GPS First XV rugby union schoolboy round 1 action
GPS First XV rugby: Who were the round 1 winners during a bumper return to schoolboy rugby? All you need to know here, including from the heavyweight bout - Nudgee v TSS.
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The GPS First XV season started with a bang today, with competition heavyweights Nudgee College and The Southport School slugging it out in an early premiership bout.
A young midfield giant and a diminutive fullback ganged up to give Nudgee College the winning edge over, 31-15, over TSS at Nudgee.
Centre Rob Toia and his No.15 Tory Bath displayed roaring horse power as Nudgee laid early claims to GPS premiership favouritism.
Nudgee is not far from the old Deagon racetrack where, once upon a time, Bath could have easily got a ride.
The jockey-sized, fresh from helping the Queensland schoolboys rugby league team win at the national championship, was a thrill-a-minute performer behind a sure and steady pack which, by-in-large, edged out their rivals.
Twice Bath scored tries – including a crucial sprint to the line just after halftime which raised Nudgee to 21-10 after TSS had closed the gap with a picture perfect rolling maul try (penalty try).
Bath’s orange boots were a flaming blur as he blazed across the ground.
Then, moments later, another text book shift from his halves Lawrence and House, resulted in Bath speeding into space and chip kicking ahead for his partner in crime Toia to score.
From 14-10 it was 28-10 in an instant and TSS were in trouble.
Then Maddox Maclean’s landed his fourth kick of the afternoon – a penalty – making it 31-10.
Toia was also enormous, an outside back dynamo with brute strength, pace and more brute strength. Gosh he was hard to hold.
Nudgee’s forwards were outstanding against spirited rivals.
In the line out they varied attack, sometimes taking it in and driving, and other occasions tapping quick ball away from the top.
And then the pick and drive was sturdy stuff, gifting half Lawrence front foot possession
TSS never gave up, and their rolling maul attack just on halftime to reduce Nudgee’s lead was reward for their toil.
They also moved the ball well, with Jye Gray a trigger, but Nudgee’s cover defence was up to the task. And it had to be, such was TSS’ desire to remain in the fight despite trailing on the scoreboard.
TSS missed too many tackles early, but the foundation is there to cause fellow teams grief and they will be better for the run against the early benchmark side.
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But none of the try scoring success would have been possible without the outstanding ball retention of Nudgee, and the forward effort.
Toia was the full package. As from his sledge hammer running, twice he rescued Nudgee, once with a tackle, and a second time with a tough run off his line.
It was all Nudgee early, with Toia’s first touch resulting in a break which quickly shifted Nudgee onto the front foot.
For the second time in the early exchanges TSS captain Jye Gray cleaned up in defence, but TSS had been fractured.
A quick shift right then saw centre Nudgee Maddox Maclean plunge over. He then converted his try from wide out.
That try followed fullback Tory Bath lighting up the ground with a thrilling counter attack burst from the back field.
The carding of prop Declan Faulkner did not help, but Nudgee could not have started better.
Toia then saved the day in defence when a Lviv by TSS’s Spencer Adlock found space and then winger Mason King, but Toia made a try saving tackle 2m out.
Thumping midfield defence by Toia and his mates then repelled TSS’s attacking scrum ball after a clean heel, then a Toia half break resulted in Bath sweeping his winger Combarngo
down field.
Nudgee’s confidence was such that they declined a certain three points from a penalty, electing instead for a centre field scrum, 15m out.
It was a grand decision by skipper Patrick Dallimore, with quick scrum ball clear by halfback Inigo Lawrence, freeing Bath to display his scorching pace.
Bath burned the TSS defence on the outside to score, as he scored in the corner.
Another booming conversion by Maclean made it 14-3.
But on the cusp of halftime, TSS’s forwards engineered a power laden rolling maul surge to trigger a penalty try and all of a sudden it was 14-10 and anyone’s match.
The joy TSS’s try must have given the coaching staff, as hours of practice resulted in perfection and a valuable seven points.
Scores: Nudgee 31 (T Bath 2, M Maclean R Toia, tries; N Maclean 4 convs. 1 pens) def TSS 15 (Penalty try; B Raymond try; S Adlock con, pen)
What better way for BBC to celebrate their 120th birthday than to put on a show at Miskin Oval, and come away convincing 31-13 winners.
It was a sight to see as the 2020 reigning premiers gelled together in front of a vocal sea of green.
The scene was set early with the pipe band, passionate war-cries, and sheer individual brilliance by the newly glimpsed schoolboy stars.
The first to draw blood was BSHS flanker Doug Kennar who was one of the best on the field. With a strong pick and drive Kennar capitalised on a beautiful set piece play orchestrated by centres Siliva Leofa and Hayden Moller, who gave the visitors all the momentum they needed to make BBC pay.
This was rebutted by Jack Howarth reincarnated, Xavier Rubens— a powerful yet dynamic centre who was dangerous all afternoon with ball in hand.
Rubens took no time at all to get a bumper crowd engrossed in the clash when bumping and burning three defenders to score his team’s first of 2022.
