Viewpoint

One of the most pleasing improvements, however, was our defence against teams that had plenty of size, strength and skill. To dominate across a full round of fixtures against quality opposition should give coaches and players confidence that we are on the right pathway and that the hard work at training is being rewarded.

Another feature of this week in rugby was the U16 games on Tuesday afternoon against Suva Grammar School, who have been on tour in Australia for the past two weeks. As expected, our Fijian visitors were strong, powerful athletes who tackled hard and threw the ball around in the style that has typified Fijian rugby for decades. The U16 A-D squad put together two teams to take on the visitors in two tough, physical and at times brutal games. As parents, peers, borders and staff watched on, our U16 boys showed enormous commitment to our style of play with the 16AB squad scoring tries on the right edge through great attack, as well as through the middle when needed. A 22-17 victory was a huge result and gave many boys a taste of international rugby.

After the match, both sides shared a poignant moment as the students from Suva honoured us with a heartfelt song.

Similarly, the 16BCD squad gave everything in a very physical encounter and showed both skill and tenacity as they went end to end with the boys from Suva. Unfortunately, with scores locked at 10-10 and minutes to go, the Fijians produced a length-of-the-field try from a quick tap to snatch victory.

1st XV defeated Oakhill 37 – 14

The team bounced back well from the previous week, having learnt many lessons from our first trial game, and whilst there was certainly some disappointment with the result, Oakhill provided the perfect opportunity to demonstrate improvement in a number of key areas against another quality ISA school.

Some good attacks produced three tries in the first half after good build-up; however, our reaction in defence on turnover ball was slow, undoing the good work in attack and letting in some softer tries than desired.

Leading 15-14 at halftime, the second half saw a lot of the things we have been working on start to earn rewards with better width and good decision making in our attack, to produce a 22-0 half of rugby that demonstrated some of the potency we can have when we get things right.

Again, a cornerstone of the performance was a strong defence, aside from a couple of lapses in the first half against a talented Oakhill backline.

We are looking to take this momentum into GPS Round 1 against Shore at home this Saturday.

This Saturday

This Saturday needs no introduction – it is SHORE at home. Our local rivals in games that have been known to trouble even the most prolific Riverview teams over the years. The opening round of GPS promises a massive day of rugby, with games across all fields all day.

This week's TOP PERFORMERS

15As v Oakhill

Their second win in three years, and what a win it was, 28-0.

The U15As have developed physically as young men over the past 12 months and continue to grow in confidence, which is great to see.

The U13s age group

After not winning a game the week before, all Under 13 teams bounced back to win every game against Oakhill. This was a true example of working hard to get better, and the results were in the performances more than the results

Under 11’s Rugby

Our youngest members of Riverview Rugby, the Under 11’s, have had a wonderful start to their careers at Regis. The key principles the boys have been working on are: breakdown, passing, communication, and making good decisions.

It has been refreshing to see all of the work paying off, as during the first two rounds of the IPSHA competition, all three teams have displayed their developing skills in tackling and cleaning out and sealing the ball at the breakdown, along with a willingness and enthusiasm to use the ball in attack through their passing and teamwork in supporting the ball carrier to score some scintillating tries. The following are the results of Rounds 1 and 2 for the 11’s Rugby teams.

Round 1 v Waverley

Round 2 v St Patrick’s

Under 12A’s Rugby

12A’s Rugby 33 Defeated St Pius 0

It has been a strong start to the season for the boys in the 12As. After a successful Armidale tour during the holidays, the team opened the IPSHA season with wins over Waverley (12-0) and Scots (14-0). Our next match was against St Pius, the only Sydney team to defeat us in Armidale.

The boys started strongly, with the forwards dominating the ruck and making metres with every carry. This gave our backs opportunities to move the ball quickly and put pressure on the St Pius defence. Strong forward play helped secure an early try under the posts, before two more first-half tries gave us a 21-0 lead at the break. The second half continued in a similar fashion, with our outside backs adding two more tries to take the game 33-0.

