Day 15 Match v TSS(Southport School) Delayed Report

Whitgift vs. The Southport Scghool

With a meet of 630, many of the boys were not looking forward to ‘Big Friday’. The boys knew the day would consist of a huge amount of travelling followed by a very intense game of rugby against T.S.S.
The journey from Sydney airport to Brisbane went well, with Harry Ledger FINALLY finding his ‘walking’ passport. From Brisbane we headed down the coast towards the Gold Coast. On arriving at Southport we had a quick wander around the school grounds and a small team meeting, in which someone (Harry Ledger) realised he had put his bank card in the bin on the coach which had left (this was few hours since finding his passport, for a captain some would say a poor show on such a tour).
The game started slowly for Whitgift, lacking communication in defence and losing the physical battle in the breakdown area. This lead to Southport going 7-0 up from an out wide try. Southport were playing good rugby out wide and through a huge mismatch the opposition scored again and put us 14-0 down. With this score staying until half-time a big team talk from Wilko got the boys prepared for a rough, tough and old fashioned second half. The boys got right into the face of the Australians and the Southport school boys started to take a back step. This lead to Max Anglin fly-hacking on a knock-on by a Southport player, chasing and hacking again until Jordan Lewis managed a well executed pick-up to score, this was then converted by Will Page to make the score 14-7. Despite the boys trying their hardest to score we couldn’t. The game came to a disappointing 14-7 loss for Whitgift. With a few dubious decisions from the referee, including a yellow card for our Captain (England Captain, Harlequins EPDG, Voted ‘Best Blonde Locks’ of the Sutton and Epsom area 2011) Harry Ledger. Some would say these decisions changed the flow of the game and ultimately the score.
All in all a very pleasing performance in many ways, just a shame we couldn’t get the result we wanted.
James margetson

The Final Blog

Well here I am sat in Hotel Cairns reception , with the bus outside waiting to take us to Cairns Airport and on the long journey back to England .
This has been a superb tour and I am very proud of the way the lads have behaved, developed and represented Whitgift. From a Rugby point of view , the results may not look that flash, but that they don't tell the whole story . We have played some of the top schools in Australia and we have used the whole squad and gave ourselves a chance of coming out on top in every game. The lads have developed well and really improved and importantly take home with them a knowledge of what we need to do to take our game to another level, clear our lines better , improve discipline and ball retention and tighten up our defence under pressure . I am confident with what I have seen of the lads attitude and teamwork in Australia that we can build on this when we get back and push on.
The diversity of the tour has been fantastic, Perth , the Outback , Sydney , Brisbane and Cairns are so different and it has been brilliant to experience this. We have seen the Swan bRiver, Uluru , Sydney Harbour , Blue Mountain , Surfers Paradise and the Great Barrier Reef . We all know how lucky we are to have seen this and we have also met some fantastic people .
I would like to thank the coaching staff on this tour. Noggy was superb as usual , Ross worked hard with fitness , Martino pushed on massiveley and really impressed and Webby had another great tour. A big part of this was to develop the coaches and this has been done. The 2nd XV , Under 14s will all benefit indirectly from the tour and this is really important to me.Thanks also to Noggy and Webby for doing this blog and I hope you have enjoyed it .
Finally thanks to all parents, sponsors, billets ,Mike Williams and Peter Churchill at Intourworld Sport and the Headmaster and staff for making it possible . It has been a fantastic three weeks and I look forward to catching up with you all when we get back .

Regards

Wilko

Test Match V Nudgee

On a hot winters day the squad begun to prepare what could only be described as a titanic battle between two teams that 2 years ago had been a mighty encounter with Nudgee pipping it in the last play of the game to win by a point. In the morning the Whitgift boys went through their team runs and warmed up well, then we had a chance to relax after a great Nudgee lunch which reminded us of home, pasta, sauce meat, just how we like it.
At 3pm strapping done, Rob Whites blister superbly covered up and Rob Kings leg hair still bald from the ripping of his last leg taping, the players came back into the changing room ready for some inspirational talk from the coaching staff. The message was simple, Wilko; "this is the best we have got to play, this may the only chance you have of taking on a school as proud of this in their own back yard", Martino; Attack the 10/12 channel get over the gain line quickly and earn the right to play. Webby: "Defence, postive tackles, get to lineouts early have a clear picture of what you have to execute."

The game kicked off in glorious Queensland winter sun, with a sizeable crowd. The pressure was high, but the physicality of the Nudgee boys was not causing the Whitgift defence too many problems. Suddenly with several phases built up, Jordan Lewis spun the ball to the short side with Rob White blistering through several tackles to score, no page conversion, but Whitgift 5 Nudgee 0.

A good penalty from our 22, saw us ridiculously not kick to touch and Nudgee broke with accuracy and power and scored out wide with their kicker converting to go 7-5 Nudgee. Again some good passage of play from the Whitgift side saw us gain a penalty just outside the 22, this time a cool collected Page slotted it through the middle 8-7 Whitgift. The game ebbed and flowed and to be fair to Nudgee was it not for a handling error with the try line to beat they should have crossed Whitgifts line again. But this was proving a titanic battle with the team the first to make a mistake surely to be punished. With 5 minutes to go, Nudgee strung a series of attacks together and scored out wide, missed the conversion but 12-8 put them on the front foot. The line out was working well and the build up was good and in the last play of the game before the halftime whistle Max Angling made up for his earlier misdemeanour and burst through under the posts, with Pagey again converting to put us up 15-12 at half time. Game on!!!

