Australian Schoolboys

NSWCIS win ASSRL u15 Championships

by
dailytelegraph
01/10/2023

NSWCIS win ASSRL u15 Championships (Photo's : Steve Montgomery)

NSWCIS win ASSRL u15 Championships

Author : Katrina May and Matthew Elkerton News Corp Sport

NSWCIS win ASSRL u15 Championships

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NSW Combined Independent Schools have claimed back-to-back ASSRL Under-15 boys championships after a tense 18-10 win over Queensland Maroon in the final.

NSWCIS win ASSRL U15 Championships (Photo : Steve Montgomery)

While it was a classic final encounter, which leant into all the feelings of a State of Origin showdown, there was one passage of play that defined the NSWCIS glory.

NSWCIS & Queensland u15 Schooboys after the Championship final (Photo : Steve Montgomery)

Watch a full replay of QRSS Maroon v NSWCIS (15 boys A championship final).

Camped on their own line in defence midway through the first half, NSWCIS front rower Cameron Makey pulled off a remarkable try-saving tackle, holding rival Christian Rivers up over the line before muscling him back into the field of play.

His effort was backed up by another try-saver on the last tackle.

But it was on the ensuing set, when five-eighth Talen Risati put in a booming 40-20, which started on his own 30 metre line, which truly turned the contest.

NSWCIS scored the first try of the game off the following play the ball, through big boppa Isaiah Shock, and never looked back.

Risati and dummy-half Ashton Large put in five-star performances to power their side to victory.

Queensland Maroon refused to give up the fight, and managed to get themselves back in the game with a try to Kingston Seve to head to the sheds 12-4 down at halftime.

NSWCIS maintained their advantage throughout the second half, and looked to have pushed ahead on two more occasions except for the final pass floating forward out of the hands.

The errors almost became costly for the side when Ignatius Park College halfback Riley Carbone split the defence to bring Queensland Maroon back within two points.

But that was the closest they would come to the title, with NSWCIS lock forward Sam Polley streaming through a gap in the final minutes to seal the national title.

Under-16 Girls final – Queensland v NSW Combined High Schools

NSWCHS & Queensland u16 Schoolgirls after the Championship Final (Photo : Steve Montgomery)

Queensland have claimed the inaugural u16 girls ASSRL national championship after a gutsy 28-16 win over NSWCHS.

CHS started off well, securing a try in the opening minutes from consistent scorer Brandy Simpson.

But from there it was all Queensland, who scored two tries from Deleni Paitai and Okalani Compton for a solid 16-4 half time advantage.

Replay: NSWCHS v Queensland (16 years girls championship final)

Pauline Moliga dives in for a try (Photo : Steve Montgomery)

It only took three minutes into the second half to add more points with Shalom Sauaso finding space for another try.

CHS we’re sloppy in possession, letting the Queenslanders gain solid meters in counterattacks.

CHS started their comeback midway though the second half with Koffi Brookfield ploughing through to the line to get the deficit down to 12 points.

Koffi Brookfield in action in the ASSRL u16 Schoolgirls Championship Final; (Photo : Steve Montgomery)

Sauaso got her second try almost immediately after and despite CHS’s never say die attitude, Queensland took the win 28-16.

Boys Pool B Final – First Nations Goannas v Western Australia

Western Australi & the ASSRL Goanna’s on Championship Day (Photo : Steve Montgomery)

The Goannas have clinched the John Allen Trophy as Under-15 Boys Pool B winners at the ASSRL Nationals after a golden-point thriller.

After the Goanna’s 40-6 thrashing of Western Australia in the pool stage, no one expected such a close battle in the Pool B grand final.

The Goannas appeared down and out in the final minutes, before a piece of magic from centre Jimi Kusu sent the match into extra time.

Replay: ASSRL Goannas v Western Australia (Boys Pool B final)
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Up stepped the man of the moment, Goannas halfback Callum Miskell, who threw caution to the wind and barrelled his way across the stripe to secure a 20-16 win.

It was a seesawing contest, with the two sides trading blows down the stretch.

