I have heard a number of players have been sent home. Is this correct?
If so who and why?

Australian Schoolboys name Test team to play New Zealand

Ipswich Grammar speedster Kenneth Robertson has sealed a berth in the Suncorp Australian Schoolboys team to play New Zealand Schools at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth on Friday.
Robertson only joined the squad last week for the New Zealand leg of the Pacific tour after Nicky Price was forced out with illness following the two-game visit to Tonga.
Two tries in his opening match against Wairarapa Bush Schools and another solid performance in the midweek loss to Hurricanes Schools earned Robertson a start for the Test to decide the Trans Tasman Shield.
Another late reinforcement, hooker Chris Edwards, has also won selection after being called in to cover an injury following the Test win over Tonga Schools in Tongatapu on September 29.
The Australians have won three of their previous four matches on tour and end their trip with a defence of the trophy they collected last year when downing the Kiwis for the first time at Schoolboys level in 10 years.
A 23-17 victory at St Joseph’s College in Sydney last October included a try by current NSW Waratahs centre Robert Horne.
Wallabies rookie James O’Connor was also part of the victorious 2007 squad.

The win was the first for an Australian Schoolboys team over New Zealand since 1997 and just their sixth victory against their arch rivals since 1978.
The match tomorrow will kick off at noon (NZ time).
SUNCORP AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLBOYS
1 Salesi Manu
2 Chris Edwards
3 Josh Daley
4 Nick Buchanan
5 Luke Jones
6 Eddie Quirk
7 Kotoni Ale
8 Jarrod Butler
9 Eddie Bredanhann
10 James Ambrosini
11 Kenneth Robertson
12 Michael McDougall
13 Cameron Mitchell (c)
14 Dom Shipperley
15 Tyler Stevens

NEW ZEALAND SCHOOLS
1 Willie Afuvai
2 Ben Funnell
3 Jeff Allen
4 Kane Barrett
5 Blade Thomson
6 Luke Whitlock
7 Joseph Tupe
8 Carl Axtens
9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow
10 Kane Adams
11 Glen Robertson
12 Rhys Llewellyn
13 Julian Savea
14 Star Timu
15 Charlie Ngatai

SUNCORP AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLBOYS
1 Salesi Manu
2 Chris Edwards
3 Josh Daley
4 Nick Buchanan
5 Luke Jones
6 Eddie Quirk
7 Kotoni Ale
8 Jarrod Butler
9 Eddie Bredanhann
10 James Ambrosini
11 Kenneth Robertson
12 Michael McDougall
13 Cameron Mitchell (c)
14 Dom Shipperley
15 Tyler Stevens
[/quote]

mate, thats a very strong team and i'm sure there will be an upset on the cards. Possibly the only weakness in the team will be the crucial halfback/five eight combination but the way ambrosini is playing they might get it right. Even though johnson is injured the second row combination looks good with buchanan and jones (proned to mistakes) but all in all a good player. The strengh for the aussie team is the backrow with katone quirk and butler, ellice-flint and rissman to come from the bench and lets pray macdougall and mitchell can step up for australia again. Good luck boys!

p.s anyone know what happened to matthew ika this year? very good prop

Ah, ye of little faith!
NZ had 3 from Palmerston North High School- who did a camp at Narrabeen earlier in season & played 1 trial against Knox. They were big, but a close game.

Congratulations to the Aussie team- 2 yerars in a row!

who got tries?

shocked...

what an effort

SUNCORP AUSTRALIA - VICTORY IN NEW ZEALAND AT LAST

Friday, 10 October 2008

SUNCORP AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS TOUR OF TONGA/NEW ZEALAND



Match 5

v NEW ZEALAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth





The Suncorp Australian Schoolboys have recorded an historic win against New Zealand. This is the first win ever by our Test team in New Zealand and completes ‘back to back’ victories after the ‘drought- breaking’ win in 2007 in Australia.



This was the fifth and final match of the TNT tour and enables us to return home with the Novotel Trans Tasman Trophy.





The game starts with Australia under severe pressure. The Kiwi flanker Whitelock is almost through and soon after Savea playing at outside centre is also dangerous. The pressure gives New Zealand the penalty but the kick is missed.



8 minutes

Another attack almost proves fatal but a Quirk tackle gets Australia some relief. This is only temporary and a penalty goal is scored – using a drop kick.

