1. sports
2. rugby

THURSDAY 23 APRIL
TERM 2 WEEK 1
It has been an extremely busy holiday period for the rugby program. In this edition of Running
Lines, you will read about four different tours and the adventures that took place on all of them. In
total, 125 boys experienced a rugby tour to various parts of Australia and New Zealand. One of the
highlights was our U12 winning Division 3 of the TAS Rugby Carnival in Armidale.
With the much anticipated Cranbrook Rugby Lunch just over a week away, I would also like to
draw your attention to the message below from the Cranbrook Rugby Club which details some
major fundraising activities and how you can be involved even if you were not able to secure a
seat at the lunch.
There is no rugby this weekend for any teams with Round 1 of the CAS (Senior School) and
IPHSA (Junior School) commencing on Saturday May 2.
Further to my email at the end of Term 1 about Health and Safety in Rugby, we have managed to
expand the physiotherapy services we offer to our players. More information about this is detailed
below and will also be sent by email to players on how the system will work.
Luke Bower – Head of Rugby
Message from the Cranbrook Rugby Club
Dear Cranbrook Rugby Community,
As the season opening draws near we look forward to the coming together of the Cranbrook
Rugby Community to support all our rugby players, big and small. There are many ways to get
involved, from cheering on the sidelines, taking team photos, volunteering on the rotunda or BBQ
on home game days or financial support. The Cranbrook Rugby Club (CRC) is a parent body
which raises money to support many aspects of the school’s rugby programme. This might include
specialist coaching, upgrade of equipment and facilities, tour subsidies, promotion of the game to
prospective junior players, education and safety training.
As many of you are aware, we have a fabulous fundraising lunch planned for May 1, 2015. The
CRC were thrilled with the support it received as tables sold out almost as soon as the invitation
was released. The lunch is entitled Cranbrook Rugby: Past, Present and Future and is promising to
be a terrific day with 4 amazing live auction items, many rugby identities and VIP’s and some
wonderful speakers and entertainment.
For those that missed out on the lunch or weren’t able to attend we have a fantastic opportunity for
you to pledge your support for the CRC’s fundraising efforts. Today we are launching our on-line
silent auction via Galabid. It is a very easy to use auction site that will keep you informed on how
your bids are tracking. The prizes donated are many and varied and there is something for
everyone. For example, there are 6 wonderful Year 10 Work Experience opportunities. We all
know how difficult it is to organise work experience and that it is a requirement of most schools.
So, if you have or know anyone who has a son or daughter in Year 10, this is a must see item.
Perhaps it’s a holiday you need, or a family outing, maybe a golf day with the ARU Wallabies or
some lunchtime Botox?
As members of the Cranbrook Rugby Community we are releasing access to the auction ahead of
the broader school community who will gain access via Cranbrook Connect on Thursday. So
follow the link ASAP, get ahead on the bidding and let your friends in on this advanced access if
you think they might be interested.
You can be donating to the CRC while benefitting from the purchase of a fabulous prize.
Click on the link NOW and start bidding!
www.galabid.com/crc
On behalf of the CRC, thank-you all so much for your support
Natasha Raine
Vice-President, Cranbrook Rugby Club
Injury Diagnosis and Treatment Clinic @ Cranbrook
In conjunction with Bay Active Physio at Double Bay, Cranbrook’s supplier of Physiotherapy, we
are pleased to announce two new services which we will be trialing in the upcoming weeks to
further improve the health and safety of our Cranbrook rugby players.
Diagnosis Clinic
When: Monday Mornings commencing May 4, 6.30am – 8.00am
Where: Rotunda, Hordern Oval
Duration: 10 minute appointments
Cost: Free
What: Boys who get injured on Saturday may book a 10 minute appointment to see a
physiotherapist before school Monday to receive a diagnosis on their injury. From this initial
diagnosis boys may receive a referral if imaging is required or book a full appointment for
Wednesday after school at the Treatment Clinic or at Bay Active physiotherapy in Double Bay
during the week. Information from this diagnosis clinic will be compiled and passed on to Luke
Bower to disseminate to coaching staff so they are fully informed of the health status of their
players. The Diagnosis Clinic is free of charge and bookings should be made via email to Luke
Bower over the weekend.