WA’s Carter Nikita opened the scoring just seven minutes in, but the Goanna’s Ashton Allen responded just two minutes later to even the scoring.

The Goannas went a man down after fullback Kyron Nixon-Croaker was sent to the bin for a dangerous lifting tackle.

WA wasted no time taking advantage as Kyron Arthy gave his side an 8-4 lead at half time.

The Goannas struck straight away in the second half with Jerome Murgha once again levelling the scores.

Two consecutive tries from WA, including a very sloppy play for Michael Turukawa, gave WA a comfortable two try buffer with around 10 minutes to go.

Nixon-Croaker made up for his sin-bin by scoring a try and putting the Indigenous side back in contention before Kusu struck in the shadows of full time.

U16 Girls Third-Place Playoff: Victoria v NSWCIS

Victoria & NSWCIS u16 Schoolgirls (Photo : Steve Montgomery)

NSWCIS have claimed third place in the inaugural under 16 girls ASSRL national championship after downing Victoria 26-4.

It took no time at all for CIS to gain the advantage with Mia Vaotu’ua scoring a try on the team’s first possession.

Replay: Victoria v NSWCIS (16 years third-place)

Victoria were looking hesitant with the ball but gained more confidence through the half.

Both teams struggled to make any real impact for the rest of the opening half, though Victoria was gifted some chances that they couldn’t capitalise on.

CIS once again opened the scoring in the second half courtesy of Talea Tonga, but Victoria were quick to strike back.

Eboni Heurea sparked a comeback midway through the second half with a solid try right under the posts.

It was short lived, with CIS another three more tries before the buzzer to take the win 26-4.

ASSRL 15 Years Boys National Championships Most Valuable Players

ACT 6 – Isaiah Cornforth Marist College Canberra
ASSRL Goannas 13 – Xavier William-Byers Mount Austin High
NSWCCC 10 – Thomas Stepic Acquinas College Menai
NSWCHS 7 – Lachlan Metcalfe The Hills Sports High
NSWCIS 9 – Ashton Large The Scots College
Northern Territory 18 – Zion Lafaele-Selio MacKillop Catholic College
QRSS Maroon 13 – Lincoln Dalton Brisbane Grammar School
QRSS White 8 – Tomasi Vaitai Keebra Park SHS
Victoria 10 – Anaias Jones-Teao Victoria University College
Western Australia 7 – Tamarau Haimona Ridge View Secondary College

ASSRL 16 Years Girls National Championships Most Valuable Players

ACT 13 – Uta Uatisone Poka Erindale College
NSWCCC 13 – Matilda Vella Caroline Chisholm College
NSWCHS 7 – Waiaria Ellis Castle Hill High
NSWCIS 9 – Mahlie Cashin Central Coast Sports College
Northern Territory 20 – Milly Doyle Darwin High School
QRSS 13 – Shalom Sauaso Ipswich SHS
Victoria 7 – Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai Narre Warren P-12 College
Western Australia 8 – Leilani Tongi-Finau Aveley Secondary College
ASSRL 15 Years Male Pool A Player of the Championships
NSWCIS 13 – Sam Polley (Oakhill College)

ASSRL 15 Yrs Male Pool B Player of the Championships

ASSRL Goannas 12 Jeziah Charles (Murrumbidgee Regional High)
ASSRL 16 Years Female Player of the Championships
QRSS 9 Okalani Compton (Keebra Park SHS)

Grand Finals Preview

NSW Combined Independent Schools’ star dummy-half Ashton Large has sent an ominous warning to ASSRL Nationals grand finals rival Queensland Maroon on the eve of the decider.

“We are keen for it, we will be ready and we’re coming for Queensland,” Large said after toppling NSWCHS in the semifinal.

The Scots College star, who is part of the Wests Tigers pathways, will be chasing his second-straight ASSRL Under-15 boys title after being part of the winning NSWCIS squad last year in Queensland.

He is not alone in that quest with Keone Anitelea-Tsioussis and Talen Risati also backing up from last year’s national title-winning squad in the big game against Queensland Maroon.

