2019 and Beyond: A "Super" Conversation with Lori Cramer

2019 has been an awesome year for Lori Cramer. She helped lead the Queensland Womens XV team to the Super W grand final, then went on to represent Australia in all four Wallaroos fixtures. To top it off, she captained the team that won the Aon Sevens series (UQ).

The Queensland Reds are now hard at work doing pre-season training (both the mens and the womens teams). Right after her on-field training session at Ballymore, I caught with Lori to catch up on the year that’s been and ask about 2020!

This is my second interview with Lori, you can check out the first here. 

I hope you’re just as excited aabout Super W coming up as I am!

Hey Lori,

Thanks for taking time to catch up! How’d training go tonight? 

Training was pretty good tonight. The bigger squad just got cut, so we’re just getting down to the pointy end, so everyone’s obviously working hard and trying to get into the team. So yeah. Training was good, but people are still fighting for those last few positions.

What have you and the team been working on in particular?

Just the basics for now, because we’ve got a bit of a new group together. We’re just working on our shape, trying to get some structure. Nothing too specific, just general sort of stuff, skills, ball security, that sort of stuff.

It’s been a great year for you personally and also for women’s rugby in general. What’s been the main highlight of your playing career this year?

Probably my second [Wallaroos] test down in Sydney, when I had to take that first kick, the first penalty. I hadn’t scored any points yet, because I stuffed up all of my kicks in the game before. That was my one job... but the second game, I got the start, I had a bit of a pep-talk... so yeah probably making that first kick. I was so nervous, but I got it.

Where were you when you heard the news that you’d made the Wallaroos squad?

I’m pretty sure I was at home. At the time, my grandma was really sick in hospital, so I drove straight to the hospital and told her that I’d made the squad and that I was going to camp, so that was pretty cool.

What’s been the greatest thing about being a Wallaroo this year?

Probably having those moments when you see a lot of people wearing Wallaroos stuff, as opposed to like, the Wallabies, or just a random yellow shirt. So seeing a lot of young girls wearing our gear and you know, knowing your name, that was a bit of a highlight.

We may or may not be wearing kicking tees in this picture, and no it wasn't my idea

Congrats to you and the Uni squad on the Aon Sevens series win in September! How did you feel after the competition was over?

Thank you! How did I feel? I was pretty tired to be honest. (Laughs). Nah it was unreal. That was my first Sevens series in Australia. I’ve always been in Japan playing Sevens, so that fact that we won it was crazy, the fact that I was captain was crazy, it was all really cool. I loved it and I can’t wait to be a part of it next year as well.

You know, going from 15s to 7s is always a bit of a shock at the first training... your looking at the ruck and you’re counting players and you realise you have to run again... but yeah...it’s good fun.

I’m already pretty excited that Super W is coming up next year! What would your message to Queensland rugby supporters be, ahead of the 2020 season?

Hmmm... my message. Get around us at our games! I know it actually makes a huge difference having a bit of a crowd around us at our games. We’re building and there’s some special things happening here. So yeah my message would be get around rugby. As a rugby community, at a grassroots level and a state level and an international level, when we have games at Ballymore, or elsewhere, or at Suncorp, just get around to the games. Yeah!

Awesome. I can’t wait until kick off. Thanks again for taking time to catch up!

Any time Tom! Thank you!

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Everything’s All Good with Alana Elisaia

It’s been a big year for women’s rugby in Australia. Super W has taken off once again and the Wallaroo’s have had some awesome games, in Australia as well as New Zealand.

And in amongst it all, one of the rising stars in the sport is Alana Elisaia! After a stellar season with the Queensland Women’s XV (soon to be rebranded the Women’s Reds), she was selected and capped as a Wallaroo! The year has been almost non-stop for her, with the Aon Uni Sevens series and now the Australian Development Squad tour taking place in Fiji in just over a week. In the midst of it all, it seems like her dads advice that she shared in our last interview has been steering her well!

A big thanks to Alana for taking time to chat. Even after time spent on the world stage, she is still humble and as nice as ever to talk to. It looks like she has a great career ahead of her!

Hey Alana, great to catch up again. 2019 has been big for you! How would you sum up the year so far, in a few words?

Exciting and full on. Super W was really fun and then getting into the Wallaroos was pretty unexpected, but was really cool.

How are you feeling after the AON Sevens round in Canberra the other week?

Um… relieved that it’s over! (Laughs) no… Sevens is always hard. But I’m feeling good. Gutted that we didn’t take it out, but we played a really good tournament. So, content really.

On your Instagram page, you said that you are “proud, regardless.” Does that sum up how you feel about your teams Super W season earlier this year?

Yep. I think, regardless of our score in the grand final. We were such a tight knit team that we became a family. So we left everything out on the field and there was nothing else that we can do. And the score didn’t reflect on our team.

I was really proud of the whole team. I’m looking forward to next years Super W season already!

Me too actually! We just started pre-season. It’s cool to see there’s a lot of new faces.

Can you tell me more about what it was like playing with the Wallaroos this year?

