GPS BBC profile: Brisbane Boys’ College embracing title drought

It’s been 64 years since BBC’s last premiership-winning side raised the GPS trophy, but the First XV are planning to go one-better in 2019.

IT’S been 64 years since Brisbane Boys’ College last raised a First XV trophy and the pressure to snap the drought has never been higher with kick-off just days away.

BBC will enter the 2019 season as favourites for the title as part of a “Big Three” alongside Nudgee College and The Southport School.

The team’s coaching staff are challenging their players to embrace the pressure of favouritism in the hope it will forge a team of diamonds.

1954 GPS Rugby Premiers. Les James, second row, charges down a kick. Photo supplied.

“It’s a different approach for us this year,” head coach Shane Drahm said.

“The result of not winning the premiership for 64 years is it builds a bit more pressure when you are a recognised chance of winning it.

“The best way to deal with that pressure is to get it out in the open and talk about it.”

To that aim, Drahm was open in what his expectations for BBC’s Class of 2019 are.

“We’re looking to win the premiership,” he said.

“We’ve spoken about that goal and we’ve worked on the processes of what it would take to get there.

“We’ve worked all pre-season on becoming the toughest and hardest-working team in the competition.”

MORE SCHOOL PROFILES:

●CHURCHIE

●GREGORY TERRACE

●BRISBANE GRAMMAR

●TOOWOOMBA GRAMMAR

●BRISBANE STATE HIGH

The monkey on BBC’s back has grown King Kong-sized, with a string of top-four finishes this decade a painful reminder of premiership potential gone unfilled.

Students must look back to snapshots from 1954 to see their last Premiership-winning heroes.

1954 GPS Rugby Premiers, BBC. Left to Right: B.H.L. Gibson, D.K. Horsley, B.J. Knowles, N.S. Cominos, D.E. Palm, A.C. Charlton, S.P. Kahler, R.M. Shaw, Mr G.E. Thomson (Coach), J.J. Connolly, R.K. Kirkcaldie, R.V. Glasse, E.T. Jones, G. Helen, J.L. James, J. Argery, G.R. Harding. Photo supplied.

Captain Robin Shaw, the grandfather of Wallaby Berrick Barnes, was a tackle-busting centre/fly half who played four seasons in the First XV from 1950 to 1954.

Goalkicker Jim Connolly, expelled from Nudgee in 1953 for smoking, joined BBC in 1954 and won his revenge by guiding the school to their first ever win over Nudgee, at Ross Oval.

Fullback Bruce Knowles broke his jaw in a trial match but designed his own faceguard while plastered in a hospital bed to return just four matches later.

1954 GPS Rugby Premiers. Left to Right: Robin Shaw (Captain), goalkicker Jim Connolly, George Helen, and coach Graham Thomson. Photo supplied.

Their stories should be legend at the school, but for many students they exist only as ancient history.

The coach of 1954’s champion side, Graham Thomson, said to win again would be a momentous occasion for the rugby community.

“Every year I go and watch BBC and I tell the team we want the monkey off our backs,” he said.

“I tell them they need to go one better than us, because we didn’t win the premiership, we only shared it (four ways, with Nudgee, Toowoomba and Churchie).

“For BBC a rugby premiership is the hidden cache that everybody is waiting for it to happen.

“When it does I think there will be an explosion and the effect it will have on the rugby population at BBC will be quite tremendous.”

BBC outside centre Jack Howarth in action during the Under 18 Queensland V NSW State of Origin game at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Pics Adam Head

The school will call upon an army of returning First XV squad members to make that dream a reality.

Front rowers Jake Tierney and Oscar Ruru, flankers Jacob Blyton and Jack Kelly, fullback Jack Bowyer-Bowen and centres Lukas Ripley and Jack Howarth are set to reprise their roles from 2018.

Filling the boots of graduated Queensland Reds ace Carter Gordon at No. 10 will be Gladstone product Connor Claridge.

BBC has been robbed of one exciting prospect, with seven-try winger Xavier Savage walking away from the school to play rugby league.

Xavier Savage ran the 100 metres in 10.5 seconds at the 2018 GPS Track and Field, the fastest time of any 16-year-old in State Athletics history.

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GPS Premierships: 1

Most recent: 1954 (shared)

The Courier-Mail’s BBC Team of the Decade

1. Benroy Sala (2013)

2. Bronson Tauakipulu (2013)

3. Rhys van Nek (2017)

4. Trevor Hosea (2017)

5. Darcy Swain (2015)

6. Tom Kibble (2017)

7. Jack Farrell (2015)

8. Ben Gunter (2015)

9. Isaac Henry (c, 2016)

10. Carter Gordon (2018)

11. Jack Bowen-Bowyer (2019)

12. Conrad Quick (2013)

13. Len Ikitau (2016)

14. Jaydn Ngamanu (2015)

15. Tom Banks (2012)