edmund’s College - no flash in the pan
Eddies had 10 players make their debuts last weekend on the way to beating St Peters Lutheran College. This is evidence the rugby program at the college continues to have green shoots after last season’s team made a dramatic bid for the premiership.
Villa is the real deal
If you play Villanova at home this season beware. The manner in which they defended - initially with attacking defence, real shoulder to the wheel tackles at the start showed they mean business. And the team’s scrambling defence at the end of the game also sent a clear message: Andrew Slack Oval is Villanova’s turf and they won’t go down without a fight.
Marist has some substance
Trailing 19-nil Marist College observers would have been fearing the worst. But with a flood of second half possession, Ashgrove actually generated enough chances to come from behind and beat Villa. They did not, losing 19-15, but the 12-nil second half performance showed there was more to this Ashgrove site than first met the eye.
RELATED LINKS
HOW ROUND 1 UNFOLDED - STORY HERE
AIC FIRST XI PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS SEASON
Watch out for Padua - but don’t give up on Paddies
You don’t win a game of First XV rugby 35-nil without doing something right and this Padua outfit clearly has plenty to offer this season. They will have arch rivals Marist College Ashgrove at home on Saturday and it will be one for young and old, that’s for sure. But don’t give up on St Patrick’s. They had around 23 penalties waved against them and with that surging tide not running their way, no team would have made an impact in a game of rugby. It is just that Padua were good enough to take advantage of the possession, particularly late in the game.
Laurie’s - Getting greedy
They are back for more and they look the full package.
In a Covid shortened 2020 season, they won all their regular season match-ups and were set to butt horns with Ashgrove in the final. But that was abandoned and Ashgrove, who had beaten Laurie’s in the trial, were starved of potential back-to-back outright premierships.
The next two years was all black and gold, with the Welmar Du Plesis coached Laurie’s boys went unbeaten for consecutive premierships.
And although it is too early to say anything, things are treading in the right direction after a terrific team performance in round 1.
RELATED LINKS
CLUB RUGBY: RD 5 COLTS TEAM OF THE WEEK, WOMEN’S LATEST
AIC RUGBY - HOW ROUND 1 UNFOLDED
AIC RUGBY - PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS SEASON
Meanwhile, a new era dawned in the history of First XV rugby with 80 players ushered into action for their First debuts - either as starting players or off the bench.
Iona College fielded one of its most inexperienced Firsts XV ever, with no member of the backline having played a minute of 1st XV rugby before last Saturday.
Several more came off the bench for the first time, and another two reserves, Max Spragg and Charlie Hansson, had a carrot dangled in front of them by merely being on the bench - even if they did not get on.
With only five players with any First XV experience, it was a big task for Iona coming up against premiers St Laurence’s who, while also fielding six new faces, still had the core of its 2022 grand final winning team.
Padua College fielded eight starting debut players, including Will Tozer, a First XI cricket ace who made our cricket Team of the Season earlier in the year. Tozer was an elite all-rounder cricketer and in rugby played No.8.
Last season’s grand finalists St Edmund’s also presented 10 new players their first ever starting jersey, with flanker Jack Chandler and winger Brock Taylor both making our round 1 Team of the Week squad following their debut efforts.
As documented in our Team of the Week story, Marist College Ashgrove winger Jude Knapp made his debut - a third generation First XV footballer after his late dad, Marcus, and his grandfather Bernie - who sat sideline last week.
Another new face was Pat Anderson, whose uncle Peter was a member of the undefeated 1983 Ashgrove captained by former Wallaby Anthony Herbert.
Pat Anderson has moved from prop to second row where his work rate and effective tackling is welcomed.
On the Villanova side of the fence, the esteemed Gus Godwin has moved on, but in his place comes another, his brother Ned. Like Gus, Ned is an outside back.
Two year 11 students, reserves Harry Higgins (prop) and Ben Lawrence (halfback), both made their debuts off the bench for Villanova.
St Patrick’s College have Sam Condon as captain and five-eightis and it is his younger brother, Matt, who is in his debut season at outside centre.
Debut boys
St Laurence’s College
Finn Mackay five-eight, Hamish McDonald centre, Sam Bevan wing, Xavier Santos fullback, Fehoko Manu flanker, Luka Smith hooker.
Padua College
Callum Rooney, George Noone, Aidan Rooney, Josh Forrest, Jacob Moesbergen, Jack Corby, Will Tozer, Kyan Mitchell.
Off the bench: Will Stark, Declan Woollard, Cooper Bodel, Damon Humphrys, Jayden Solien, Josh Casey, Harvey Boyd.
St Edmund’s College
Xavier Wighton loose head, Isaac McCarthy hooker, Daniel Casey second row, Jack Chandler open flanker, Jameson Wilson blindside flanker, Jack Cairns No. 8, Lachlan Allwood fly half, Conrad Browne outside centre, Brock Taylor wing, Ben Puller fullback
Note: Those in bold had previously played off the bench but last weekend was their starting debuts.
Iona College
Tommy Nicholdson lock, Milo Plastow lock, Andi Iki flanker, Ned Dore halfback, Darcy Pratten (v-c) halfback, Topaz Mohl five-eight, Bryce Hancock wing, Will Lane, Campbell Rolfe centre, Jack Pascoe centre, Kai Seeto wing, Levi Hawea fullback, Off the bench: Jack Coffey, Andrew Grondona, Ethan Sampaolesi, Adrian Burrows, Ewan Fishers.
Villanova College:
Ned Godwin winger, Eli Harris prop, Ricky Taylor prop, Flynn Brown lock, Caden Griffiths halfback. Off the bench Harry Higgins (prop), Ben Lawrence (halfback), Ronin Begley prop.
Marist College Ashgrove:
Ben Caughley, Pat Anderson both second rower, Riley Canavan flanker, Jasper Barry (No. 8), Jude Knapp winger, Jack Andrews centre, Jack Haddad wing. Reserves who came on for the first time: Adam Burnell, Harry Thomson, Tom Millard, Jack Forrester.
St Patrick’s College:
Max Whitborne and Keiahn Nukunuku both front rowers, Angus Leinske lock, Abe Huxtable blindside flanker, Sasha Adam (No. 8), Taj Leis halfback, Elijah Williamson Tomich and Matt Condon both centres.
St Peters
Mitchell Crawford - Prop, Louis Rogers - Prop, Ethan Ramsay - second row, Solomone Koroi, - second row, Johnny Nona - flanker, Kye Pass - halfback, Dayton Bowman - flyhalf, Grayson Gibson - wing, Bastien Walter - centre.
Footnote: Replays and live coverage of match will be available courtesy of the QRU and available via the website: https://qld.rugby/aic
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