GPS First XV rugby Team of the Week from round 5
Unsung Toowoomba and Southport heroes, a game-winning BSHS prop and a nimble Nudgee outside back make the round 5 GPS First XV rugby Team of the Week after another bumper weekend.
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The closeness of the competition has been reflected in the naming of our Team of the Week following another rip-roaring round of action.
Six schools were represented in our top First XV, and in addition both Churchie and Brisbane Grammar School were represented on the reserves bench.
CLUB RUGBY FINALS FEVER - HOW YOU CLUB WENT
Although the competition looks like a race in three between The Southport School, Churchie and Nudgee, the points table does not reflect how competitive BSHS, Terrace and Ipswich Grammar School have been.
BSHS could easily have been undefeated, so close have their matches been and IGS have pushed their rivals hard in each game.
POINTS TABLE: TSS 10, TGS 8, CHURCHIE 6, NUDGEE 6, BBC 4, BSHS 4, GT 2, IGS 0, BGS 0
TEAM OF THE WEEK
15. Charlie Dwyer (The Southport School)
TSS fullback Charlie Dwyer was immense with his kick-returns, counter attack and general play.
He was brave under the high ball, set up a try and scored a try as well.
14. Nicholas Conway (Nudgee College)
Conway was scared as could be the night before making his First XV debut but he could not have had a better start to shake the nerves.
He scored two tries in the first half and then two more in the second.
What a way to burst onto the scene.
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13. Harry Newham (Toowoomba Grammar School)
Newham had a big assignment - marking Frankie Goldsbrough - and passed the exam with flying colours.
He formed a part of an defensive net that not only curtailed Churchie, it forced them into error.
With the ball he was also a servable outside centre who did not transfer pressure to his wingers.
12. Xavier Rubens (BBC)
The explosive Rubens was enormous in the midfield, challenging the TSS defensive structure with his power game. He was Class with a capital C.
11. Jacob Johnson (Nudgee)
Johnson had his best game of the season on Saturday. He set up tries left right and centre and even scored himself.
The Nudgee fullback is a classy player. To get him into our top XV, we name him at wing.
10. Tauave Leofa (Brisbane State High)
Leofa is fast becoming one of the premier playmakers in the competition and on Saturday that was reflected when he assisted on Brisbane State High’s 64th minute go-ahead try against Ipswich Grammar.
It was a textbook Leofa goose step which did just enough to allow Josh Takai to gather momentum and crash over under the sticks.
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9. Sam Watson (Nudgee College)
Watson was here there and everywhere for Nudgee. If he wasn’t putting his teammates in over the line he was taking a dart and scoring himself.
He made the right decisions, including attacking the short side where Nudgee had enormous luck.
8. Jimmy White (Toowoomba Grammar School)
He laps up the contact - and the challenge - for TGS. Whether defensively, carrying the ball or supporting a fallen player at the breakdown, White is the type of tough kid you would not swap for another No. 8 in the competition.
7. Billy Wellard (The Southport School)
Wellard could be rated eight out of 10 and still be disappointed - that is how high he sets the bar. He was easily among the top three players on the field last Saturday with his extraordinary work around the field.
6. Joe Gray (Toowoomba Grammar School)
It is awful to highlight Joe Gray ahead of his teammate Tom Bailey in this position, because as a trio Gray, Bailey and Jimmy White - complemented by mobile locks George Griffiths and Jonah Allen - form this blue and gold formation which is so efficient both sides of the ball. Gray rips in hard, another unheralded hero from the Darling Downs.
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GPS FIRST XV RUGBY ROUND 2 TEAM OF THE WEEK
5. Raife McKenzie (Ipswich Grammar School)
The Ipswich Grammar captain and back-rower was a lineout disrupter who earned turnovers across the park with effort plays.
McKenzie also made a ridiculous amount of tackles under fatigue.
4. Oscar Affleck (Ipswich Grammar School)
Affleck had a V8 engine like his back-row-buddy McKenzie. He left everything on the field only to be pipped at the very end by the magnificent Moses Manu.
3. Moses Manu (Brisbane State High School)
Of course prop Manu was going to be good but who knew how good he would be this year?
He has been exceptional and on Saturday it was the same story as it has been all season with another strong showing from the bullocking tight-head.
He scored the game-winning try in the 73rd minute, elevating his side to a 26-19 lead with an unstoppable pick-and-drive.
2. Finlay King (Nudgee College)
In a 13-try-haul by the Nudgee boys, hooker Finlay King bagged two with his rolling maul magic making his First XV debut a game to remember.
1. Kingsley Uys (The Southport School)
The young loose-head was immense for a rookie still learning the position. Are we looking at the find of the season here? He will take some beating not to claim that mantle.
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ROUND 1 TEAMS, FEARLESS FORECAST FOR THE PREMIERSHIP
Reserves
Noah Rauluni (Nudgee)
The Nudgee breakaway was a thrill-a-minute performer in the first half, breaking tackles and sidestepping like a back in disguise.
Like Johnson and Maclean, the athletic Rauluni had his best outing of the season.
Nathan Fraser (Ipswich Grammar)
Fraser has a touch of class, a beautiful spiral pass and is a goal kicking ace who can slot them from anywhere.
This was apparent when he slotted a right-touchline conversion 70 minutes into the contest with the game on the line.
Ipswich were down 19-17 and Fraser’s kick never looked like missing.
Charlie Johnstone (Churchie)
Although Toowoomba Grammar School applied pressure in defence, Churchie never found their mojo with uncharacteristic handling errors and stray passing
Johnstone has played but out of the wreckage the five-eight was a shining light, brilliantly creating a try, saving another with a classical covering tackle and kicking cleverly in general play.
Tyler Maybery (BBC)
Mayberry and BBC locks Avery Thomson and Harrison Angel played their part in a fabulous schoolboy exhibition against TSS and all three would not have been out of place in our top XV. Mayberry, particularly, impressed with his hard at the ball play.
Dajuan Manase (Ipswich Grammar)
The powerful Ipswich Grammar inside centre continues to improve this season and in round 5 he again outdid himself with what director of sport Nigel Greive concluded was his best game of the year.
Maddox Maclean (Nudgee)
Not unlike Johnson, fly half Maclean played out his strongest game of the season.
Maclean is one of those players who seems to have time and a calm head.
He also has a terrific boot which was instrumental in moving Nudgee from point A to point
Finn Kendall (Ipswich Grammar)
Year 10 outside centre Finn Kendall was the one who scored that crucial try converted by Fraser and he was threatening all afternoon by running dead straight lines in the wider channels.
Tyson Walker (Ipswich Grammar)
Walker did what he does best and that is make players around him better with his ability to run, kick and pass his teammates into try scoring chances.
Kilarney Lavendar (The Southport School)
Lavendar played strongly on the wing with his finishing, strong, aggressive and physical play. He did not look out of place in the midfield when he was called into the centres during the game.
Will Pascoe and Mika Crichton (Brisbane Grammar)
It was a tough day at the office for Brisbane Grammar facing a fired up Nudgee team looking to avenge their round 4 loss.
Lock Pascoe and flanker Crichton were, like the entire Brisbane Grammar forward pack, brave with their goal line defence.
ROUND 6
Terrace v BSHS
Churchie v TSS
BGS v IGS
Nudgee v BBC
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