0 – 3

The battle between the two No 13’s is intense and while Savea is dangeroius the tackling from the Australian captain Mitchell is telling. Flanker Kotoni makes a strong run for Australia as does Mitchell and perhaps the trend of the match is changing. Another telling feature is the lineout. Young Luke Jones and Nick Buchanan are managing to win some opposition throws. The Kiwi scrum is their consoling unit in the match.



20 minutes

Mitchell makes a very strong incisive run from near half way. He beats his man, kicks deftly towards in-goal and the speedster from Ipswich, Ken Robertson wins the race for the ball and scores

5 – 3



Australia are certainly building in confidence and look strong when they keep the ball in hand. Tyler Stevens is dangerous but often is forced to kick. Quirk is winning the battle of the back-rowers and Cameron Mitchell is a handful in the mid-field.



New Zealand are making some uncharacteristic mistakes and Australia are sticking to their game plan.



28 minutes

With some extra ball from the line out – Australia force a mistake close to the posts. Bredenhann is successful with the penalty.

8 - 3



New Zealand are not down and press hard in the remaining time in the first half. Australia stay firm!



HALF TIME Australia 8 – NZ 3



3 minutes

The half-time break gives the New Zealanders time to re-group. Neither side makes any substitutions but the locals’ pressure is rewarded with a penalty and they creep closer with the penalty goal.

8 - 6



Mitchell continues to be dangerous but has to have a blood-rest. The half back is replaced by Swanepoel who is urging his forwards purposefully and the lineout is working well. New Zealand is worried. A missed goal kick by New Zealand is a blessing to the Suncorp Australians.



23 minutes

A defining moment with a clever switch at the back of a lineout gives a well camouflaged Ale Katoni a 30 metre run and clear passage to the try line. Ambrosini adds the extras.

15 - 6



At the moment the Australians look to have a comfortable lead but no Kiwi team is ever ‘finished’.



32 minute

The game is heading for a cliff-hanger when New Zealand earn enough quality possession and eventually create the necessary over-lap. Their lock Thomson – one of their better forward, crashes over in the corner. The missed conversion gives a healthier margin for Australia as the Kiwis must score a try to win the International

15 - 11



The remaining few minutes of the match last an eternity. New Zealand seem to have control of the ball. The crowd is definitely behind them and Australia is unfortunately used to being defeated from this position in the past. This is not to be like those days and Australia dig deep to hear the final bell with the witch well and truly dead.



At the after-match function Zayne Boon, from Novotel presents the Novotel Trans Tasman Trophy to Cameron Mitchell and Dave Campbell from International Rugby Review presents the Bronze Boot Trophy to Eddie Quirk (Australia) and Blade Thomson (New Zealand).





SUNCORP AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS 15 (Ken Robertson, Eddie Quirk tries; Eddie Bredenhann penalty; James Ambrosini conversion)

defeated

NEW ZEALAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS 11 (Blade Thomson try; Kane Edwards 2 penalties



Team – 1. S. Manu (replaced by D Feao 18 min 2nd half) 2. C Edwards 3. J Daley (repl. by D Brass 8 min 2nd half) 4. N Buchanan 5 L Jones 6 E Quirk 7 A Kotoni (repl. by J Ellice-Flint 32 min 2nd half) 8. J Butler (repl. by L Rissman 25 min 2nd half) 9. E Bredenhann (repl. by M Swanepoel 14th min 2nd half) 10. J Ambrosini 11. K Robertson 12 M McDougall 13 C Mitchell (capt) (Blood bin repl by T Bennetts 2nd half) 14. D Shipperley 15 T Stevens

Your an idiot. Auckland comp is weak as fuck. Wesley College beat {auckland champs}De La Salle 26-3 this year.. Auckland schoolboy rugby is a joke thats why they wont let Wesley into the comp because Wesley would dominate every year. NZ schools should of picked prop Uini Atonio, he was devastating this year just watch him in this little clip. They didnt pick him because he had a contract to play in Hong Kong for Causeway Bay before he comes back in Feb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJw0ZgmtGxk

yeah wesley are goood but they only just bet mags at wesley last year so there not that good. and still the auck comp is the best in the world.

mate your right, had a very disappointing season and should now look forward to playing super 14 (although should be tough being in Rob Horne's shadow) and he'll have to make a name for himself