Marist College Ashgrove’s Jasper Barry and Tom Howard on similar trajectory to gun Old Boys

The relation of three generations of Wallabies and a rough and tumble No.8 will be among the next generation of Queensland Reds glimpsed at an elite Under 16 National Championship in Brisbane on Sunday.

Marist College Ashgrove boys to go through the Queensland Reds U16 program. Left to right: Jasper Barry, Nick Baker, Tom Howard, Floyd Aubrey(Pic: Brendan Hertel).

Marist College Ashgrove Year 10 rugby duo Jasper Barry and Tom Howard have been selected in the Queensland Reds U16 team which will face state sides from around the country this month.

The National Under 16 Rugby Championships will kick off on Sunday and the fancy footwork of fullback Howard and ferocious fending of No.8 Barry will be something to watch out for as the promising Ashgrove youngsters ascend through a pathway not dissimilar to their clones of the 2020 class.

Just three years ago a very similar pair were chosen to represent the Queensland under 16 Maroon team for the Junior Rugby Championships.

Nick Baker, a No.8 like Barry, and Floyd Aubrey, a fullback similar to Howard, were in the same shoes and have since graduated from the program into first grade honours at GPS and the Junior Wallabies, while perfecting their craft at Ballymore with the Queensland Reds senior academy.

Tom Howard (left) and Jasper Barry (right) at the Emerging Reds Cup.

Marist College Ashgrove head of rugby league Ryan Apps said Floyd was uniquely athletic. “He’s a chip and chase, freakish off the whim player with off the mark speed and elusiveness. An individual runner whereas Tom is a ball player.”

“Tom’s end to end efforts make him extra special. He’s a great attacking footballer but the effort sprinting from one edge to the other making a tackle is out of this world.”

Apps said Barry is a real competitor, “fearce, defensively excellent and a lot of mongrel.”

“That’s the biggest comparison with Baker. They have grit, toughness and the ability to grind with teams.”

You can see for yourself the similarities between Howard and Aubrey on Sunday at Sunnybank Rugby Club, when the Queensland Reds U16s take on the New South Wales Waratahs U16s before the Queenslands Reds Development XV take on the Queensland President’s XV in the Challenger Series.

Aubrey will play for the Queensland Reds Development XV at 4pm and Baker for the U19s at 2:30 while Barry and Howard, who bolster what shapes up to be an exciting future for Ashgrove’s First XV, will be making post contact metres and juking defenders at 1pm.

15-year-old Howard, who had an eye catching debut season on the wing in the AIC First XV competition, is following in the famous footsteps of Ashgrove Old Boy and Wallaby Pat Howard.

Howard is the son of Wallaby Pat, grandson of Wallaby Jake and great grandson of Cyril Towers who played for the Wallabies and helped develop running rugby with Randwick Boys High in Sydney in the 1920s.

“I know that Cyril is the best out of them—my Dad reckons he’s up there though. It’s funny because they are all different. My great grandad was a quick outside centre, Dad was a slow flyhalf, and my grandad was a prop.”

Former 1930s Australian Wallabies RU player Cyril Towers in 1973 Rugby Union P/ sport headshot.

The Grade 10 has the right genes in 2023 for far greater heights than 2022 where Ashgrove had one of their more underwhelming seasons in recent years.

With Barry by his side, there’s plenty for Ashgrove supporters to look forward to in years to come.

Howard said he learns everything from his dad, whether it be practising kicking, passing or the little skills to get better at, he is “always asking questions.”

Queensland Reds Head of Talent Management Paul Carozza said one of the reasons for Howards selection was because he had such a good season playing First XV rugby, which is “hard as a 15-year-old these days.

“At the Emerging Reds Cup he showed that he’s an attacking threat from fullback which is a huge job. He has great footwork, kicks the ball well and can counter-attack,” Carozza said.

Apps had lavish praise for Howard, saying he is the best schoolboy rugby player he’s seen at Ashgrove since 2004 Australian Schoolboy Alex Tallon.

The praise was equally as high for 16-year-old Barry, who has been shortlisted in the Norths Devils Mal Meninga Cup under 18s squad, commending his hard running and toughness.

Jasper Barry in action at the Confraternity Carnival this year.

“At the Confraternity Carnival he got a severely broken nose, we went into the changeroom with the doctors and they sat him down and broke his nose back in place.

“He didn’t grimace or bat an eye lid—instead he stopped the doctor so he could tell his mum to leave so she didn’t have to watch on.’’

Carozza said: “Barry’s ball carrying is a point of difference for him. He’s very strong and courageous in the way he carries the ball and he has really good physicality.”

AIC Schools rugby finale...Marist College Ashgrove v Iona held at Marist College Ashgrove. Rugby players on right of frame Gus Rosanowski, Nick Baker and Josh Radford celebrate their win. Saturday 15th June 2019. (AAP Image/Richard Waugh)

What Barry said about being selected: “It was a great feeling, my first ever real big representative team.

“Last year I had a crack at it and didn’t make the side so this year I was stoked and when Howard got selected it was even better.

“We’re always playing footy at the Ashgrove ‘Flats’ talking about seeing players like Nick and Floyd making sides and thinking jeez I want to be like that.

Looking back, I see the teams that they made, winning premierships. It’s something to aspire to.’’