QLD U15 VS NSW U15

Written Saturday 03/10/2009

QLD JUNIOR RUGBY UNION VS NSW JUNIOR RUGBY UNION, Under 15's and Under 17s.

Here we are, deep in enemy territory, NSW, holed up at the Narrabeen Academy of Sport, QJRU Under 17 and QJRU Under 15 sides. Fresh home from our first games, against NSW, and I have no doubt the boys would be happy, maybe cold, probably tired, but definitely happy, after wins to both sides, in atrocious conditions.

Under 15 captain and vice captain, Marcus Tanzer and Francois Postal with the Jason Little Shield, on a gloomy day in NSW. Some more pics here:

Low cloud, rain, and driving wind behind the rain, made for ugly, ugly rugby conditions. Not alot of flashy skill about to be on display here today.

I thought the 15's started reasonably well, until the first scrum, and we got destroyed down the tight head side, the type of thing I like to do to an opposition scrum first up, just rip their heart out, and I really don't care about referees, perfect position for them, to destroy us and take the penalty against them if it came. It didn't, we lost our feed and we were a bit shell shocked after that for the rest of the first half, just hanging in there, and letting in one good try to NSW, converted, 7 to nil. NSW had a good scrum, and they dished it to us badly for most of the first half. Our scrum was in some strife, and we were only just holding our own at other phases. (Just watched the first scrum on DVD and we got destroyed across the whole front row, badly. However, on the plus side, Eddie Tuifao carried the footy very strongly all first half, really bent their defence again, as he did to City in the City Country clash. Eddie again was outstanding.

Conor Mitchell stole alot of footy, and picked up some messy stuff at the back of the lineout, in a great first half performance. Matt Gordon had some strong power carries and our locks were great.

We managed to hold the half time score to 7 to nil, made some changes at half time, and gave some new half time instructions.

The scrum had semi resurrected itself, but still wasn't the dominant force I like a scrum to be, and we went on to lose another scrum feed in the second half.

Our scrum settled a little bit in half two, and big Liumai came into his own with ball in hand, with some devastating carries, one including a massive fend on the 10, an offload to his big ball carrying buddy Levi, or vice versa, for a try to Tyron Brimble, our second try.

Our first try strangely enough, came from a strong Qld scrum, pressure on NSW, a toe through and a try to Vincent Cooney.

The rain was getting stronger, and so was the wind, all harder for NSW, they needed to play some after we nailed down try two, both unconverted, and the conditions made it harder and harder for them to do that.

WE played into their hands though, and didn't slow the game down as well as we might have, but that is the enthusiasm of youth. Their number 13 and captain is or was a gun, he was big, built and carried a football like a number 8, some really good carries from him, one an 80 metre effort that could have changed the result had out last line of defence not ended his raid.

The lineouts, well they were great, all the fancy stuff went out the door and they became a street fight, my sort of footy, and both sides gave as good as they got.

Sam Taylor changed the face of the game on the ground when he came on, and added to the cut and thrust of the brawl on the ground.

Our scrum was up and down all second half, Liumai was outstanding in the second half, as again were Conor Mitchell and Marcus Tanzer. Francois Postal also lead from the front with some strong ball carries, some of our forward work was exceptional, some wasn't, again the nature of young folks and the nature of the weather.

Really, the 15's was a gutsy performance, the boys can be congratulated on their toughness, they have had a lot of talks about mental toughness and lots of stories told to them over the week. However, on the field it is up to them, and they performed admirably, and quite maturely in a dogfight across the whole match.

The boys won the Jason Little Shield, and I defy someone from some "rugby" system to tell me that this is not worthwhile. Remember what Jim L'Estrange said in our Waratah address and brainwashing, that club rugby is the foundation and the future of rugby, very important. The reason people that Qld and Aussie rugby is in so much trouble, is that the reliance on a couple of schools, is not producing enough depth to give strong provinces. Plenty of reasons are often discussed, but not for this article. But stay watching.