The Under-15 Boys Championship decider will headline a huge final day at the ASSRL Nationals in Port Macquarie, which kicks off with an Under-16 girls third-place playoff at 9am.

All of the action will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV in the video player above from 9am. Check out the draw below.

WATCH DAY SEVEN ACTION FROM ASSRL NATIONALS DAY SEVEN

Friday, September 29
9am: Victoria v NSWCIS (Under-16 Girls 3rd Place)
10am: First Nations Goannas v Western Australia (U15 Boys Pool B Grand Final)
11.25am: NSWCHS v Queensland (U16 Girls Grand Final)
12.40pm: Queensland Maroon v NSWCIS (U15 Boys Pool A Grand Final)
2.05pm: Closing Ceremony

Queensland will also feature in the inaugural Under-16 Girls grand final when they clash with fellow undefeated rivals, NSW Combined High Schools, while the First Nations Goannas will put their undefeated streak on the line against Western Australia in the Boys Plate Final.

Large has been one of the players of the tournament, and said he was proud of the way his side had bounced back after an early round loss to Queensland Maroon on Monday.

“I thought we started rusty in the first two games, but (in the semi-final) we completed our sets and stuck to our structure and we played a lot better,” Large said.

“The boys put in a big effort. We just stick to our structure, kept doing what we did. I am so proud.”

The Queensland Maroon side, which has combined an impressive engine room up front with skilled playmakers out the back, has been the team to beat all tournament and will likely enter the grand final favourites.

Ashton Large will prove key in the big game. Pic: NashysPix.
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The inaugural girls decider could come down to a coin flip – with both Queensland and NSWCHS topping their respective groups with undefeated runs through the tournament.

The girls from the Sunshine State were dominant knocking off NSWCIS 30-0 in the semi-final, while their NSW counterparts had little trouble getting past Victoria.

Queensland lock forward and tournament highlight reel, Shalom Sauaso, said she knew her side had to find another gear in the grand final.

“I think I am feeling nervous now we are going onto the big game,” she said.

“I think we need to work a bit better at getting depth in our play. We know NSW is such a talented team, they know how to shift the ball side to side and they are really good in their communication. We know we need to go up a little bit with our work.”

NSW CHS dummy-half Koffi Brookfield said her side were excited to play in the momentous game after coming together well over the past week.

“It feels awesome to be in a grand final, especially at a tournament like this. It is our first one so it is pretty exciting,” she said.

“I knew our team could do it and we have definitely gelled. It was definitely a good experience and we knew we could get here with our teamwork.”

Watch day six of the ASSRL Under-15 Boys and Under-16 Girls Nationals

While a defensive master class ensured NSW CHS picked up good reward for their week’s work, Victoria arguably came up with the best result.

NSWCHS have claimed third in the U15 boys tournament after an entertaining grudge match against Queensland White on Thursday.

It was a tough battle, with CHS making the most of the chances they created to win 10-0.

Callum Elsley was the only try scorer, producing two stunners while his team kept Queensland scoreless.

It was the only match where Queensland White failed to score a point and was a frustrating end to their championship.

BOYS – ACT 52 d NT 10

The ACT left their best performance for last as they demolished Northern Territory in their final ASSRL U15 boys national championships match.

The massive 52-10 scoreline was highlighted by a hat-trick for winger Uhila Tai.

The NT mounted a small comeback midway through the second half when they scored two tries, but it was shortlived.

The win is the only one for the ACT this week, while NT head home without a victory.

ACT v NT (U15 Boys Crossover)

Replay: ASSRL Nationals Day 6 – ACT v NT (U15 Boys Crossover)

Watch a full replay of ACT v NT (U15 Boys Crossover).

BOYS: Victoria 24 d NSWCCC 22

Victoria and NSWCCC have put on a classic for their final U15 boys match in Port Macquarie.

Victoria’s narrow 12-10 halftime lead was quickly hunted down by CCC, who jumped out to a 22-12 lead midway through the second half.

But the Vics refused to give up, snatching back the lead 24-22 with a try in the last minute off a grubber kick.

They then had to agonisingly watch a NSWCCC penalty shot at goal in the dying seconds drift wide before securing the win.

