AIC First XV rugby round 1 features explosive start to the season

The AIC First XV schoolboy rugby season was off to a stunning start following a 93-point sensation in round 1 action. All you need to know here.

Seb Gardiner, middle, with teammates after the match.

The Marist College Ashgrove First XV waved in the 2025 season in the most remarkable fashion by winning a 93-point shootout with Iona College.

Ashgrove evoked memories of the famous, flourishing Barbarians outfits of the 1970s and 1980s who used to run international touring teams off their feet during the grand finale to British Isles tours.

With captain Seb Gardiner simply extraordinary in the final 15 minutes, Ashgrove won the round 1 gun fight 55-38, firing more bullets at their rivals to pull away after Iona led 38-33 midway into the second half.

It was brave, and at times bewildering ball movement from Ashgrove which was high risk but ultimately effective.

It takes two to tango, and Iona’s role made the thrill-a-minute bout more memorable.

Three times Iona’s defensive pressure led to either intercept tries or a fumble leading to tries.

Around those three tries from turnovers, hulking Iona hooker Bailey Swifte powered over for two tries from close to the line, the second of which was helped by his No.8 Diesel Hauff boldly stealing possession from a Josh Heinrich lineout throw.

Swifte was close to the best player on the field until replaced late in the game.

Josh Heinrich, the Ashgrove hooker, is all smiles.

But Heinrich was to have the last laugh, with his dam-busting runs and goal kicking helping raise Ashgrove beyond Iona’s clutches.

What a performance Ash captain Gardiner produced when his team needed an extra effort after Iona had hit the front 38-33, following Iona fullback Max Bolton’s brilliant creation of a try for his winger Luke Coffey.

Twice flanker Gardiner summoned the energy to make breaks wide of the ruck, with one burst leading to a Xavier Howard special and a second run presenting a try for his fellow flanker James Johnston.

Leading 47-38, Ashgrove were far from safe as Iona attacked, but Gardiner won crucial Iona lineout ball while under intense pressure.

From that treasured possession, Ashgrove swept play 100m upfield, finishing with right winger Ted Clarke scoring.

Then, not long after the kick off, Gardiner again denied Iona it’s attacking ball with a steal at the ruck which led to a pressure relieving counter-attack by Ashgrove.

They were four huge moments during the championship rounds by Gardiner, who in the first half also scored to finish a long range movement.

Unrestrained joy greeted fulltime for Marist players.

Ashgrove hooker Heinrich also had a whale of a game, including a 45m runaway try that ended in an unwise swan-dive after Sean Green had kept the ball alive.

Heinrich’s strength and skill also enabled him to be a link player between Clarke’s initial surge, and outside centre Howard’s finishing burst to the tryline.

Ash breakaway Johnston was another top line performer and thoroughly deserved his try, while Howard’s precision, passing and pace in the midfield complemented Ashgrove’s running game.

The best little man on the field was Ashgrove winger Liam Rice who overcame two brutal confrontations to duck and weave his team’s way onto the front foot.

Iona’s defence was stout early, contributing to the bayside boys leading 10-nil after winger Coffey had swooped on loose ball caused by Iona’s hustle.

Iona’s powerful pack also won a scrum penalty which also directly led to Swifte’s first try, while a Hauff intercept close to halftime resulted in winger Oscar Colbert looming in support to score.

Iona halfback Keanu Bothma was outstanding across the first 50 minutes, with his box kicking adding sanity to a freewheeling affair.

Iona fullback Max Bolton was brave at the back, while forward leader Sam Hodder was a major threat to Ashgrove upfront.

Iona were close, very close to a stunning away win, and new coach Brendan Gabbett has plenty to work on.

Scores: Ashgrove 55 (Xavier Howard 2, Wylie Gordon, Josh Heinrich, Hamish McAlonan, James Johnston, Seb Gardiner, Ted Clarke tries, Heinrich 6 convs, pen) defeated Iona 38 (Bailey Swifte 2, Luke Coffey 2, Blaze Mohi tries; Mohi 5 conv, pen).

Xavier Howard runs the ball during the 2024 season. Picture credit: Denver Jensen.

In Runcorn, St Laurence’s interchange forward McKinlay Reid made the biggest play of the game when quelling a Villa rolling maul three minutes from full time.

Villa had played more than 45 minutes with fullback Max Green in the bin (red card for tipping tackle) and were down 27-21, closing in on the Laurie’s tryline seeking to land the knockout blow.

The boys in green looked certain rumble go over before Reid emerged with the ball and layed it back to Doubles Daley awardee Josh Madden, the Laurie’s scrumhalf.

Josh Madden feeds the ball into the scrum.

Madden booted the ball more than 50m downfield and in pursuit was impressive fullback Harry Taylor who won a breakdown penalty and called game. It just so happened to be his First XV debut as a Year 10 counter-attacking weapon.

Phew. Laurie’s were home, only just.

It could have been a different story had Villanova played with their full team.

Even without their full suite of players, Villa showed they will ruffle plenty of feathers this season with their grit, defensive doggedness and never say die attitude.

A yellow card to Sean Kelly (wing, tackling a player in the air) and Green (fullback) at almost the same time midway through the first half had supporters expecting a blow out would ensue.

Laurie’s led 12-0 and scored instantly when Green left the field to make it 17-0. It could have gotten ugly.

