Players added to 2017 Australian Schools and Barbarians squad
Four players have been added to the Australian Schoolboys squad to play Fiji and New Zealand Schools later this year, while three players have been added to the Australian Barbarians squad.
Will Harrison (Marcellin, Randwick) and Marco Bell (Waverley) from NSW and Koen Dovey (Southport) and Tristan Stanghon (Churchie) from Queensland have been added to the top squad, while Joey Walton (Wadalba Community High School), Dylan Dowling (Joeys) and Lincoln Smith (Marist College, Canberra) will all feature for the Australian Barbarians.
“We made it very clear to everyone after the carnival that we left some spots opened and that those places could be taken by players who missed some or all of the trials with legitimate injuries, or from players who played at the carnival,” Australian Schoolboys selector Adrian Thompson told Rugby News earlier this year.
“We’ll continue to look at that and some of the Barbarians players may end up in the Australian team.”
Thompson said he was extremely impressed with the quality of rugby played at the trials and said he was confident heading into this year’s Tests against New Zealand and Fiji Schools.
“The big thing we’ve changed this year is that we’ll have both the Australian and the Barbarians sides stay and train together and I think that will add more competition for spots, plus we’ll be able to reselect those two teams after the first day of Test matches.
“Last year we scored three tries to two against New Zealand but didn’t win but I think we’ll continue to close that gap. We’ll have a really good preparation and will be in camp for two weeks heading into the New Zealand match.”
Thompson added that is certainly wasn’t the end of the road for those players not selected in the two Australian squads.
“We looked at 180 boys last week and although some of them aren’t quite ready for this year’s Australian Schoolboys or maybe underperformed last week, they are still definitely on the radar of their respective Super Rugby academies.
“We just don’t look at the two Australian teams going forward, in fact if you look at this year’s Australian 20s, at least half of the squad if not more didn’t play Australian Schoolboys.”
2017 Australian Schools:
Bo Abra (NSW I) – St Stanislaus College
Angus Bell (NSW II) – Newington College
Marco Bell – Waverley College
Darcy Breen (NSW I) – The Scots College
Lachlan Connors (QLD II) – St Patrick’s College
Ben Donaldson (NSW I) – Waverley College
Ken Dovey – Southport School
Nick Frost (NSW I) – Knox Grammar School
Will Harrison – Marcellin College, Randwick
Albert Hopoate (NSW I) – St Augustine’s College
Trevor Hosea (QLD I) – Brisbane Boys College
Ciaran Loh (NSW I) – The King’s School
Noah Lolesio (QLD I) – The Southport School
Lachlan Lonergan (ACT) – Trinity Christian College
Luca Moretti (NSW I) – Waverley College
Jordan Petaia (QLD I) – Brisbane State High School
Charlie Rorke (NSW I) – St Ignatius College, Riverview
Seamus Smith (ACT) – Marist College
Tristan Stranghon – Anglican Church of England Grammar School
Carlo Tizzano (WA) – Trinity College
Josh Vuta (QLD II) – Somerset College
Harry Wilson (QLD I) – St Josephs College Gregory Terrace
Thomas Woodcock (NSW I) – Knox Grammar School
Finn Wright (NSW II) – Waverley College
2017 Australian Schools Barbarians:
Moses Alo-Emile (QLD I) – Brisbane State High School
Oliver Barden (VIC) – Brighton Grammar School
Marco Bell (NSW II) – Waverley College
Max Douglas (NSW I) – St Augustine’s College
Max Dowd (QLD I) – The Southport School
Dylan Dowling – St Joseph’s, Hunters Hill
Apenisa Driti (NSW I) – Griffith High School
William Goddard (ACT) – St Edmund’s College
Kohan Herbert (QLD II) – Downlands College
Phoenix Hunt (QLD I) – St Joseph’s College Nudgee
Tom Iles (ACT) – Marist College
Brendan Jiminez (ACT) – St Edmund’s College
Tom Kibble (QLD I) – Brisbane Boys College
William Lloyd (NSW I) – Barker College
Brody MacAskill (WA) – Aranmore Catholic College
Cullen Ngamanu (QLD I) – Brisbane Boys College
Lachlan Osborne (ACT) – Canberra Grammar School
Campbell Parata (QLD I) – The Southport School
Alex Sa’aga (VIC) – Melbourne Grammar School
Egan Siggs (QLD I) – The Southport School
Lincoln Smith – Marist College, Canberra
Joey Walton – Wadalba Community High School
Jack Winchester (Combined States) – Bishop Druitt College
Tom Yassmin (NSW II) – The Scot’s College