The game started as it had finished at a frenetic pace, but the forwards of Nudgee were proving a handful and they were gaining yards on every rampage. Eventually a series of miss tackles in midfield resulting in them going under the posts and converting to go 19-15 up. Another good passage of play from a driven line out saw Whitgift gain a penalty, again Pagey slotting it from out on the right hand side, 19-18 to our hosts. Then, whether it was more by luck or judgement Rob King caught out wide defensively gambled took an interception and galloped(yes galloped) from the 22 to the posts, which was converted and sent the faithful Whitgift supporters into ecstasy. 25-19 Whitgift.

A series of missed lineouts and poor game management allowed the opposition to again strike back and convert to go 26-25 up. Whitgift threw the replacements on and went for broke, but again some poor decisions left the Nudgee backline with some mismatches in midfield to go in under the post and convert 33-25. Still Whitgift had time to respond and with a promising lineout position and some phases, but eventually the steam run out and a simple turnover led to the opposition putting the ball to touch--Game Over. We had battled hard, made some mistakes, but stuck at our task, it felt as if we had snatched defeat from the hands of victory. Work rate superb, commitment superb, execution needs to be improved, too many line breaks were made for us not to go over. A bitter sweet pill to swallow. The boys have impressed hugely and improvement has been enormous. But this can only be the start. They have to push on, they have to continue to improve, they have to become ruthless. 4 games lost by a score, the little things, the little things. What a head start, what an effort, we certainly got in their faces, we earnt the Aussies respect. But we have to look forward to get better still.

Cairns beckons, there a few tired bodies, a couple of minor knocks, but good spirits. Some refection that needs to be done by everyone. The sun is shining, the food is plentiful and sea is sparkling blue. No riots, no petrol increases, no phone hacking. Enjoy every moment, grasp every opportunity the season is nearly upon us. Come on Whitgift!!!!!

Nudgee 33 Whitgift 25

The BTECer's

Day 18 Cont

We woke up this morning, most of us very unhappy to leave what would be arguably be our best billets so far. After a 'relaxing' weekend, today was more preperation for Nudgee who we will be playing tomorrow. We started off by training at TSS, improving our skills, defensive organisation and set piece play. We also introduced two new back moves called 'Parra' and 'Surfers' which hopefully will work tomorrow ( won't go into detail about them just incase any Nudgees are reading this!). We then left TSS, and after an hour and a half coach journey and a overly leightweight meal we hit the pool, which was 50 metres long and surprisingly warm. We threw a ball about and tried to make 3 man towers, with many attempts failing dismally! After the relaxing swim we got paired off and sent with our new billets. Speaking on behalf the team, we are sure that the game tomorrow will currently be at the back of everyone's mind, but also one that everyone is thoroughly looking forward to. Lets hope for a good, aggressive game of rugby and one that culminates in our best performance on tour, one that will see us hit all our targets and finish with a bang!

J.Lewis

Day 18

After saying 'goodbye' to our TSS billets, we had a training session to help improve our defence at the breakdown, in open-play and in lineouts as well as rehearsing new set-plays. We all quickly showered and changed and got on to the coach heading to Nudgee. After a very quiet coach journey due to everyone's lack of energy, we were astonished by Nudgee's land and facilities. They had an impressive 400 metre running track and a gym with a large amount of benches and machines. We had a small lunch consisting of 'Southern-fried chicken' with some cheese and salad with a few snacks on the side. We took advantage of their outdoor swimming pool and enjoyed a good muck-about in the pool which was refreshing for all of us. After killing some time at the pool, we picked up our bags and met our new billets who we will be spending the next three nights with.
D. McDougall

Test Squad v St Joseph's Nudgee

Test Squad v Nudgee

1. J.McMillan
2. S.Hugklestone
3. E.Mack
4. R.King
5. R.White
6. J.Margetson*(Subject to late fitness test)
7. N.Burnham
8. H.Ledger(Capt)
9. J.Lewis
10.M.Angling
11.J.Donohue
12. F.Kirchner
13. G.Smith
14. L.Baker
15. W.page

Replacements:

D.McDougall
S.Brown
S.Cooke
J.O'Sullivan
M.Clarke
L.Petrozzi
A.Bowers
S.Wright
M.Valler

INJ: R.McCall
A.Hutcherson

Day 16 & 17

After greeting our billets the night before, some boys woke up to do many activities such as surfing, sun-bathing and jet-skiing. As the weather was lovely and warm, most boys headed straight to the beach where most of us bumped in to each other at 'Surfer's Paradise'. We tried to maintain our rugby skills by playing touch on the shore/sea which resulted in many of us getting soaked. Myself and others went for a traditional Nandos lunch and dug in to some delicous chicken. We returned to our billets for a relaxing night in watching the Wallibies against the All Blacks whilst eating something off the 'barbie'.
Sunday was a repeat of Saturday for most players by going back down to 'Surfer's Paradise' and one of us, Luke Baker, experienced drowning whilst others who could swim went further out and enjoyed getting hit by the huge waves. A number of us stayed in on the Sunday and had a BBQ by the canal with our hosts. Our hosts were keen to get us out of the house and took us out for a quick game of bowling which became increasingly competitve with each go one of us had.
D.McDougall

Day 14

Today(Thursday 4th August 2011) we went to go and see the Blue Mountains. First of all we got up at 6 and left at 730 and went to go and pick up the boys from West field Sports High School. Then we headed for the Blue Mountains. It was amazing to see it and it was so high. First of when we got to the Blue mountains we went and took pictures of the 3 Sisters and the rest of the Mountain Range. Then after that we went on a Train on a Track and went down the Mountain and it was a great experience to do. The Train ride we went on was the Steepest ride in the whole world. After that we then took a cable car and saw all the mountains and 3 sisters again. Then we had some lunch it was amazing. When we were walking around the site of the Mountains we could walk into one of the 3 Sisters and it was steep and high. In the Distance you could see a slight blue colour and that is how they got there name the Blue Mountains. We then dropped the boys back to West field Sports High School and they went to there billets and are going to stay another night there.
Today was amazing and Interesting!!!!!!!