A highlight of the match was the team’s defence. The boys consistently drove St Pius runners backwards and were aggressive at the breakdown. We are yet to concede a point in three games of rugby, and the boys can be very proud of the way they have defended their line thus far.

2nd XI | May 9, St Joseph's Lower Park

A bright autumn morning greeted the Riverview 2nd XI as it assembled at Lower Park, Hunters Hill. The team welcomed back Marcus Hughes, who had been unavailable due to injury in earlier games. The Riverview team started brightly, and Marcus celebrated his return to play by scoring first in the 14th minute of the match. Ten minutes later, Lucas Gesterkamp, one of the new young guns in the team, scored again to lift the score to two-nil for the Lane Cove team. There were other chances in the half, but no further scoring, so the teams went to oranges 2-0 to the visitors.

In the second-half, the Riverview team carried on where it had left off in the first half. About a quarter of an hour in, the team won a penalty, and after some discussion, Captain Sam Rowe stepped up to take the spot kick. He took the shot with considerable energy and beat the ’keeper to register the team’s third goal. Marcus Camilleri, who had returned to the fray after a refresh on the bench, scored in the 60th minute to make the score 4 - nil, and this is how the game finished. So after the disappointment of letting a couple of points slip on the previous weekend, the Riverview 2nd XI finds itself just behind Kings in Pool A of the draw, with the opportunity to beat that team next week and take first place in the pool and a likely match with Newington College to retain the plate won last season against the same school.

The full Football Report can be read HERE .

In the seniors, our captain, Charlie Culbert , led the team home, finishing 9th overall (8th GPS), with Thomas Poynton close behind in 11th (10th GPS). Shout out to Thomas on one of the best races he’s run!

For all our athletes, our program continues to gather momentum, our sessions are getting harder, and our athletes are beginning to discover muscles they never knew existed.

One of the great things about distance running is that it is a genuine life skill. Sure, it helps on Saturday during our races, but it also prepares students for life after school.

Years from now, these boys will thank Cross Country when they’re chasing after a stray golf ball disappearing into the trees on the 12th hole, aligning that important long run to escape from household chores, or trying to stay fit during endless business trips fuelled by poorly brewed coffee.

As part of our program, we like to emphasise the phrase 'Student Athlete,' with the important word being 'Student'. Running fast is excellent, don’t get me wrong, but submitting assignments on time is even better. The habits of discipline, resilience, consistency, and balance developed through Cross Country are the same habits that will serve students long after school sport comes to an end.

With that in mind, the team this year has been encouraged to exercise their creativity. This week, we are excited to share some of the boys’ poems, proving that distance runners are capable of more than simply discussing splits, Strava records, and what shoes they’re going to race in this weekend.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
This finish line is way too far.
Frozen grass and morning dew,
I’m soaked, cold, and turning blue.
This uphill climb is total s**t,
My lungs are done. I want to quit.
But Alex’s Rule stays in my head,
Keep the question quiet, or you'll be dead.

Xavier O’Hea

Poem of why I love cross country:

Lift
Swing
Push
Breathe
With every stride, my shoulders relax,
My mind cleared,
Finally silenced after the buzz of the day,
My lungs inhale the fresh air as my legs glide along the floor,
Yes, it hurts,
But I know it’s worth it
I connect spiritually,
Grounded with every step
I may hate it sometimes,
But I always love it,
Cross country makes life simple.

Harry Fingleton

Morning track is wet
Breath hangs cold above the field
Shoes press into dirt

James O’Connor

Next week, we will be sharing some more of the boy’s literacy delights. We make no guarantees regarding rhythm, rhyme, or whether any of it is legally considered art.

Participants

Junior Competitors
Tommy Smith
James Koch

Senior Competitors
Jimmy de Flamingh
Luis Criola