GPS First XV rugby: Here’s 30 Speed Demons; unsung heroes
GPS First XV rugby: Here’s 30 Speed Demons and Unsung Heroes from a bumper schoolboy season so far, a list including a national sprint champion and sons of Wallaby guns.
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They are polar opposites, speed demons and unsung, underrated toilers, but together they provide a cocktail of success.
Teams simply cannot function without one or the other, a grafter who does the work to give his speed man the chance to find space and put on points.
Here we acknowledge both – the speed merchants and the underrated workers who make the GPS First XV teams tick.
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Toowoomba Grammar School
Speed man
Will Nason
The TGS winger is a true sporting all rounder who earlier in the year received his First XI cricket cap from Queensland cricket great, former Test batsman Martin Love, and who when the winter winds blew, turned his hand to running in tries for TGS.
Unsung, underrated
Xander Jacobs and Joe Johnston
The boys are never out of the action. If one is not topping the tackle count, then he is leading the turnover stats for the team - and vise versa. They do this game in, game out. “They are rarely seen during the game as they always have their head in a breakdown or tackle,’’ said TGS Director of Sport Steven Fryer.
Bud Smith
The leader of the TGS backline, Smith was the best communicator on the team according to TGS Director of Sport Steven Fryer. “Has topped the tackle count for the backs in every game and has made the tough carries when needed too,’’ Fryer said.
Brisbane Grammar School
Speed man
Lewis Strachan
Strachan not only has the pace to both finish play and inject himself into the fray from the blindside wing, but he has courage. He hits the line hard and is prepared to take a knock to give himself a chance of bursting out the other side of the defenders.
Unsung, underrated
Thomas Doe, Xavier Craig
BGSs best forwards were lock Charlie McCauley and No. 8 Liam McGregor, but around them they have a blue collar pack working as a unit to get to the breakdown and recycle possession to try and get their backs one-on-one with their opponents.
Among those are flankers Thomas Doe and Xavier Craig who have a huge responsibility to complement BGS’s up-tempo game. The style of play challenges fitness and stamina, but the boys have been getting the job done which is why BGS were enjoying a grand season.
Brisbane Boys College
Speed man
Samson Tuqiri
Tuqiri would be one of the quickest in the competition. You just have to watch him go in the 100m sprint when the GPS track and field championship rolls around. But he is more than just a sprinter. He is a footballer. The kid is smart and seems to have a knack of using his pace to mop up where he is needed most.
Unsung, underrated
Toby McPherson and Matthew Robertson
The boys hit the line together as unsung members of the BBC pack. They are workers, toilers, prepared to go above and beyond at the breakdown for their team. Last weekend Robertson answered the challenge against an imposing Churchie at Churchie, while McPherson has been good all season.
St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace
Speed man
Max Boulton
He is a new ball on the scene, a year 12 student who has come up through the grades to earn a treasured First XV jersey. Boulton is fleet of foot, agile and can be difficult to track due to his genuine pace.
Underrated:
Noah Clifford, Charlie Cooke
Clifford, Cooke and the robust running Tom Robinson were all part of Terrace’s 16-year-olds brigade who will form the foundation of the pack in 2023. But for now, the trio are doing an outstanding job, particularly loose forwards Clifford and Cooke with their consistency from round to round.
“We have a number of 16-year-old and it is always hard for them to maintain a high level, game in, game out,’’ said Terrace head coach Michael Broad. “But Noah and Charlie, in particular, have maintained a high level of execution and quality involvements. We have been thrilled by them (including Robinson).
Ipswich Grammar School
Speed men
Jack Hocking, Stanley Huen and Israel Leota.
The boys form one of the most dangerous midfield combinations in the competition, from No. 10, inside and outside centre. They are all strong defenders but also quick, capable of blasting through with their pace. “All inside backs and all spent time in the IGS Track and Field program throughout their IGS journey,’’ said IGS Director of Sport Nigel Greive.
“Jack and Stan are particularly quick over 20-40m while Israel takes a little longer to achieve top speed,’’ he said.
“Israel is deceptively quick for a big framed player. He has competed at GPS athletics in sprints and hurdles since grade seven. He is also a state rep in volleyball and AFL, so quite the allrounder.’’
Unsung, underrated
Dian Minnie
The flanker is never far from the action and is very effective over the ball. “He has an incredibly high work rate along with a very accurate capacity at the ruck,’’’ Greive said. “The style of player that is first picked each week.’’
Brisbane State High School
Speed man
Toshi Butlin
Well, BSHS win the speed man debate hands down. They have Toshi Butlin. The BSHS winger is a 100m state and national champion and Oceania Championship Australian team representative who is so fast, if you blink, you miss 10m.
Unsung, underrated
Jack Gordon
The big lock is Mr Consistency who has played every minute of the season for BSHS. He is a big man who simply never stops. “He is one of our top performers each week with his involvement stats,’’ said BSHS Director of Sport Matt Thornton.
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St Joseph Nudgee College
Speed men
Tory Bath, Kai Combarngo
Bath is explosive, one of the top five players of the competition who creates with his ball skills or finishes with his blinding acceleration. Combarngo is just quick, really speedy who rewards the hard work of his forwards with his dash on the flanks. He also uses that speed to mop up at the back.
Unsung, underrated
Patrick Dallimore, Griffin Schostakowski
Captain and flanker, Dallimore and lock Schostakowski were true tradesmen. “They do the little things well. Both have huge work rates, they work off the ball,’’ praised director of rugby Sean Graham. “Patrick is also a great leader.’’
The Southport School
Speed men
Jye Gray, Blake Raymond
There would not be too many quicker players over 20m than Gray. He is explosive, and once in the clear, can sustain his pace. Alongside him is winger Raymond, a multi-talented player who would be at home at fullback or five-eight, but who does a grand job on the wing. Last season’s leading try scorer, Raymond is in his third season of First XV rugby.
Underrated
Fergus Gillan
The TSS lock is an understated tight forward who coaches love. He grafts away, was a strong carrier and defender who also cleans out well. “He does his core work, scrum, line and kick-off exceptionally well,’’ praised TSS head coach Mike Wallace.
Billy Wellard
Wellard is a transformed outside centre who shines at flanker. “His understanding and game awareness is underrated,’’ Wallace added. “He has really good game awareness and on field leadership skills.’’
Churchie
Speed man
Mac Kelley
Kelley sits on the end of a star backline but he is never one to catch a cold if the ball is not coming his way. Kelley goes looking for action, swinging from one wing to the other. The scorer of three tries at the weekend, Kelley is also prepared to take a knock in contact.
Unsung, underrated
Thomas Stoddart
You could name any member of the Churchie pack in this category, so well is the side going. We settled on flanker Stoddart, a real glue player you build a side around. He must be a delight to play with, an inspiring leader who is leading the charge in Churchie’s chase of its first premiership since 2015.
ROUND 8
IGS v NC
ACGS v BGS
TSS v GT
BSHS v TGS
BBC bye
ROUND 9
BBC v BGS
IGS v TSS
BSHS v ACGS
TGS v GT
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