Treatment Clinic
When: Wednesday afternoons commencing May 6, 3.30pm – 5.00pm
Where: Rotunda, Hordern Oval
Duration: 25 minute appointments
Cost: TBC
What: Boys may book a 25 minute appointment to see a physiotherapist after school Wednesday
to receive treatment for their injuries. For 13s and 14s, only boys who are unable to train and have
been previously diagnosed may attend. Information from this treatment clinic, including all
rehabilitative exercises given will be documented and passed on to Luke Bower to disseminate to
coaching staff so they are fully informed of the health status of their players. Each appointment at
the Treatment Clinic will come at a cost (TBC) and payable via credit card details. All families
will receive a receipt which may be used for health insurance purposes. Bookings are essential and
must be made by email to Luke Bower who will allocate a time slot.
Both these clinics are in the trial stage and, depending on demand, may alter throughout the
season.
1st XV & 2nd XV New Zealand Tour Report
The 2015 New Zealand Rugby Tour was an amazing experience for all 39 boys who went. Not
only did we learn why New Zealand are the best country in the world when it comes to Rugby but
we experienced the very unique Maori culture as well.
After landing in Auckland Airport at 2am all were filled with a nervous excitement and eager
anticipation for what lay ahead in the next 10 days. Our first full day was spent sightseeing around
New Zealand’s largest city Auckland with our very comical bus driver known as ‘Ricky Bobby’.
The next day was one we had all been waiting for, our first game against New Zealand’s
historically most successful rugby school Wesley College. After stepping of the bus and seeing the
size of the opposition our expectations were met. The first half started off with both sides showing
a great level of physicality and aggression but unfortunately the extremely talented and quick
Wesley outside backs managed to score a quick succession of tries.
After the break Cranbrook managed to come back with a well-constructed try of a driving maul
despite being up against an extremely large forward pack. Cranbrook’s efforts were not enough
though, with the Wesley backline helping to secure a comfortable victory with a 43 to 19 win over
our 1st XV. Despite the loss it was an extremely valuable experience for us playing against a team
of such high caliber.
We then boarded the bus and headed further south to Hamilton where the 2nd XV were dude to
play St Johns College. This was again a learning experience for our boys as the hosts played an
expansive counter attacking brand of football that is rarely seen in Australia.
We finished a long day at Hamilton Stadium to watch the Waikato Chiefs play the Auckland
Blues in a Super 15 fixture.
White Water rafting on day four was one of the highlights of the tour with the boys experiencing a
Grade 5 Rapid which also doubled as the largest commercially rafted rapid in the Southern
Hemisphere.
That night we had a cultural evening to learn about Maori traditions, their highly unique culture
and the way they lived before European settlement, which was very interesting. This was followed
by a traditional ground cooked meal known as a Hangi which all enjoyed due to the unique smoky
taste the food acquired from being cooked in the ground.
On our last Day in Rotorua we had Haka instruction from the same person who teaches the All
Blacks. We not only learnt the words and moves but were taught the history behind the Haka and
how much it means to the Maori peoples.
Our next point of residence was at the Sport and Rugby Institute. On day 6 we had our second
game of the tour against another very well regarded team, Palmerston North Boys High School.
Much like the first game against Wesley the opposition started from the get go, utilising space out
wide with their outside backs and having a very effective counter attack.
Despite coming up against another large and skilful team there were still many positives to be
taken out of the game that will help us develop for round one of the CAS season. Final scores
were 17 – 36 in the 2nd XV and 5 – 50 for the 1st XV.
Our Last stop was the capital Wellington, where we played our third and final game of the tour
against Porirua College. Cranbrook started well having most of the ball in the first half but not
quite managing to convert it to points due to the wet and windy conditions. Going into the break
Cranbrook was down by 5 however Darcy Searl however managed to score a well-deserved try
late in the game to secure a draw with the scores at an equal 5 apiece.
