AIC Rugby: Marist College Ashgrove rated favourites to take the title in 2019
A new season of AIC schools rugby revives traditional rivalries and ignites fresh history. JIM TUCKER and LACHLAN GREY take a look at the eight schools.
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John Eales became Australia’s greatest Wallaby yet as a lean bean schoolboy at Marist College Ashgrove he was only rated good enough to be a representative team reserve.
True story.
He was reserve for the old TAS Second XV, not even the Firsts, in 1987 which meant he was just an anonymous spectator when the Queensland Schoolboys played the visiting Irish.
Schoolboy rugby is littered with such stories...the First XV stud who doesn’t quite make it after school and the underrated like young Eales who rise through skills and perseverance.
What they all share is that special feeling of a season with best mates and cone-of-silence tales at school when footy of any code is at its most pure.
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“School sport was just a wonderful thing...you compete beside your good mates and against guys who become mates,” said Eales, the two-time World Cup winner.
The old TAS structure was reshaped into the eight-school AIC framework (Associated Independent Colleges) in time for the 1999 rugby season.
You never know exactly where inner resolve comes from but being snubbed is a good one and so it was for Eales when considered too skinny to be a state schoolboy lock.
“Being left out was a driving force for a few years but I wouldn’t have been the only schoolboy player who ever thought he deserved a chance when no else did,” Eales said.
It turned into a fair career because the 86-Test Wallabies great returned to Marist College Ashgrove in 2002 for The John Eales Grandstand unveiling.
The champion St Laurence’s College team, of future Wallaby Mark Connors, toppled Eales’ outfit 19-0 in the 1987 TAS grand final.
Connors, later a Bledisloe Cup-winning packmate, recalls the formative Eales vividly.
“He was gangly, uncoordinated and gave me an unintentional elbow so, of course, there was one of those schoolboy melees with lots of energy but not much drama,” Connors said.
This 2019 season is for fresh names and history.
Already, the outgunned Lauries outfit of 2018 has transformed into an eye-catching troop with strapping No.8 John Bryant and sharp attacking fullback Christian Torluccio to the fore.
It may be a season for fullbacks to excel because big-stepping Floyd Aubrey is a free-spirited attacker for Marist, who changes the course of games, just as diminutive spark Hamish Muir (Villanova) can.
MARIST COLLEGE ASHGROVE
AIC Premierships: 12
Most recent: 2018 (joint)
Exciting fullback Floyd Aubrey is an unpredictable dynamo but that only works with the hard graft and direct play of the pack and outside centre Campbell Moller.
You’d have to rate Marist as premiership favourites.
GAMEBREAKER: Fullback Floyd Aubrey.
FIVE FROM HISTORY: John Eales, Daniel Herbert, Des Connor, Brendan Moon, Bob Honan.
PADUA COLLEGE
AIC Premierships: 3
Most recent: 2016
The brown-and-gold machine hopes to rediscover the premiership glory of 2015-16 and a monstrous pack is the starting point.
Locks Lachlan McKenzie, the new skipper, and Chris Bozzi are at the core.
GAMEBREAKER: No.8 Poasi Manu.
FIVE FROM HISTORY: Dane Carlaw, Paul Vautin, Paul McCabe, Lindsay Collins, David Stagg.
ST EDMUND’S COLLEGE, IPSWICH
AIC Premierships: 2
Most recent: 2014
Backs Luke Thorne, hitting his straps after a knee injury ruined 2018, and Ethan Whiteside were yesterday honoured with the co-captaincy.
Strides are being taken to be more competitive after the 0-7 run last year. Ball-running prop Cade Scanlan is typical of the extra starch upfront.
GAMEBREAKER: Flyhalf Luke Thorne.
FIVE FROM HISTORY: Sam Johnson, Jeff McLean, Paul McLean, James Stannard, Denis Flannery.
VILLANOVA COLLEGE
AIC Premierships: 1
Most recent: 2010
A well-planned pre-season of seven games, including a trip to New Zealand’s South Island, has Villa well tuned under skipper James Livingstone.
Start their season against St Edmund’s College on Tuesday.
GAMEBREAKER: Flanker James Livingstone.
FIVE FROM HISTORY: Andrew Slack, Ben Mowen, Brad Meyers, Mark Thomas, Bruce Walker.
ST LAURENCE’S COLLEGE
AIC Premierships: 2
Most recent: 2008
Expect Lauries to be the big improvers of 2019 after last year’s poor 1-6 campaign.
Influential players in key positions including powerful No.8 John Bryant and big-stepping winger Enrique Umana.
Good start with Ballymore Cup win and 17-10 opener against St Pats.
GAMEBREAKER: No.8 John Bryant.
FIVE FROM HISTORY: Brendan Cannon, Dan Crowley, Mark Connors, Nev Cottrell, Laurie Lawrence.
ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE, SHORNCLIFFE
AIC Premierships: 1
Most recent: 2018 (joint)
A strong and productive backrow will help St Pats scrap in every match through captain Morgan Prendergast and Jasper Simmons.
Only a few return from last year’s joint premiership side but plenty of positive work ethic to keep up standards.
GAMEBREAKER: Flanker Morgan Prendergast.
FIVE FROM HISTORY: Drew Mitchell, Jesse Mogg, Jeral Skelton, Dylan Napa, Lachlan Connors.
IONA COLLEGE
AIC Premierships: 4
Most recent: 2018 (joint)
Haphazard scheduling means the schools’ State Championships at Sunnybank will have first shot at flyhalf Max Plath on Saturday rather than Iona for the game against Padua.
Captain and backrower Will Markham is quality and a member of Queensland’s Under-18 academy.
GAMEBREAKER: Backrower Will Markham.
FIVE FROM HISTORY: Jared Waerea Hargraves, Luke Doherty, Shane Drahm, Ed Quirk, Brad Wilkin.
ST PETERS LUTHERAN COLLEGE
AIC Premierships: 2
Most recent: 2012
In a smallish backline, the thrust of centre Jeremiah Tkatchenko will be vital to the go-forward of St Peters and their defensive organisation out wide.
Flanker Max Hurwood and No.8 John Radel are big assets in the backrow but it could be a tough season for Saints.
GAMEBREAKER: Centre Jeremiah Tkatchenko.
FIVE FROM HISTORY Rod Hauser, Moses Sorovi, Mark Harris, George Morseu, Will Duma.
Originally published as AIC Rugby: Marist College Ashgrove rated favourites to take the title in 2019
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