Halfback Jamie Alexander darted from the back of the ruck and crashed over for BBC’s second consecutive try to push in front 14-8.
Alexander was incredible for the whole 70 minutes. He’s an instinctual scrum half who’s playmaking ability gave BBC the edge.
His flyhalf Oscar Shaw exited the ball very well as did opposing No.10 Tauave Leofa. while BBC fullback Daniel Malum was safe under the high ball and returned it with agearnes to counter attack.
Hooker Cooper Hoare extended the lead at 21-8 only two minutes into the second half. Immediate pressure off the restart rewarded the boys in green with great field position to score.
No.8 Nathan O’Neill came up huge for BBC with his pilfering and strong ball-carrying, as did flanker Toby Macpherson close to the try-line.
BBC had another golden opportunity to push further in front, however they smartly opted to take the three points to move two converted tries ahead at 24-8.
The home side’s second half surge continued when Samson Tuqiri, son of Lote, broke away for a 60m try. Alexander was the catalyst once again, finding Tuqiri bursting through a hole.
In the final minutes BSHS were finally rewarded for their resilience in defence, having denied multiple BBC attempts at the line.
Starved of the ball, speedy wing Toshi Butlin showed how dangerous he is in open space when charging up the middle and shifting it to Siliva Leofa who found Ethan Hicks to score with the help of Netani Lesimaikimatuku.
With a fantastic final effort, BSHS settled the scores at 31-13. But, it was the magic from BBC in the second stanza that made it an almost impossible task for the visitors to keep up.
The ‘Green Machine’ was too strong, running away 31-13 winners.
In Toowoomba, TGS started their 2022 season campaign with a nail biting 18-10 victory over IGS.
The home side won the big moments of the game, and controlled it at itical times better than their rivals who journeyed from Ipswich.
Over the last few years the rivalry between these two teams has been brewing with really tight results across each game.
Both evenly-matched teams snatching wins when the game was in the balance.
It was a team performance by TGS that saw them pull away with it, however it was an intercept try in the final minutes by Chase Oates that sealed the deal, pushing his team in front by eight.
With his team up 11-10, Oates made the biggest play of the game which could have gone either way when going for an intercepton.
Indeed the home crowd was delighted to see him run away with a five-point dagger.
Lock George Griffiths scored a try on debut, in a cracking try off the lineout. The TGS forwards were led by captain Charlie Horn, while flyhalf Wihan Kruger controlled the game with his kicking.
The IGS forward-pack was very solid, with the set piece the biggest positive to come out of the affair.
Ipswich lost it with the dejointment of the backs, wasting good opportunities. There was a lack of cohesion, failing to execute the simple things.
TGS made the most of the opportunities they were given, with the flow of the match limited due to its stop-start nature.
IGS Second rower Raife McKenzie was very hardworking, showing up everywhere across the paddock in an excellent effort.
McKenzie was assisted by halfback Nathan Fraser who’s service from the ruck was phenomenal.
In what IGS Director of Sport Nigel Greive described as a terrific all-round performance, the scrum half had a fantastic run down the blind which almost led to a try.
Standout flanker Ayrton Holmes scored IGS’ lone try off the lineout.
Greive said the boys are disappointed in the result but will go to training with their heads up, ready to fix up the deficiencies in attack and “go from there.”
At Tennyson, Churchie triumphed 24-19 over Terrace thanks to a hattrick effort by centre Frankie Goldsbrough. Head Coach Ryan Shultz said It was good for the team to get onto a winning start for the season.
Goldsbrough was “damaging and hard to handle all day,” while fullback Mac Kelley, lock Ben Daniels and sniping halfback Archie Wilson were incredible.
Terrace head coach Michael Broad had high praise for Churchie’s standouts saying
“ Goldsbrough played outstandingly, while their clever halfback took advantage of space and holes—finding it quickly and capitalising.”
In the dying moments, huge defensive efforts from Churchie’s Mac Kelley with a trysaver and captain Thomas Stoddart with big tackles and crucial breakdown wins held out multiple surges at the line by Terrace.
“Our defensive efforts to hold them out gives the team plenty of confidence,” Schultz said.
The difference in the sides was that Terrace had opportunities to score and didn’t while Churchie had opportunities and they took them.
Broad said it was a really good lesson learned for our boys, the effort was outstanding, “unfortunately marred by costly little errors.”
Angus Munn at No.8 was very strong while lock Tom Robinson, son of former Wallaby Brett, and Noah Clifford who was coming off an injury were very impressive.
Fullback Nick Dunstan did a great job, “cool under pressure” and excellent off the kicking tee.
Centre Nick Lawrence and lock Xavier Grambower were among the try scorers for Terrace.
Schultz said: “The ability to consistently control territory is an area where the Churchie First XV will continue to work on, however the grit and heart they showed in today’s game was a great way to start the season.”
Round 2
BGS v BSHS
NC v TGS
GT v BBC
ACGS v IGS
TSS bye
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