Australian schools rugby 2023: Barbarians hand dark horse title to surprise team, squad names

Last year his team were the dark horse of the Australian schoolboy rugby titles. Now the Barbarians coach has identified another side who could cause shockwaves - and it may surprise.

NSW Barbarians playing Victoria at the 48th Australian School Rugby Championships at Knox Grammar in 2022. The Barbarians finished second in the tournament. Picture: John Appleyard

Last year coach Gary Tunks backed his Barbarians side to create waves at the Australian schools rugby championships and they did.

The U18 Barbarians placed second to NSW Schools I at the famous and long-running tournament to be among the major contenders for this year’s crown.

Now Tunks has identified a new team as the dark horse of the Australian schools rugby championships - and it may surprise.

Tunks believes the unvaunted NSW Junior side has the potentially to cause an upset or two at the event being run from Monday to Thursday at Eric Tweedale stadium next week.

The NSW Juniors won the 5th and 6th playoff against Queensland Schoolboys 1 in 2022 at Knox College in predominantly wet conditions.

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NSW Barbarian's Sam Pickard playing against Victoria last year.

The 2023 Juniors side is being coached by Andrew Fraser and is a combination of schoolboys and clubs teens who missed the cut in others squads, including the vaunted Schools I and II sides, or were not eligible to play in them.

“I don’t think we (Barbarians) can be the dark horse this year after our result,’’ Tunks said.

“But that NSW Juniors side is good. They stole a couple of boys I was interested in. They could be a real dark horse like we were last year.’’

NSW Barbarian's Harrison Bortolussi with the ball at last year’s event.

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Tunks said the Barbarians are “out to surprise again’’ in the four-day tournament at Eric Tweedale in Sydney’s west..

“I have a bunch of guys who have Colts experience and a fair few country boys. I reckon I have a pretty good side,’’ he said.

“I think the strength of any Barbarians side is we play with no regrets, we have nothing to lose. We are in there to surprise again.’’

NSW Barbarian's William Clark with the ball last year.

Tunks said having Colts players competing against other under 20s players means his side will be more “battle hardened’’ than some of the others competing.

“We also have a couple of big boys. I am known to do that,’’ he said.

“I think a lot of the time the schools go for very fit forwards. I go for bigger lads. We will hit from the start, be very direct.’’

Also in the Barbarians side are two players from Tasmania making their debut at the Australian schools tournament.

“They wanted to get a couple of their players involved so we took them. That’s what Barbarians are about,’’ Tunks said.

BARBARIANS U18 SQUAD 2023: 1 Tunui Jorgensen Gordon 2 Finn Graham Gordon 3 Cody Grant Warringah 4 Angus Ditchfield New England 5 Cooper Hall Central North 6 Matthew Jarman Warringah 7 Fergus Tayler Hunter 8 Noah Tofaeono Randwick 9 Liam Walsh Sydney Uni 10 Max Marsters Manly 11 Sevanaia Tikoduadua Eastwood 12 Iveni Nasio West Harbour 13 Riley Evans Randwick 14 Milad El Azar Southern Districts 15 Zachary Flynn Manly 16 Angus Liddle Sydney Uni 17 Tomas Rokosuka Illawarra 18 Justin Amituanai Sydney Uni 19 Hunter Cross Devonport (TAS) 20 Gus Paterson Gordon 21 Nathan Vaughan Hunter 22 Joseph Harvey Eastwood 23 Hunter Cooper Burnie (TAS).

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