Unlike teams of the past, this year’s Villa outfit rose to deliver a stunning response to have the home side shaking in their boots repelling a 67th minute rolling maul heave.

St Laurence's in action last season - they had plenty to cheer about again today.

“That was a blood pressure cooker for the coaches on the sideline,” said St Laurence’s coach Dave Sheehan.

Laurie’s stoic forwards defence of a Villa rolling maul was the clincher in an enthralling finish to a fantastic game.

Earlier Villa had won that trying period of being down two men 7-5 to enter the break down 17-7 and with plenty of belief.

Villa’s Doubles Daley awardee, No.8 Ryder Childs, led the charge as his side stormed back into a game they had no right winning.

Goalkicking scrumhalf Alex Borger was terrific distributing fast and accurate ruck ball and around him hooker Jett Tupou, wingers Darcy Kerr and Kelly and captain Matt Linnell were top notch.

Villanova scrumhalf Alex Borger nails a shot at goal.

Laurie’s started fast to begin the second half with second-generation First XV talent Billy Rowan wrestling over after a nice short ball from prop Luka Smith sent him surging through a channel on the left edge.

Rowan’s try made it 22-7, but quickly influential Villa prop Sam Binney returned serve to make it 22-14.

When smooth-moving Villa winger Kerr pinned his ears back and weaved around defenders to score a superb try, Villa moved to within one point.

Darcy Kerr returns to the field after being swamped by Villa supporters following his five-pointer.

Villa continued to show up. “The boys are tough, they are competitors. I am so proud,” said Villa coach Mannie Navoro.

A try saving tackle on try-bound flyhalf Tom Ahern and a pressure-relieving counter ruck from Kerr which forced a knock on showed just how up for the fight the visitors were.

When Laurie’s captain Billy Rowan burrowed over to make it 27-21, the home side moved in — only for Villa to pin Laurie’s in the corner and mount one final ambush which was tamed by Reid.

When hooker Brad Smith received a wonderful Madden cut out pass to score, after Madden’s brilliant booming kick down field, celebrations began for the home side.

They had escaped a gallant second-half surge.

Padua College players celebrate in 2024. Picture, John Gass

At Banyo, Padua defeated St Edmund’s 59-10 to kickstart their premiership defence in style.

Padua College outside centre Harlem Faalafi was an eye-catching performer on debut while No.10 ace Damon Humphrys played at his usual high standard as the premiers defeated St Edmund’s by 49 points.

After enduring a first game misfire across the opening 10 or 15 minutes, Padua coach Andrew Clyne watched his side play more direct rugby to lead the way to a dominating performance.

“We settled into the game, got more passion with the ball and played more direct and then converted that pressure into points,’’ Clyne said.

Damon Humphrys was outstanding with his kicking game.

Centre Faalafi was so good on his debut, St Edmund’s College voted him as the Iona Doubles Daley Medallist.

“He was electric and tore us to shreds,’’ said impressed Eddies’ coach Andrew Kirk.

It was a nice day for the Faalafi family, who watched both Harlem and his brother, prop Brooklyn, make their First XV debuts.

Talented Ipswich halfback Pat Albion, also an outstanding cricketer, was St Edmund’s Doubles Daley Medallist, impressing with his nice passing and speed to the breakdown.

But arguably Eddies’ best was flyhalf Josh Polkinghorne, who put his body on the line while also helping his side create opportunities.

His front-on defence was inspirational.

Indeed St Edmund’s did create a number of half chances which they will hope to build on.

In Indooroopilly, St Peters went down fighting, clinging to hopes of victory across the first two-thirds of the game before St Patrick’s finished much stronger to win 36-7.

The visitors got off to a 14-0 flyer after winger Harry Cairns cooked up a two-try storm.

One of his tries was simply superb, a finish for the ages in the corner.

St Peters never led but across the course of the match, the hosts’ ball control was a feature. Coach Eric Smyth wants his side to work on their ruck work and defensive pressure entering round 2.

St Peters flanker James Kenny typified his team’s spirit, performing stoutly in defence while also snaring a couple of turnovers, while Will Lovegrove earned the Doubles Daley Medal from the opposition.

The No.10 controlled the tempo of the game, kicked well in the first half, communicated clearly and defended strongly against a St Patrick’s outfit which aimed up from the outset to ensure they had confidence ahead of a round 2 bout against a well-balanced St Laurence’s side.

Tighthead prop Denzel Savelino was a handful for the home team to contain. Around him, Harrison Blake (flanker), Riley Blake (inside centre), No.8 Abraham Huxtable and fullback Ryan Smallhorne showed flashes of brilliance.

Denzel Savelino. Picture: Richard Walker

The most notable flash of brilliance was conjured by the Blake brothers.

Flanker Harry released an offload to his brother Riley who ran down the wing before retrieving his own chip kick which he had lobbed over the Saints fullback.

It was a fantastic bit of work which rewarded the hard work of the tireless Smallhorne.

The x-factor fullback ran a mini-marathon at the back, shifting from edge to edge monitoring kicks and attacking raids as the boys from Shorncliffe got off to a winning start.

ROUND 2

St Edmund’s v Villanova

St Peters v Ashgrove

Iona v Padua

St Patrick’s v St Laurence’s

Originally published as AIC First XV rugby round 1 features explosive start to the season