The Australian Schools Barbarians held off a spirited Tongan Schools side to claim a 38-26 victory in front of a healthy crowd at Newington in Sydney on Saturday.

As expected, the Tongans looked to outmuscle the Australians early however the home side worked their way into the match and scored four well worked tries to lead 26-12 at the break.

Although it wasn’t the most polished performance, the Australians did enough in the second half to win the match against a physical Tongan side that showed plenty of heart and aggression.

The full match can be watched online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAtOWSM551M

Five names to remember:

Nick Brown – Kings, NSW

The hardworking lock was the best on ground on Saturday and showed plenty of class, particularly when the Tongans turned up the heat in defence. Brown was constantly involved and controlled the maul, which led to two Australian tries.

Jordan Petaia – Brisbane State HS, QLD

The electric winger was the most exciting player on the field and made the most of the few opportunities he received. Petaia beat his defender on a number of occasions and showed plenty of spark. Tall and lean, the flyer could be quite an exciting prospect if he adds some weight and maintains his speed.

Dylan Pietsch – Kings, NSW

Openside flanker Pietsch was the most aggressive of the Australians and worked hard all game. The No.7 only caused one turnover but made up for it with his work around the park. He showed Michael Hooper like speed to run 60 metres untouched and score an important try early in the second half.

Tyzac Jordan – Waverley, NSW

Despite only playing half the match at scrumhalf, Jordan was one of Australia’s best and showed great speed to score a nice individual try from a midfield scrum early in the match. Jordan controlled the tempo of the game well in the first half and remained composed when the Tongans lifted the intensity.

Luke Rixon – Shore, NSW

Like Petaia, Rixon made the most of every opportunity on the wing and showed tremendous pace. He also kicked a number of difficult conversions from out wide. Rixon certainly has the skill and pace and if he can add some size, he’ll be one to watch.

Notable mentions:

Hooker Matthew Faessler was strong and flanker Henry Sharp looked impressive in the opening stages before leaving the field injured.

In the backs, flyhalf Bayley Kuenzle and fullback Mackenzie Hansen didn’t get a lot of opportunity, but showed plenty of class when they did.

Replacement hooker Callum Kent sung the anthem like an absolute champion. He’s clearly got plenty of heart and showed it late in the match.

Photos: Waverley Sport