By Shahla Wilkins (Mr Wilkins Daughter)

Match v Westfield

Another match, and another perfect day in Australia. We played our 3rd match today against Westfield Sports high school which we knew was going to be a tough test.

The first half started slowly with each side exchanging blows through the centres and Westfield using their huge pack to try and force a hole, but to no avail. Luke Baker scored a brilliant try beating 2 players after a well executed backs move, putting Whitgift 5-0 up. Will Page then slotted a penalty to make it 8-0. Another team move put Jordan Lewis through a huge hole, making it 15-0 following the conversion from Pagey. Westfield were quick to strike back using their huge runners in the backs to tear holes in our young backline. 15-5. However our technical ability at the set piece held strong as Rob White bulldozed his way over from 5metre out for his first try of the game. 22-5.

The second half started much the same way as the first did, as neither team were quick to find their rhythm. Our forwards soon came into their element as Westfield tried to force things around the ruck. The opposition proved to be extremely physical, but the way the team stood their ground and made tackle after tackle proved to everyone and ourselves that we can mix it with even the most physical of sides. Another number of line breaks again caused our opposition trouble. James Donohue going through on a well drilled “Coke” move and George Smith with some spectacular footwork. But it was again the clinical precision of the forwards and in particular the quality of Max Valler’s line out throwing and the general line out itself that proved the final nail in the coffin, with Rob White going over on the left hand side and Will Page again with his kicking boots slotting the conversion. In an ill tempered finish Whitgift held their cool and saw the game out, with Westfields finishing the game with 14 men on the pitch.
The result 29-5 to Whitgift a great win, a great performance and the starting block we needed.

The evening was topped off with a challenge race set by one Mr Steve Smith(Father of George), a 60m sprint race against the coaches, in which he would take on all comers, indeed a man who could run in his prime 10.8 for the 100m. After a surprisingly spritely Mr Wilkins volunteered himself, he then was closely followed by his 12 year old son Cameron and then after dragging a not so keen Mr Webb to the start line. Could the result of the story ever have been in doubt. Mr Webb by probably 5 metres, he even had time to turn to his opposition and face them as they ran over the finish line. Mr Wilkins a solid second, and good olde Smithy 3rd, indeed he only just beat young Cameron by about ½ metre. The moral of the story, as soon as you start to pat yourself on the back, you go backwards, a lesson both the Whitgift players and Mr Smith should pay careful attention to. Role on Southport!!!

S.Cooke

Day 13 v Westfield

After a lovely night getting to know our billets we met at school at 8 o’clock outside the front gates. There were various stories from each member of the tour about their billets. My billet’s family was very nice and very welcoming as were many others, however Will Page and Alfie Hutcherson did not have such a great experience with theirs. Overall, it was an enjoyable night for all. Luke Baker finally had a shave and in doing so, shaved off half his face. After the meeting in the morning, we all got changed and went out for training. We trained for 45 minutes with a very long warm up as many players were still stiff from Monday’s tough game. After the practice, we were tempted unsuccessfully to watch a film (the Hangover) so instead, we decided unanimously as Rugby players to get something to eat. We went to the local supermarket, with some buying healthy pastas, with others opting for Subway. At about 1 pm we departed for the playing fields which were incredibly dry and the grass was mainly brown. Many of us opted for blades instead of studs as the ground was so hard and we began to prepare for the match for a 3 o’clock kick off. I will leave the match report to Sam. We all had a well deserved barbeque after our victory before returning to our respective billets to do our own individual activities.

E.Mack

Day 12

After saying goodbye to our billets from Endeavor, to whom we are very grateful for hosting us, we departed on the coach for Circular Quay with the iconic Sydney opera house in sight and were then split into groups to do some sightseeing and shopping of our own. Various groups headed to the main shopping centre, Westfields, and others walked around Circular Quay and Darling harbour where you could have a look at the Sydney boat show and enjoy some fish and chips at the fish market. We then left on the coach to Parramatta to be welcomed by our new hosts from Westfields Sports School. Luca and I ended the evening by watching a film at the local cinema.

F.Kirchner

Match Report v Endeavour Sports High School

On a hot day in Sydney the team lined up to play the second match of tour. Once again we started brightly with Simon Huggy crossing the line for a try after 13 minutes to give us a 5-0 lead. Max Anglin missing the conversion. The sheer size of Endeavour put them on the front foot and they soon had narowed our lead, 5-3 , when we were pinged for killing the ball at the ruck. Whitgift reasserted their pressure and again it turned to points with Nick Burham scoring a superb solo effort, putting in a step Quade Cooper would be proud off. Whitgift then allowed a soft try in with several tackles missed. 10-10 at halftime.
We started the second half just as brightly as the first and had them pinned down deep in their 22'. We dominated the scrum with Elliott and Jonny M destroying boys twice their size up front. We were sadly not composed enough to convert our chances despite some excellent lines from Fritz and strong lines from Sully. Endevaour were far more clinical after capitalised on two opportunist moves to score tries. 10-20. In the end we could not keep up with the size and it remained 10-20 at the final whistle.
Sam Cooke

Day 11 - Cronulla

After waking to a chilly morning, we headed to Endeavour School with our billets for an 8 o'clock meet. We then had a light training session from 9 till 9.40. We then got changed into tracksuits and headed for the local BP garage(!!!) where the team topped up with fuel.
After the game we headed our different ways with our billets. Some went to Cronulla Beach, others to bbq's and some went for a final meal with their first set of billets. A brilliant few days and now off to Westfields.
George Smith

Change of Venue-Westfields Sports High School

The Match will now be played at Avery Park, Cumberland Highway(5 mins from the school.)