The tour has shown to us where we need to improve as a squad and what makes New Zealand
Rugby the highest quality in the world. Experiencing the New Zealand culture was an amazing
experience which none of us will forget.
16s ACT Tour Report
The 16As rugby tour to the Australian Institute of Sport was a great experience for all involved. It
developed all of the boys’ skills with seven intense training sessions and a 5.30am wake up. The
boys understanding of the game was put to the test, and a lot was learnt in the four days.
We arrived at the AIS at midday on the 14th of April. After the 4 hour bus ride, and a huge lunch
we began our first AIS training session. In the first session we did plyometrics to enhance our
balance, strength, speed and agility. Fundamental skills were also worked on in an attempt to get
everyone back into the game after a long break. Our skills were quite rusty, and our passing
needed a lot of work.
On day two Connor Sprague and Peter Milios returned from a 10 day camp to Central Australia,
and two of the more experienced members of the squad, Joff Pilton and Finnbar Stenmark,
returned from the 1st XV and 2nd XV New Zealand rugby tour. These boys greatly increased the
level that the boys trained at, and added more structure to our plays. The day started off early with
a 5.30 am strength and conditioning session with Mr Sievert. Our effort and performance in this
was commendable.
After a big breakfast, and multiple hot chocolates we were ready to take on the rest of the day. The
following two sessions were both filled with contact, with an emphasis on decision making under
pressure and ruck defense. The intensity and aggression in contact in both sessions was immense.
To end day two, Mr Bower did a white board session on many technical aspects of the game
Day 3 started off with alarm bells ringing as frantic boys rushed out of their rooms at 6.30 am to
escape the noise of the fire alarms which were set off from the steam from a shower. Our first
session for the day included the introduction of new team set plays.
A trip to the Brumbies training grounds followed. A tour of the Brumbies new, state of the art
facilities was taken, as we all looked in awe at the bench and chin up records of the athletes. We
watched the Brumbies train, keen to impress them with our kicking and passing skills whenever a
ball would come our way. Aaron Giesser was particularly chuffed with his kick back to the
Brumbies, bragging about it for the rest of the following hour while we observed their training.
The following session was split into backs and forwards. The forwards went with Mr Kepu, and
Mr Bower who worked on improving our scrums and line outs. By the end of the session the
forwards improved considerably. The back line worked with Mr Sievert in creating and practicing
new back line moves, and the back threes decision making in counter attack.
The contact and plyometric sessions left every player stiff and sore, so hearing we would be
attending a self-massage course came as a huge relief to all of us. The self-massage was
undertaken by a professional from the AIS and taught us how to loosen and relieve pain in our
lower back, upper back, neck, traps, biceps, and legs with only a tennis ball or our hands.
After breakfast on the last morning, and the savoring of some morning hot cocoa, we left to do one
final training session in the drizzling rain. We started off with warm ups, then later progressed to
splitting up into backs and forwards to practice set plays. We came together at the end to practice
team set plays. The energy and enthusiasm of the boys was fantastic and the communication on
field went through the roof. By the end the team set plays were looking really good. After our final
warm down, we went to our last AIS feed dubbed, by Aaron Geisser, as "The last supper".
The 16 As AIS tour was a great success vastly improved the skills and knowledge of all the
players involved. The tour brought the team together and was well led and run by Mr Sievert, Mr
Bower, and Mr Kepu, all of whom's efforts were greatly appreciated by the players.
13s and 14s Country NSW Tour Report
The Cranbrook U13s and U14’s rugby tour kicked off with a six-hour bus drive to Cowra in
Country NSW. The team arrived at 2:00pm, checked into the accommodation and then had a
visit to the Cowra Visitor Centre where the boys watched a short video on the history of Cowra
and in particular the POW breakout during the World War II. The focus then turned to rugby
and a training session was held at the home of Cowra Rugby.
