GPS First XV rugby round 1 Team of the Week unveiled here
Who has made the GPS First XV rugby round 1 Team of the Week? Full side, plus reserves revealed here.
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A sizzling start to the season has led to a bumper round one Team of the Week being constructed after Nudgee, BSHS, TSS and Churchie had winning starts.
CLUB RUGBY ROUND 14 TEAM OF THE WEEK
See below who the round one five star performers were, along with those who earned special mention status.
The top performance was produced by Roman Siulepa, Brisbane State High’s No.8 powerhouse who scored four tries and set up two others in an outstanding showing.
Siulepa, a 200cm 18-year-old from the Souths Magpies, is an NBL Next Star signed by the reigning NBL champions, the Tasmanian JackJumpers.
ROUND 1 TEAM OF THE WEEK
15. Treyvon Pritchard (Churchie)
It was the toughest selection decision of the side, who to put at fullback, after round 1 performances by Treyvon Pritchard, Jacob Johnson (Nudgee) and Angus Tagicakibau (BSHS).
We went for Pritchard, but the other boys were among the first selected on the reserves bench below.
Of Churchie’s 37 points scored, exciting First XV debutant fullback and goalkicker Pritchard scored 12 and his enterprising counter attacking will be responsible for many more points this season.
A Kiwi boy with African heritage, the former St Peters student showed his class in an arm wrestle with BGS, Pritchard running when he needed to but also plugging gaps in a strong kicking display.
14. Oli Patterson (Nudgee)
Ahead of the season finding a way to get right wing Oli Patterson into the starting XV would have been a topic of discussion within the Nudgee coaching staff given the depth of this year’s squad.
Thrust into the line-up with midfielder Prestyn Laine-Sietu sidelined with a hip injury, Patterson showed he is more than deserving of a starting jumper in this year’s outfit with a superb showing.
In a match where the 31-12 scoreline did not reflect the closeness of the match, Patterson’s electric pace, light footwork, offloading and chip kicking gave Nudgee an edge by tiring out an IGS side which were handed three yellow cards.
13 Finn Kendall (IGS)
Broncos Academy centre Finn Kendall put to use knowledge accrued from last year’s experience as a Year 10 student to produce a top notch display at outside centre.
The Ipswich Jets junior representative eclipsed Ipswich Grammar’s brave first round effort against a well drilled Nudgee outfit, Kendall showing his stepping, offloading and defensive ability.
12 Max Blanch (Churchie)
Last season Year 11 student Max Blanch was an excellent defensive centre and a key cog in the side.
This season, visibly bigger and stronger, Blanch has again converted himself from playing dummy half earlier in the year for the Brisbane Tigers to a modern day inside centre who can deal damage with his carries and facilitate the success of others with his brilliant spiral passing.
In Saturday’s clash, an angled run back on his inside saw Blanch score the dagger to lead 32-15 approaching full-time.
He then set up a feel-good try moments later scored by scrumhalf Hugh Rylance who had toed through a Blanch chip kick which was initially kicked forward by Will Bloxhom.
11. Sam Russell (Terrace)
Russell’s effort eclipsed an inspired away game showing by Terrace at the Shark Tank on Saturday.
Pocket rocket Russell was a gutsy little winger whose gallant performance was highlighted by a long distance chase when his cover defending tackle saved a try.
Russell’s endeavour suits the culture of this Terrace side perfectly and he is making up for lost time after being around the First XV squad last season before injury intervened.
10. Elijah Breen (BGS)
On the Main Oval at Churchie, Brisbane Grammar’s fullback Elijah Breen used last year’s First XV experience and Connell Cup experience with the Tigers from earlier this year to impact the match with his booming kicking game.
Breen touched the ball more than anyone and despite this had a low mistake rate.
He plugged the corners in a territorial battle against Treyvon Pritchard and made the right decisions on when to have a dart himself.
9. George Hales (Terrace)
Livewire Terrace scrumhalf was a revelation on the Village Green, running amok near the ruck base with his scheming runs.