Team v Westfields Sports High School 3pm 3/8/11

1. A.Hutcherson
2. M.Valler
3. S.Wright
4. R.King
5. D.McDougall
6. J.Margetson
7. H.Ledger(c)
8. R.White

9. J.Lewis
10. M.Clarke
11. J.Donohue
12. F.Kirchner
13. G.Smith(vc)*
14. L.Baker
15. W.Page


All others replacments.

N/A S.Cooke

* George Smith unable to play last match due to injured hip.

Day 10 - Sydney

After finally reaching Cronulla we had a well deserved sleep with our new billets. Harry Ledger, Rob White, Will Page, Elliot Mack (Sanchez), Rory McCall and I woke up to a breakfast waiting for us on the kitchen table. As we waited for James O'Sulluvan to arrive because he felt lonely (!!) we all got in our hoasts car and headed for the Bondi Beach to look at the attractive scenery by this time it was already 20 degrees, after about half an hour, before heading off to the city centre towards Sydney opra house. Where we bumped into Stacy Wright and Dec McDougal. After spending the rest of the day touring around Sydney, and being amazed to the amount of people who actually turn up to a coffee festival. we all went back to the hosts house for a bbq complete with home made burger and 'apparently' an Aussie desert which was pretty much meringues with fruit. Packed our bags and looking forward to the match tomorrow.
Aaron Bowers

Team v Endeavour Sports High School 12.30pm 1-8-11

1. Elliot Mack
2. Simon Hugkelstone
3. John MacMillan
4. Robert King
5. Aaron Bowers
6. Nick Burnham
7. Harry Ledger (Capt)
8. Robert White
9. Luca Petrozzi
10. Max Anglin
11. Rory MacCall *
12. Fritz Kirchner
13. George Smith (Vice Capt)
14. James O'Sullivan
15. Sheldon Brown

16. Alfie Hutchersdon
17. Max Valler
18. Stacy Wright
19. Declan McDougall
20. James Margetson
21. Jordan Lewis
22. Matt Clarke
23. Will Page
24. James Donohue
25. Luke Baker

NA Sam Cooke

* Rory was unable to play the Hale game.

Day 9 - Ulura/Sydney

The ice cold desert morning was not welcomed by the team after a short night of sleeping bags and 'swags'. The majority of the team remained warm apart from Aaron Bowers who happened to misplace his sleeping bag and so had to sleep in half his suitcase.

After a quick breakfast we head to Uluru to watch the sunrise, again like the night before the colour changes on the rock were incredible and the desert sun soon heated us up.

We began our base walk of Uluru at around 9am which took a couple of hours, our tour guide Clarky knew everything there was to know about Uluru and was happy to inform us, even Mr Webb learnt some new facts..

A squad photo in front of the famous rock was followed by a visit to the cultural centre where we learnt even more about the unique history of the area.

After a rapid lunch we headed to the airport for the 2 hour flight to Sydney for our first stay with the locals. Many of the boys appeared nervous about the few days alone with Aussie familys but I'm sure everyone will have an amazing experience. A couple days sightseeing will be followed by Match 2, a competitive game we all want to win.

Nick Burnham

Day 8 - Uluru/ Kata Tjuta

A 5:30am wake up wasn't exactly welcomed by the boys after the first night in Alice Springs. After breakfast we set off for Uluru (Ayers Rock) as the sun came up, other than the single straight road and the odd lorry there was nothing but desert for miles. Halfway through the journey we stopped for some casual camel riding in the outback. Only a few guys splashed out the $6 dollars for the ride, the best of all being Stacy and Johnny Mac riding the same camel, the camel didn't seem too pleased....

We made it to the campsite for lunch then we went off to the impressive Kata Tjuta rocks to attempt the 'Valley of the Winds walk'. After being nearly blown off my feet I managed to figure out how the walk got its name; after taking some stunning pictures at the Karu Lookout we headed back to watch the sunset at Uluru. The dramatic colour change as the sun went down was very impressive, however the rapid drop in temperature prevented most of the boys from staying out there too long.

A unique BBQ of camel sausages and roo stake back at the campsite was followed by the tours first Court session led by judge Nick Martino. A large number of the boys were punished for certain 'mishaps' that occured in Pier 21, such as eyebrow shaving, wetting the bed, just the usual. The worst crime of all was the false accusations made by a certain individual in an attempt to frame Sheldon Brown and even head of 6th form Adrian Norris. This was simply not tolerated and the individual involved has been punished.

The night finished by the fire under the stars, another 5am wake up and a freezing night lay ahead for us all, our tour guide Clarky had assured us none of the poisonous snakes or spiders would come close so it was simply a matter of believing him and surviving the night.