The next day, we got on the bus for a one hour trip to Bathurst where we were greeted at St
Stanislaus College, our opponents for the morning. The U13s kicked off proceedings and put on
a fantastic display of running rugby to run out comprehensive 61 – 0 victors.
Clinical forward play allowed the backs to show their skills which led to some fantastic tries
being scored. All players played their role well but despite the score line there was still plenty of
room for improvement in the contact areas of the game.
The U14s were next up with St Stanislaus being the ISA U13 Champions in 2014. Despite the
size of the opposition we stayed determined and the physicality did not drop. Within the first ten
minutes, Gabriel Meyer was over the line after cleaning up a miss throw in the lineout.
The next try came from a large Stanislaus boy off a pick and drive. Both teams scored again
making it 12-12 with ten minutes to go. Jake Taylor then kicked an amazing penalty from the
40-metre line sealing the game for Cranbrook 15-12. Coach Scott was pleased with the victory
but noted the areas for improvement.
After a good win we were off to the Bathurst Bulldogs home ground to watch their first grade
team play Parkes. Bathurst got a good win over Parkes in what was a great game to watch.
Following this match the boys headed to Mudgee for the evening. After an epic thunder storm
and a great feed at Club Mudgee the boys settled in for a well-deserved rest.
Sunday morning saw both teams arrive at Jubilee Oval Mudgee excited for more rugby. In front
of a large and parochial country crowd, the U13 team played two twenty minute trials against
the Central West U12 and U13 rep teams respectively.
Cranbrook was too strong for the U12 team running out convincing winners. The match against
the U13 team was considerably harder and was locked at 0 – 0 until the last few minutes when
Peter Masselos crashed his way over to earn Cranbrook a 5 – 0 victory. It was a fitting way for
the tour to end and it was a match which exposed some areas for the team to work on before
Round 1.
The 14As then took to the field to play the Mudgee Wombats U15 side. Despite the fact that
Mudgee had a larger team, itdidn’t stop the Cranbrook forwards from putting in great effort
giving the back good clean ball to work with. The first try of the game came from Perry Tasker
off of a well-read intercept. A series of solid tries followed from both teams before half time
with a one stand out from Jude Gibbs after a great run from thirty meters out.
In the second half the Mudgee Wombats started to get very fatigued and Cranbrook started
scoring numerous tries. Late in the second half, we had a lineout just inside their 22 meter line
and the forwards put in an amazing effort to get their rolling maul over the line. The game
finished off as a solid victory for Cranbrook in a 34-15 win.
Overall the boys had a great weekend in Country NSW where we improved on the field and
became closer friends off it. Thanks to all the staff who organised the tour.
12s Armidale Rugby Carnival Tour Report
20 boys left Cranbrook School on Thursday 16th April for a 4 day adventure to Armidale to
participate in the Armidale School Rugby Carnival. After a marathon bus ride the boys settled
into their accommodation for a well-earned nights rest. The Friday saw the boys prepare for the
tournament with two training sessions which were punctuated by a trip to the cinema. The boys
went to bed on Friday confident they could play some good rugby against quality opposition.
Saturday morning saw the start of the carnival and a match up against Pacific Lutheran College.
The training the boys completed on Thursday did the trick as Cranbrook started impressively to
wrap up a 24 – 0 victory. The forwards set a strong platform and the backs did the rest.
The second game was a tough affair against Lismore City RFC. This was a rugged encounter
against some strong boys. Neither team gave an inch with the final result ending up at 1 try a
piece, 5 – 5. The boys knew they had to improve on that performance if they were going to get
back in the winner’s circle against Shore.
The Shore match was one of the highlights of the tour. Shore, as always, were a well drilled unit
who executed the basics of the game well. Through some determined running and some dogged
defence, Cranbrook held on a memorable 10 – 7 victory. This result set them up to finish top of
their group but there was still plenty of work to be done. The last game on Saturday was against
St Pius. Two exhausted teams gave their all with another draw the end result; 10 – 10.