Hales’ service was first class but it was his quick thinking on the spot and fearlessness taking a big TSS side on with quick taps and blindside raids which was a big tick from us.
He certainly played his part in what was an enthralling opening round match of the highest calibre.
8. Roman Siulepa (BSHS)
Siulepa was an athletic marvel with his deeds from No.8.
He scored four tries, including a 95m runaway effort after scooping up a lost ball, and another when he burrowed over from a rolling maul.
He also created a fifth try for his team when his long strides carried him across the field before he found his intended target with a lovely pass.
With Siulepa out there, BSHS were capable of anything.
7. Trent Picot (BSHS)
Ironically Siulepa’s cousin, Picot was a tough, over the ball type who got down and dirty for BSHS.
He perfectly complemented the big, ball running BSHS pack with his tireless efforts at the breakdown and workload in defence against a revved up TGS pack.
He, Siulepa and Eli Langi will again be front and centre when BSHS travel to BBC for what shapes as a huge round two clash.
6. Oliver Nasser (Terrace)
Saturday was a big day for the Nasser family.
Last Saturday Oliver’s sister Bella (Sevens) was settling in at the Olympic Games village in Paris and a little later on Josh Nasser made his Wallabies debut off the bench in a 36-28 win over Wales.
Down the coast during the afternoon, Year 11 student Oli Nasser, a No.8, was leading Terrace’s charge with a powerful first round performance that had opposition observers nodding their heads in admiration.
His showing featured a handful of halfbreaks, offloads and gutsy tackles.
5. Ed Kasprowicz (Nudgee)
Although his tight five teammates John Grenfell and Levi Slater scored, Nudgee’s pack got the job done through their defensive work and several times the towering Kasprowicz spoiled IGS lineout ball.
The tall, representative lock also won his own ball in a match where possession was valued against willing IGS opponents.
The second year First XV second rower was also a staple in the side’s rolling maul effort.
4. Viliami Fifita (TSS)
If the last name sounds familiar it should.
Viliami is the younger brother of Titans outside back Jojo, the 2019 old boy who had a wonderful game against Parramatta on Saturday at Cbus Stadium.
Jojo’s younger brother Viliami, a promising Year 11 student, shone as a blindside flanker but to get the best players of the round into our top 15, we named Fifita at lock.
The Titans Academy player was everywhere on Saturday and despite wearing No.6 on his back, he would have been just fine had he played in the backline - the big man is that agile.
3 John Grenfell (Nudgee)
The Nudgee captain and hooker was a defensive powerhouse who also came up with some dynamic ball carrying, including when he stepped and powered forward with the style and finesses of a winger.
The mobile hooker and TSS’s No.2 Moana simply had to be in the top team, hence why we moved Grenfell to prop for the purpose of getting the best into the side.
Indeed Grenfell had a captains knock, the Country Queensland enforcer coming away with two tries and a run which laid the platform for a try scored by Jacob Johnson.
2 Blaze Moana (TSS)
The exceptional performance from Blaze Moana was everything you could ask out of your modern day hooker.
The third year First XV hooker was pinpoint with his lineout throwing, clinical with his rolling maul efforts and immense in close range battle.
On one occasion Moana threw the ball in over 20m to find a teammate storming onto the ball.
He was elite.
1 Kingsley Uys (TSS)
If you haven’t heard the name Kingsley Uys write it down because it is going to be a name constantly popping up in rugby circles in the future.
A tighthead prop signed by the Queensland Reds, dynamic second year front row powerhouse Uys got straight to business in Saturday’s opener against Terrace.
He would have caught the eye of all onlookers with his stoic defence and ability to create in attack - something you don’t often see from a bloke wearing No.1 on their back.
RESERVES
Harrison Humphreys (TGS)
TGS’s strength at the weekend was its pack and front and centre was prop Humphreys.