Nick Burnham

Day 7 - Alice Springs

Just arrived in Alice Springs, completely different environment. The day started with the guys getting up at 6:30 in the morning ready for a fitness session at 7. However this was in vain due to the hurricane force winds and torrential rain that was continuing from the night before. A text from Wilko confirmed training was cancelled, an extra hour is bed is always welcomed. The day continued as normal until after breakfast when everyone was packing in order to be ready to leave Pier 21 and Perth at 9:30. It was rushed and there was a lot of stuff left behind but luckily we had the coaches to pick this up for us.
On the coach we saw the stats from the game, there were a lot of positives but still stuff to work on. The video from the game was also realised, unfortunately some of the camera work wasn't great but we got what we wanted to see.
Check-in went smoothly and so did the flight, some of us got lucky enough to see The Red Centre. Landing though, we noticed the terrain was just the same on both sides. There was sand and a few trees, but mostly sand. We realised why it is called 'The Dead Centre'. The landscape didn't change from the airport to our lodging, 'The Outback Lodge'. As we got off the bus disaster struck, Skipper Harry Ledger realised he had left his passport at the airport and so he had to rush off to collect it, writing this now it's still uncertain whether he found it or not but we're hoping it's alright.
The place itself is nice, got a pool, in the shade, some local visitors (mountain wallabies) and some cliffs surrounding it. Tonight we're off to dinner and then tomorrow begins with an early start at a 5:45 leave to go to The Red Centre. Should be a good night.

James Donohoe

Change of KO Time

Monday's game v Endeavour School is now kicking off at 12.30pm.

Day 6 - Perth

Today we woke up early for breakfast and training feeling tired from yesterdays game. After training we made our way to Perth on the train, which was interesting. we only had a few hours so we hit the shops and had a nice lunch, delightful!!! as it was Izzy's birthday we were in a rush to get back for her birthday meal. However due to the biggest storm ever and poor management from Mr Webb we all ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Luckily we managed to regroup and ended up having a delicious meal at the restaurant, we then swiftly returned to the hotel to catch some Zs for early training tomorrow.
Rob White

Day 5 - Perth

After an enjoyable time in Fremantle the day before, we started the day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel followed by light run throughs to prepare for our first game against Hale School. We then left for the school, and arrived surprised by the sheer size and beauty of the school and its grounds. After looking around the school, and enjoying the brilliant lunch and hospitality of Hale, we walked down the street to a lake and enjoyed the serenity. Hale School provided us with a great atmosphere to prepare for our match. Jonathan McMillan

Match Report v Hale School

The first match of tour was versus Hale, played under a perfect Perth sky. We started off at break neck speed with 11 consecutive phases resulting in our captain, Harry Ledger, going over for a try following a precise throw from Max Valler. Will Page narrowly missing the conversion. Played seemed to continue in the same way, until a dubious decision from the referee resulted in Hale closing the gap to two points. The momentum we seemed to have built up faded after this disappointing decision. The rest of the first half was spent on the back foot as Hale's kicker seemed unable to miss due to our poor discipline. The start of the second half, after letting in a soft try, was the start of Whitgift's comeback. It wasn't long until James Donohue crossed the whitewash after a number of phases and strong carriers from Rob White were strung together, utilising both forwards and backs. We stepped up the pressure however we weren't clinical enough and didn't score again until James O'Sullivan bulldozed his way over following threatening breaks from George Smith. We couldn't capitalise on field position towards the end of the second half and we were disappointed not to win, after an extremely strong second half performance. Pleasingly we came out of the game unshaved and everyone is available for selection.

Sam Cooke

Day 4 - Perth

We started the day with a delightful breakfast offering us a range of pancakes full English and cereal, although it was a shame to see Wilko's breakfast going cold after a slow start. We then had to prepare for our final session in preparation of tomorrows game. at the beginning of the session the team was announced for the game against Hale. The session consisted of mainly organisation and basic skills finishing with a captains run through where we actually looked quite sharp. After training we done some individual skills practising what we think our weak area are example tackling technique. We then had a further hour to get ready ready to head into town. We meet at 12:45 to walk into Freemantle which was more than a walk than expected taking over a hour, and to make matters worse it started raining. We then got given $25 to buy some lunch and food for the night, the majority of us went to the supermarket to buy some food which eventually we would attempt to cook hoping it was actually edible. When we got back we had the rest of the night to skill out , which involved Harry Ledger losing to Steve Smith in a tennis match. We then had some dinner which was actually ok. Now going to get an early night in preparation of the Hale game tomorrow hoping for the best.

Will Page

Supporters Perspective

Australia is an amazing Place!

When we got of the plane, our first destination was Perth in Fremantle. The first flight path was 13 hours long to Singapore, we did not have any time to sit down and shop we just had to go on to the next plane to Perth for 4 and a half hours long. When we got to Perth airport we went on to a coach and drove to Pier 21 our Hotel for 4 days . On our first day in Perth we arrived at about half past 3. We unpacked and the Boys and Coaches went and played touch rugby and then we went out to a lovely bar/ restaurant and had a lovely dinner there. Then our second day the boys and Coaches played a bit of Rugby and then went into Fremantle and had a look around and at the Beach. We then had a lovely lunch and then looked at the Australian Football Stadium and Pitch. Then we are going out for dinner. It has rained today a bit, and got cold when the sun went down. It got dark at about half past five. AUSTRALIA IS GREAT!

By Shahla Wilkins(Mr Wilkins daughter)

Day 3 - Comment of the Day

The training was tough after a long flight. To be honest some struggled but most pushed themselves through the tiredness barrier. Infact Sheldon Brown did comment that the " altitude was causing his breathing and chest to be tight" until it was pointed out to him that infact we were training next to the Swan river and we were on the coast.

Elliot Mack won DOD prize and had to dress in the local attire, a striped prison suit, to match in with the locals.

After a great feed last night and what could only described as a phenomenal breakfast( memo to oneself, get up early so Margetson doesn't eat all the pancakes), body clock is returning to normal and we are off to see the sights of Freemantle.