Cranbrook finished the first day with two wins and two draws which meant they played in the
Division 3 final the next morning. After another meal at the local club, the boys were tucked
into bed early as they prepared for the next morning.
The final on Sunday saw Cranbrook up against Ambrose Treacy College 2XII. Cranbrook saved
some of their best football for the last game, running out comprehensive victors 34 - 0.
It was another long bus ride home to finish an enjoyable weekend of rugby. The attention now
turns to the IPHSA competition which starts May 2.
Match Reports v Oakhill College
1st XV v Oakhill 7: 71 Loss
The 1st XV had a disappointing outing against a well drilled Oakhill outfit. The opening
passages of the game were closely contested with Cranbrook matching the physicality of the
Oakhill forwards.
Things started to slip midway through the first half with Cranbrook missing some crucial tackles
in defence which allowed Oakhill to establish a comfortable lead. Oakhill’s ability to turn line
breaks into tries ensured they continued to pile on the points against a shocked Cranbrook outfit.
It was definitely not the performance the team were after and they will be working hard to
rectify the areas that need improvement before the CAS competition starts against St Aloysius
on May 2.
2nd XV v Oakhill 14:17 Loss
The 2nd XV were slow out of the blocks against Oakhill, allowing them to score two early tries. The
team must rectify this issue as they move forward.
Once Cranbrook found their rhythm, they dominated large parts of the game and managed to
pull to within three with 15 minutes remaining on the clock. Cranbrook were unable to take the
lead due to some committed Oakhill defence.
There were many positives to come from the game and the boys are looking forward to their
first outing against St Aloysius.
16A v Oakhill 41:15 Win
Coming off a brutal, but effective Rugby tour in the AIS facility in Canberra, the 16s boys were
keen to apply their improved skills and structures learnt, into the upcoming game against
Oakhill College.
As a result, the boys came out determined and enthusiastic. Cranbrook executed the plays
extremely well and dominated the ball possession and consequently, tries from Mitch Dickens,
Andrew Glastras, Spencer O’Connor, Tom Lamens and Finnbar Stenmark came with ease.
Fixtures Saturday 2 May
Team
1st XV
2nd XV
3rd XV
4th XV
5th XV
16A
16B
16C
15A
15B
15C
14A
14B
14C
13A
13B
13C
13D
12A
12B
12C
11A
11B
10A
10B
10C
9A
9B
Opposition
Venue
St Aloysius
Hordern
St Aloysius
Hordern
St Aloysius
Hordern
St Aloysius
Hordern
BYE
BYE
St Aloysius
Hordern
St Aloysius
Hordern
St Aloysius
Hordern
St Aloysius
College Oval
St Aloysius
College Oval
St Aloysius
College Oval
St Aloysius
College Oval
St Aloysius
College Oval
BYE
BYE
St Aloysius
Woollahra 3
St Aloysius
Woollahra 3
St Aloysius
Woollahra 3
BYE
BYE
Knox
Woollahra 2
Knox
Woollahra 2
Koola Park
Knox
Lower Gillespie
Knox
Lower Gillespie
Scots
Hordern
Scots
Hordern
Koola Park
Scots
Kirkland Oval
Scots
Kirkland Oval
Time
3.15
2.00
1.00
12.00
BYE
11.00
10.00
9.00
12.00
11.00
10.00
9.00
8.00
BYE
11.00
10.00
9.00
BYE
9.00
8.00
10.00
9.30
8.45
8.15
7.30
9.00
8.45
8.00
Rotunda and BBQ Roster
The Cranbrook Rugby Club would like to encourage you all to sign up for a shift or two on the
rotunda or BBQ during the season. It is easy to do; just click the link below and enter your
details. It is a great way to get to know other parents and some of the kids in the Cranbrook
rugby community. We usually find it works best if you sign up for an hour before or after your
son plays, as you usually have to be there then anyway as they warm up or reserve for the next
team.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ar5n7MHXveYbdDl2VTZRVUwyUnp4V0lNY2NoZ2
NBbXc&usp=sharing
Fantastic supporters and suppliers to Cranbrook Rugby