Against a big pack the Toowoomba Bears junior he lost nothing in comparison with a wholehearted performance which helped thread together TGS’s potent rolling mauls and pick and drive play. Last year he was a part of the South-East Queensland under-15 Reds Emerging Cup side.
Myles Rosemond (TGS)
Rosemond was TGS’s most dangerous outside back, which is saying something given the potential potency of the Toowoomba school’s back division.
He did not get a lot of opportunities, but impressed when he did run the ball.
Angus Tagicakibau (BSHS)
An unlucky omission from our First XV fullback Tagicakibau was at times electric at the back with his sizzling counter attacking play or inroads from set plays.
Despite a 35kph wind roaring across the field, was also safe under pressure when Toowoomba Grammar School went airborne.
Jake Lane (TSS)
The TSS winger matched Sam Russell’s energy and produced a top tier performance which was represented in the 34-5 scoreline.
Lane was a defensive weapon on the left wing and there was no way through for Terrace down that right channel. In fact their only try came when Connor Clifford carved back on his inside with a piece of individual brilliance but aside from that, Lane and his squad were virtually impenetrable.
He also showed plenty in attack where he bounced away from tackles and often beat the first defender.
Agapetos Lote-Felo (TSS)
The TSS No.8 started out as a Gold Coast Eagle before attending AB Patterson College but he belonged in the high octane environment that is GPS First XV rugby.
A mobile big man with fast feet, Lote-Felo proved an imposing figure at the back of TSS’ scrum which motored forward and in the wider channels he could spread his wings and get the sharky army over the gainline.
Kilarney Lavender (TSS)
Kilarney Lavender came ready to rumble on Saturday, the Canberra Raiders scholarship holder wreaking havoc on the left edge.
Earlier in the year Lavender did just that for the Burleigh Bears Under-17s and tested the Terrace defence with his carries.
He loves an offload.
Marlon Frost (IGS)
Central Coast New South Wales flyer Marlon Frost outdid himself on debut against the benchmark side, Nudgee College.
The Year 11 boarder made great decisions on when to jam in on defence or stay on his wing and took the physical battle with gusto.
Tim Allport (BGS)
There was so much to the like about a Brisbane Grammar side, spearheaded in the forwards by Allport, that went toe-to-toe with Churchie despite the rub of the green going against them.
On a day where the bounce went in Churchie’s favour, no-nonsense hooker Allport did well in windy conditions to throw is straight while being a prime mover near the tryline.
He scored all three of his team’s tries.
Ezalle Matautia (IGS)
The scoreline reads 31-12 in favour of Nudgee but Ipswich scored first and led 12-10 at the break and Ezalle Matautia’s presence across the paddock was a big contributor to IGS’ strong start.
The tireless flanker was here, there and everywhere and was unlucky not to have more penalties ruled in his favour for his work at the breakdown wrapping up the ball.
Jacob Johnson (Nudgee)
If Nudgee fullback Jacob Johnson continues to play the way he did on Saturday, another Queensland Reds Under-18s call-up could ensue.
The pacy counter attacking king had plenty of positive involvements against a fierce IGS team who rushed up on defence and his class rubbed off on young guns like Carter Welfare, Oli Patterson, and Ethan Grimshaw who did well in their first First XV game.
SPECIAL MENTIONS
Nick Conway (Nudgee)
Joe Gray (TGS)
Eli Langi (BSHS)
Hayden Keldie-Genner (TSS)
Cyrus Suniula (BSHS)
Oliver Chancellor (Churchie)
Will Bloxham (Churchie)
Tom Siganto (BGS)
Harper Enasio (BGS)
Alex Schumacher (IGS)
James Grey (IGS)
Charlie O’Connell (Nudgee)
Levi Slater (Nudgee)
Kingston Seve (TSS)
Dylan Terblanche (TSS)
Round 2
BBC v BSHS
TERRACE v CHURCHIE
TGS v IGS
NUDGEE v TSS
BYE: BGS
Originally published as GPS First XV rugby round 1 Team of the Week unveiled here
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