D.Webb

Day 3 - Perth

After a long plane journey from Heathrow, everyone was relieved when we landed in Perth. The weather in Perth was pretty good however it was very humid so the first touch training session was quite tough for some. We went out for dinner at the nearby Left Bank restaurant and tucked into some good Australian style burgers. After dinner everyone headed bank to the hotel and chilled out in their rooms for the rest of the night. Due to the long flight everyone was quite tired so an early night was called and everyone retired at around 10 o'clcok. A quiet first night.

Sheldon

Team v Hale School 4pm 26-7-11

1. John McMillan

2. Max Valler

3. Stacy Wright

4. Aaron Bowers

5. Rob King

6. James Margetson

7. Nick Burnham

8.Harry Ledger (Capt)

9. Jordan Lewis

10. Matt Clarke

11. James Donohoe

12. Max Anglin

13. George Smith (Vice Capt)

14. Luke Baker

15. Will Page

Replacements

Alfie Hutcherson

Simon Hugkulstone

Elliot Mack

Declan Mc Dougall

Robert White

Luca Petrozzi

Fritz Kirchner

Rory McCall

James O'Sullivan

Sheldon Brown

Not Available

Sam Cooke

Day 1/2 - Flights and Arrival

We arrived at school at around 7 o'clock some were earlier than others. We all arrived in Whitgift kit as ordered to by Chris Wilkins as we do on many occasions. But as we all arrived in Whitgift kit James Margetson seemed to think he could arrive in whatever he wanted. So a quick change around in his bag and getting changed we were on to Heathrow.

As we were eagerly awaiting to check in, all we had to do was wait for Mr Webb to arrive but we had to wait around for around 15 minutes while he prepared himself at home overly anticipated. After getting through customs we were then told to wait around for an hour which was a pleasant wait due to the amount of shops we had to see.

The flight was a smooth but long one, and once arriving in Singapore we were told that we would have to rush because the plane was around 45 minutes late, once arriving and rushing off the plane the gate to Perth at Singapore airport was actually right outside the gate we needed so we ended up being early.

Even though the journey from Singapore to Perth was a rough one with plenty of turbulence it was exciting none the less. 4 1/2 hours later and we finally set foot on Australian soil.

Here we are......................

Max Anglin

Players thoughts - Sam Cooke

As we enter the final week of preparation for our tour of Australia, it has become clear to those of us in the team last year, lucky enough to be part of the 2010/2011 Daily Mail winning team, what a huge amount of hard work and preparation there has been by all those that may not have been involved last season.

Hard work, alongside determination is a key part of any rugby player and I think this is embodied in any Whitgift rugby side, especially in the 1stXV. As everyone going on this tour knows, skills and talent are alone, not enough to make us reach our potential. Our head coach, Chris Wilkins has said from day 1, if you’re honest and work hard, you will get the results you deserve. I have learnt from experience that these are very wise words. Last season I was sat on the bench for the duration of the season, missing out on a lot of important matches on the way. However through hard work, learning and improving I managed to nudge my way into the starting line up for the final and won the ‘most improved player’ award at the end of season dinner. The boys should all understand that Wilko doesn’t say these things because he likes the sound of his own voice, it really does work!

National championships and big matches aren’t won in front of the crowd, or with 70m individual efforts. They are won at 7am in the ‘shed’ when no one is watching, doing circuits with our committed and excellent head of strength and conditioning, Ross Munro. Good things don’t come to those who wait in rugby, you must go out and grab them, and I think this tour party has made huge steps forward to building a solid foundation for not only the matches down under, but for the season in England. I think every boy on this tour understands that if they miss a session, they are not only letting themselves down, but the rest of the team and this was shown during our fitness forfeit for the missing players at the remaining sessions.

It has been a long pre-season for all the boys, beginning just after Easter with three sessions a week and everyone has seen visual and mental results and improvements during this time. However we must realise that the word work does not stop when we get off the plane in Australia, it’s only the start. We must continue to develop and improve as a side if we want to reach our full potential. If we aren’t improving as players and as a team, we are going backwards and everyone wants to be the best they can be, so keep up the hard work. It will all be worth it in the end!

Captain's Blog

Having played in the Whitgift 1st XV for the previous two years, I have come to realise not only what a huge privilege it is to represent the school at the highest level but the responsibilities that also come in doing so. In amongst the responsibility, the enjoyment that I personally along with many others have gained from both the rugby and the general culture of rugby at Whitgift has been fantastic. If the last two years are anything to go by then this tour and year ahead will be enjoyable throughout.

I think I speak on behalf of all those involved in saying that we are all incredibly fortunate to being going on tour this summer, let alone to Australia. This tour will provide us all with an experience of a lifetime and one that hopefully we will never forget. It is very unlikely that many of us will ever get to visit Australia again, and almost certain that we wont be given the chance to play against some of the top Australian schools. This will give us the chance to test our rugby skills against some of the best young rugby players in Australia which I’m sure I’m not alone in saying is very exciting in itself. We are also fortunate enough to be hosted by a few of the schools which will give us the opportunity to experience the culture first hand and potentially develop lasting friendships with the opposition.

In terms of tour aims, the five specified aims are obviously the priorities, but rugby aside; I feel that developing the right team culture on tour is crucial. This culture will play a huge part throughout the season and there is no better place to start connecting as a team than on tour. The tour will bring out the characters within the group as well as giving those who potentially have taken a slight backseat up until now a chance to be themselves. It will also allow current friendships amongst the team to strengthen and more importantly new friendships to develop. Forming these new friendships are more important when two new year groups come together for the first time; and we couldn’t ask for better surroundings in which to do this. This is imperative as within a successful team; no one individual is more important than any other and, along with hard work, is one of Wilko’s main focuses within a team.

