GPS First XV Team of the Week following round 1 action
What looms as the most even GPS premiership race in years started last Saturday with a bang – featuring three thrilling finishes – and every school is represented in our Round 1 Team of the Week.
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What looms as the most even GPS premiership race in years started last Saturday with a bang – featuring three thrilling finishes.
The close nature of games was reflected in our first Team of the Week story below where the eight competing schools were all represented in our top 23 selections.
ROUND 1 REPORT – WHAT A START TO THE SEASON
TEAM OF THE WEEK
1. Kingsley Uys (TSS)
We knew TSS had a pack to match the best in the competition this season but what we didn’t know was that they had Uys up their sleeve. What a stunning debut performance.
2. Kody Perry (BGS)
Perry scored, tackled and pilfered like a king. On various occasions in the first half, Perry and his forward pack repelled BBC from in close.
Perry was at the forefront of that swarming defence.
3. Jeremiah Sialau (TGS)
It all started in the front row where Sialau was the cornerstone of his team’s sweeping mauls and pick and drive assaults.
4. George Griffiths (TGS)
Fancy a lock running 75m to score. Griffiths did that, and was a figurehead at the pointy end of TGS’s dangerous pick and drive and rolling maul efforts.
5. Fergus Gillan (TSS)
TSS’s strength this season is it’s forwards and Gillan was exceptional driving his pack toward victory in a cutthroat clash.
6. Tom Robinson (Terrace)
A fabulous lock talent but we named in blind flanker here to get the best from the weekend into the First XV.
BBC blindside flanker Gray O’Neil was also impressive over at Northgate.
RELATED LINKS
ROUND 1 TEAMS, FEARLESS FORECAST FOR THE PREMIERSHIP
GPS RUGBY TEAM OF THE DECADE SO FAR
7. Mika Crichton (BGS)
Brisbane Grammar will be no pushover this season and blindside flanker Chrichton will make sure of it. Against BBC on Saturday, Chrichton was a terrific support runner who met his opposition with force when rushing up on defence.
8. Jimmy White (TGS)
Tough as teak, White is the type of player you’d love to play with. He helps balance out the TGS side.
9. Jamie Alexander (BBC)
It is truly amazing what the Queensland Under 17s cricketer and Queensland Reds Under 18s Grey rugby scrum half can do on the sporting field. In round 1, Alexander’s astute kicking, sharp passing, quick decision making and surprise running game worked wonders for BBC.
10. Charlie Johnstone (Churchie)
Calm as a cucumber Johnstone grabbed the steering wheel and directed Churchie to victory – only just. He has a great temperament.
11. Samson Tuqiri (BBC)
An off-season full of footy really showed for winger Samson Tuqiri. Coming off Meninga Cup rugby league and Queensland Reds Under 18s training, Tuqiri looked faster this season.
12. Frank Howarth (BCC)
The BBC backline had this battering ram at inside centre. A bruising defender, Frank, younger brother of Jack, was at home in his First XV debut.
13. Ripley (BCC)
If getting through Frank wasn’t hard enough, BGS had to try find a way around this guy.
The younger brother of Lucas, Delacruz did most damage on the defensive end.
14. Amaziah Murga (IGS)
IGS have a number of green shoots and top of the tree is this quicksilver winger. Well done to his inside men working him into the game and he didn’t disappoint with three tries.
15. Tyson Walker (IGS)
Walker influenced IGS’s attack with lovely touch plays, but for a young bloke he also displayed great courage at the back fielding TSS Spencer Alcock’s kicking game.
Reserves
16. Spencer Alcock (TSS)
He could easily have been in the First XV. A thorough professional who will position his very good pack around the field.
17. Moses Manu (BSHS)
Manu was a fabulous mobile tight forward talent, match hardened by his 2022 debut.
18. Will Pascoe (BGS)
The determined Pascoe played lock and looked to have immense power in his legs.
Once he got rolling, it took more than one BBC player to bring him to the ground.
19. Angus Kelly (Terrace)
Terrace has a good young crop coming through the ranks and Kelly is one of them. He enhanced his reputation with limited chances against TGS.
20. Jack Gordon (BSHS)
An unlucky omission from the Team of the Week, lock Gordon is super reliable and a leader of the BSHS pack that went within a whisker of upsetting Churchie.
21. Nathan Fraser (IGS)
Our Team of the Week had a small army of five-eight options and was as good as any of them, with his decision making helping released three-star wing hero Coombes.
22. Tauave Leofa (BSHS)
Leofa is another BSHS player who will benefit from being blooded during a difficult 2022 season. He is a No. 10 of the highest order.
23. Tristan Knudsen (BGS) or Cooper Hoare (BBC)
We couldn’t pick between these two.
Knudsen was a terrific tight-head both in the scrums and in the breakdown for BGS while hooker Hoare picked up two tries with powerful raids from close range.
The couriermail.com.au and will again be providing coverage both mid week, and late afternoon each Saturday.
Special mentions
Dirhys Sefo (BSHS)
BSHS has a talented bunch this season capable of crashing the party and No. 8 Sefo could not have started his season better than what he did against Churchie last week.
PJ Su’a (Terrace)
Su’a is an unlucky omission from our top 23 with his thumping ball carries as good as any in the competition. He is a real wildcard talent who can impact this competition.
Ewald Kruger (TGS)
TGS were fortunate to have this mobile hooker. It as his second win at Tennyson this season – he took six wickets to bowl TGS to a First XI win in February.
Tom Bailey (TGS)
The hulking TGS blindside flanker left us wanting more. He has tremendous promise in this competition.
Richard Dean and Iliasa Baravilala (both TGS)
The boys redirected TGS back on track in the second half against Terrace with well-timed, astute tactical kicking.
Clancy McCosker (TGS)
If you saw McCosker 50m kick and regather 50m individual try in round 1, you’d know why he earned a “special mention’’. It was a special performance.
Jonty Davis (BGS)
With more ball in his hands, bullocking inside centre Jonty Davis will be a prime mover for BGS this season.
He will be able to push BGS past the advantage line and with the help of silky smooth fly half Elijah Breen, that will not be a problem.
Brock Coombes
The Ipswich back three in Tyson Walker, Amaziah Murgha and Brock Coombes played like they’d been teammates forever.
Murgha made the left wing position his.
ROUND 2
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 NC v IGS NC
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 BGS v ACGS BGS
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 GT v TSS GT
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 TGS v BSHS TGS
Sat, 22 Jul 2023 BBC v Bye
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