Coach Hamish Pearce said it was a fantastic showing from his side.

“Being a traditional pool B team, it was really good to come up against a side like that and see where we’re at,” Pearce said.

“I think the effort they put in today was the best game of the week.”

NSWCCC v Victoria (U15 Boys Crossover)

Watch a full replay of NSWCCC v Victoria (U15 Boys Crossover).

GIRLS: NSWCCC 46 d NT 0

They may have been a disappointing championship, but NSWCCC have ended their girls U16 ASSRL national campaign on a massive high.

Their 46-0 demolition of Northern Territory featured eight tries from seven different players. Summer Dowell contributed a double.

Emily Dietrich was in great form with the boot, kicking seven goals and earning her team’s player of the match award.

It was a brutal ending to the tournament for Northern Territory, who head home without a win.

NSWCCC v NT (U16 Girls Crossover)

Watch a full replay of NSWCCC v NT (U16 Girls Crossover).

GIRLS – WA 14 d ACT 12

Western Australia have produced a stunning second half comeback to claim an impressive two-point victory over the ACT in a tense U16 girls encounter on Thursday.

The ACT had the upper hand in the first half following two tries to Ella van dam Heuval and Reese Paunovic.

However, the second half was all Western Australia, but a missed conversion on the second try of the half seemed to seal the win for ACT.

But the WA side we’re not done, and a final minute try to Kylah-Rey Tuheke Kupa stole them the win 14-12.

WA v ACT (U16 Girls Crossover)

Replay: ASSRL Nationals Day 6 – WA v ACT (U16 Girls Crossover)
UP NEXT

Watch a full replay of WA v ACT (U16 Girls Crossover).

PREVIEW

The calm before the grand final storm is set to descend over the ASSRL National Championships in Port Macquarie on Thursday.

As teams in grand final deciders prepare for their big moment, the remaining sides will have a chance to shoot for the minor placings on field at Port Macquarie Regional Stadium.

Five games will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV, headlined by the Boys Under-15 third-place playoff between Queensland White and NSW CHS.

WATCH THE DAY SIX ACTION FROM ASSRL NATIONALS DAY SIX

Thursday, September 28
9am: WA v ACT (U16 Girls Crossover)
9.50am: NSWCCC v NT (U16 Girls Crossover)
10.40am: NSWCCC v Victoria (U15 Boys Crossover)
11.45am: ACT v NT (U15 Boys Crossover)
12.50pm: Queensland White v NSW CHS (U15 Boys 3rd-Place)

Both sides will be licking their wounds after falling short in Wednesday’s semi-finals, despite both sides landing the first blow int heir respective matches.

NSW CHS, who had finished the pool stage undefeated, managed to score an early try against NSW CIS, before they failed to find the chalk again across the 60 minutes.

Queensland White fared similarly, scoring first against their Queensland Maroon counterparts, before falling too far behind on the scoreboard.

MISSED ANY OF THE ASSRL NATIONALS? FIND LINKS TO ALL DAYS BELOW

WATCH EACH DAY OF THE ASSRL NATIONALS LIVE

Use the links below to watch each day of the ASSRL U15/U16 Nationals LIVE from Port Macquarie.

DAY ONE
Saturday, September 23
WATCH REPLAYS

DAY TWO
Sunday, September 24
WATCH REPLAYS

DAY THREE
Monday, September 25
WATCH REPLAYS

DAY FOUR
Tuesday, September 26
WATCH REPLAYS

DAY FIVE
Wednesday, September 27
WATCH REPLAYS

DAY SIX
Thursday, September 28
WATCH REPLAYS

DAY SEVEN
Friday, September 29
WATCH LIVE

Queensland White will be confident they can roll with a bit of momentum after mounting a late fightback in their semi-final loss and showing they have the talent to threaten the top teams.

The two sides have met once before during the tournament, when a Tristan Ross double helped NSWCHS to a thrilling six-point win.

Day six of the ASSRL Nationals will also feature crossover clashes in the Under-15 Boys and Under-16 Girls tournaments as teams battle for the minor placings.