The tour should aim to get us a step ahead of those teams we are due to play at the beginning of the season. The five games, regardless of the score lines, will test us both mentally and physically as a squad, especially the middle week where we have 3 games within 5 days as well as providing us that match practice that cannot be replicated within training sessions. It doesn’t just give the boys an opportunity to develop as individuals and as a team but also gives the coaches a chance to form friendships with the boys and progress as coaches.

I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I really am very excited and wish all the best to all those going on tour.


Harry

Senior Rugby Strength & Conditioning Leaderboard

1k Run Incline 3%
50 press-ups
3k bike
30 wide-arm pull-ups or * 60 bar pulls *
500m cross-trainer
50 sit-ups
1k Row dr 7
50x50kg deadlift

Rank Name Jun-11
1 Jordan Lewis 19.11
2 Luca Petrozzi 19.56
3 Will Page 20.44
4 Max Valler 21.42
5 Max Anglin 22.01
6 Rory McCall 22.01
7 Ben Ledger 22.07
8 James Margetson 22.24
9 James O'Sullivan 22.36
10 Declan McDougall 23.31
11 James Donohoe 23.41
12 Alfie Hutcherson 23.43
13 Fritz Kirchner 24.06
14 Zak Lambri 24.22
15 Nick Burnham 25.16
16 Elliot Mack 25.28
17 Elliot Foster 25.31
18 Aaron Bowers 25.53
19 John McMillan 25.53
20 Greg Dann 25.55
21 Stacey Wright 26.11
22 Matt Clark 26.33
23 Luke Baker 27.56
24 Daniel Lewis 28.14
25 Rob King 28.41
26 James Burnett 28.59
27 Rob White 30.18
28 Aidan Wickham 32.01
29 Ayomi Obanubi 33.36

Tour Groupings

Group 1 Ross Munro - Harry Ledger , Rob White , Jordan Lewis , Will Page , Rory McCall , Elliot Mack , Aaron Bowers

Group 2 Dan Webb - Simon Hugkulstone , James Margetson , James Donohue , Max Valler , Luca Petrozzi , Sheldon Brown , Matthew Clark

Group 3 - Nick Martin - Sam Cooke , Stacey Wright, Rob King , Max Anglin , Declan McDougall , Fritz Kirchner

Group 4- Chris Wilkins - George Smith , Alfie Hutcherson , Nick Burnham , James O'Sullivan , Jonathon McMillan , Luke Baker

Whitgift 1st and 2nd XV Fixtures 2011-12

1st XV 2nd XV
Date Staff CW/AN/ RIM /NJS/ JG

04/09/2011 Esher Tournament Away

10/09/2011 Tom Nicholls XV Home 2.30

17/09/2011 Stowe School Away 2.30 Away 2.30

24/09/2011 Skinners Home 2.00 Home 2.00

28/09/2011 DM Round 2

01/10/2011 Wellington Away 2.30 Away 2.30

08/10/2011 John Fisher Away 2.30 Away 1.30

12/10/2011 DM Round 3

15/10/2011 Chis and Sid Away 10.30 Away 10.30

21/10/2011 Sebdergh Away 1.30

09/11/2011 DM Round 4

12/11/2011 RGS High Wycombe Home 2.00 Home 2.00

19/11/2011 Dulwich Home 2.30 Home 2.15

23/11/2011 DM Round 5

26/11/2011 St Josephs Away 2.30 Away 2.30

03/12/2011 London Oratory Away 10.30 Away 10.30

07/12/2011 DM Round 6

10/12/2011 Bishop Wordsworth Home 1 .00 Home 1.00

07/01/2012 Ravenswood Home 10.00

14/01/2012 St Benedicts Home 10.30 Home 10.30

17/01/2012 DM Round 7

21/01/2012 Portsmouth GS Home 11.00

28/01/2012 Hartbury Away 2.30
Glyn Technology Home 10.30

01/02/2012 DM Quarter Final

04/02/2012 Brighton Home 2.30

Contact details of Schools and Hotels

School Addresses

THE HALE SCHOOL ENDEAVOUR Spts H.S.
Hale Road Cnr Taren Point Rd/ The Boulevarde
Wembley Downs Caringbah
Perth NSW 2229
WA

Tel: 0061 8 9347 9777 Tel: 0061 29 524 0615
Fax: Fax: 0061 29 540 4458



THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL WESTFIELDS Spts H.S.
Winchester Street Hamilton Road
Southport Fairfield West
Qld 4215 NSW 2165

Tel: 0061 7 5531 9911 Tel: 0061 2 9604 3333
Fax: 0061 7 5531 9977 Fax: 0061 2


St JOSEPH’S,NUDGEE
2199, Sandgate Road
Boondall
Qld 4034

Tel: 0061 7 3865 0555
Fax: 0061 7 3865 0500

Hotel Addresses

TOUR PARTY ACCOMMODATION

The tour party will be accommodated nights of:

the nights of

July 24 - 27 - Perth
PIER 21 RESORT
9, John Street
North Fremantle
WA 6159

Tel: 0061 8 9336 2555
Fax:0061 8 9336 2140


July 28 - Alice Springs July 29 - Ayers Rock
HEAVITREE GAP
OUTBACK LODGE Camping organised
Palm Circuit by
Alice Springs ADVENTURE TOURS
NT 0870

Tel: 0061 8 8950 4444
Fax: 0061 8 8952 9394


Aug 11,12 – Cairns
HOTEL CAIRNS
Cnr Florence & Abbott St
Cairns
Qld 4870
Tel: 0061 7 4051 6188
Fax: 0061 7 4031 180

MANAGEMENT ACCOMMODATION

When the Tour Party is billeted, the Tour Management
will be accommodated:

the nights of:


July 30,31 Aug 1- Cronulla Aug 2,3,4 – Paramatta
Park Royal Hotel
CRONULLA MOTOR INN 30 Phillip Street
85, Kingsway Parramatta
Cronulla NSW 2150
NSW 2230
Tel: 0061 2 9523 6800 0061 2 9685 0349
Fax: 00612 9523 0314 0061 2 9891 6384





Aug 5, 6, 7 — The Gold Coast Aug 8,9,10 - Boondall
XANADU MAIN BEACH VIRGINIA PALMS
59, Pacific Street Cnr Sandgate and Zillmere
Main Beach Boondall
Qld 4217 Qld 4034

Tel: 0061 7 5557 0400 Tel: 0061 7 3265 7066
Fax:0061 7 5571 1172 Fax: 0061 7 3865 1735

Tour Information Night 28 June

Australia Information Night

28th June

Below is a summary of the points covered .

1/ We agreed on the following aims of the tour :

- Enjoyment – culturally /socially /Rugby
- Develop One Squad spirit
- Gain a head start on other schools for next season – game plans , fitness, hardness etc
- Improve as individual players and coaches
- Be in their face

2/ We decided on the following roles for people ;

- Tour Judge – Martino
- Social Secretary- Webby / Martino
- Schools Liaison- Wilko
- Budget – Noggy
- Kitman – Webby/ Martino
- Tour Manager- Me
- First Aid – Ross/ Webby

4/There are three codes of dress

- No 1s – School Uniform
- No 2s- Tracksuit and polo shirt
- No 3s – Casual

Clothing
- winter clothing
- Whitgift Kit for training
- Tour Kit
- School uniform
- Cold at night – little central heating

Passports
- need to have more than 6 months valid
- photocopies to me
- Hand in to hotels

Visas
- make sure you have visas if need then
- ETA/Evisitors

Money
- Average £300

Luggage
- one big tour bag ( 20kg )
- rucksack

Travelling Groups
- each coach has 6 or 7 boys in his group
- mix from both age groups

Insurance
- school insurance


Matches
- 5 in total
- Equal Game time
- Test Team for Nudgee
- Dirt tracking for those who don’t get on.

Contact numbers

Please text if need anything
Chris Wilkins 0044 7872 162 308
Dan Webb 0044 7779 096397

Australian Numbers

Pier 21- Freemantle 0061 8 9336 2555
Heavitree Gap- Alice Springs – 0061 88950444
Hotel Cairns 0061 740516188


Behaviour
- respect hosts
- any poor behaviour/incidents will be dealt with very strongly

Parent Consent Form
- can’t travel with out me having received it

Fundraising
- Amount raised so far
- Fun Run – Webby / Martino
- Spent on :
- £8.2 k kit
- Rest on meals when not provided and miscellaneous
- Brochures – 5 per boy @ £5 each – Denise Petrozzi


Billeting
- gifts for billets
- vegetarian?
- Sample local culture

Injuries
- Webby and Ross in charge 1st Aid
- School insurance
- Medicines/Asthma

Miscellaneous

- Blog – Noggy
- Flies
- Holiday Sessions
- Clean Boots – no mud
- No produce brough in – Fruit , Meat etc – Sniffer dogs

Sat 23rd July
- travel in Tour tracksuit and Tour polo shirt
- pack kit in tour bag
- Passports
- Meet at Whitgift School 7 am
- 9 am London Heathrow and check in as groups
- 12.05 depart

Itinerary

ITINERARY
for
WHITGIFT SCHOOL
Rugby tour to Australia,
July 23 –Aug 14 2011

D1 S July 23 1205 Dep London for Singapore on QF032.
D2 S 24 0800 Eta Sing: 0905 depart for Perth on QF 072
1410 Eta Perth. Trans to Pier 21 Hotel, Fremantle H
D3 M 25 Am: Practice Pm: Sightsee H
D4 Tu 26 4 pm : v THE HALE SCHOOL, Nth Perth H
D5 W 27 Am: Practice Pm: Sightsee H

D6 Th 28 1230 Dep Perth-Alice Springs on QF 1938.
1640 Eta Trans to Heavytree Gap Outback Lodge H
D7 F 29 Sightsee transfer to Ayers Rock- sunset viewing
Sleep beneath the stars @ Ayers Rock Camp Ground H
--------------
D8 S 30 1340 Dep Ayers Rock-Sydney on QF 729. Eta 1700 Trans to TC 2
D9 S 31 Am: Practice Pm: Sightsee
D10 M Aug 1 1 pm : v ENDEAVOUR SPORTS COLLEGE

D11 Tu 2 Transfer to TC3 – Westfields Spts College, Liverpool
D12 W 3 4 pm : v WESTFIELDS SPORTS COLLEGE
D13 Th 4 Am: Practice Pm: Sightsee in/around Sydney
--------------
D14 F 5 0905 Dep Sydney - Brisbane on QF 512. Eta 1035. Transfer to TC4
4 pm v THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL, Gold Cst
D15 S 6 Am: Practice Pm: Sightsee
D16 S 7 Am: Practice Pm: Sightsee

D17 M 8 Transfer to TC 5 – Nudgee College, Nth East Brisbane
D18 Tu 9 4 pm v NUDGEE COLLEGE

D19 W 10 Sightsee
-------------
D20 Th 11 0955 Dep Brisbane for Cairns on QF 782. Trans to Hotel Cairns H
D21 F 12 Rest and Relax – Great Barrier Reef H
D22 S 13 1245 Dep Cairns for Sing on QF 271
2305 Dep Sing for London on QF 009
D23 S 14 0540 Eta London Heathrow T3