Um... I didn’t find it as nerve racking as what I thought it would be. I thought it would be really overwhelming. But the group of girls that I went with were really supportive it and made it so much easier. Especially playing at Eden Park, I thought that would be scary. But it was exciting I guess.

During our last interview, you said your Dads advice to “relax and have fun” was really helpful. Did that advice still apply while playing for the Wallaroos?

Yep. I think I had to. Because if I got too worked up, I would have just crumbled. But I just took each stride at a time and had heaps of fun. Whatever time I had on the field, I just did what I could and enjoyed it. Because it doesn’t come very often.

What was your number 1 highlight from your experience playing with the Wallaroos this year?

Um.. Definitely getting to put on the green and gold jersey. And then getting to play was even more special I guess.

What will the next few months look like?

So we’ve started pre-season for Super W and we’ve got the Aussie development tour so I’m still training for that. That kind of overlapped with Aon and then Aon overlapped with Wallaroo’s and then Wallaroo’s overlapped with Super W… we’ll get a break during Christmas for like a week… so full on.

What would your message be to Queensland Rugby fans, ahead of next years Super W season?

I think it would be nice to have people get around the girls a lot more. We had a lot of support last year, but I think next year will be a big year considering we got rebranded as just “Reds”. So we’re one big family now. Hopefully we’ll get more people around us!

Thanks Alana for taking time out to chat!

That’s ok! Thank you for having me!

The Reds (and the Wallabies) Can't Go Wrong With Liam Wright

I had a great chat with Liam Wright this week!

After recovering from a minor foot injury, he is set to make his return to play in the NRC for Queensland Country this Saturday against Fiji! It’s do or die for both teams, so this game will be a cracker.

We caught up about his career so far, including playing with the Reds, Queensland Country and how good it felt to finally “earn” his first Wallabies cap against New Zealand this year. (Liam almost got an official cap in 2017, before he first signed with the Reds in 2018.)

I hope you enjoy reading our chat! (And don’t forget, Queensland Country’s game against the Fiji Drua will be streamed online at 1pm this Saturday! Don’t miss it!)

Congrats to your team for the win over the weekend! You didn’t play that game though. Were you ok, or were you just being rested?

Yeah. When I was in Wallabies camp, I snapped some ligaments in my left big toe. So I’ve just sort of been rehabbing that with the team here. At the time, we could push through it and just strap it up really heavily, but it’s been good to have a chance during the NRC to just fix it up and make sure it’s right and that there’s no long term issues. So I’ve been running water for them for the last few weeks and it’s been good. So it’s awesome to still be involved with the team, but I’m back now and ready to go.

How much are you looking forward to the game this weekend against Fiji?

I can’t wait! The Fiji trips always really good. It’s a lot of fun and just getting over to a different environment is good too. They just absolutely love their rugby. I was there last year, but I got injured, luckily I got to go as a coach consultant. We won there the year before, when I was playing. I’m looking forward to it. It should be a big one too, considering whoever wins makes the finals, whoever loses is out, so I’m really excited to go back.

It’s been a big year for you with the Reds. How do you feel looking back on the 2019 Super Rugby season?

I was really pleased with it. We didn’t get the wins we wanted, but we all felt as a team that we took a step forward and we were better in a lot of aspects then the year before. So we definitely want to convert that into wins this season - that’s going to be our main goal. Just simplifying our plan and making sure we execute better, especially in the high pressure moments which we probably didn’t this year. And personally, I was really happy just to get a lot of game time. I was lucky enough to start every game, so I just really enjoyed playing footy and adapting each week and getting used to what it’s like to be out there. So I had a ball this year. 

In 2017, you were almost a Wallaby before you were a Red. How did it feel finally earning your Wallabies cap in August this year?

Yeah it was crazy. I got picked straight out of NRC in 2017 to go on that Wallabies tour. I probably felt a bit out of my depth back then. It just felt a bit out of the blue and a bit almost like I hadn’t fully earned it. I felt like I skipped a few steps there. So it was awesome this year to really feel like I deserved to be a part of the camps. I was happy with the way I was going in training and Cheik rewarded me with two games this year. It was awesome. My family was able to come to both of them, so to play with them there was just great. I loved every minute of it.

What’s been a highlight of being a part of the Wallabies training camp this year?

Well, the highlight obviously has to be debuting. I remember when I found out, I didn’t have any warning before, it was so surreal. I sort of blacked out for a few moments, I remember all the boys getting around me… I probably wrote myself off that week. If I was going to play any game, I didn’t think it wasn’t going to be that week. It was the best thing ever. I wasn’t expecting it, even a little bit, so it was just awesome.

And just the training. That’s one thing I learned, it’s not that they get up and play hard each week, they train hard all the time as well to improve themselves. I think that’s the biggest take-away point. It’s not just about making through the week to get to the game, it’s about making those training sessions count, all those little extras you do to get better on the park. So that was really cool to learn off guys like Pocock and Hoops.

What age did you start playing rugby? And what drew you to the game?

I’ve played rugby since I was around five or six. Under sixes was I think my first year. I got into the game through my parents really. My family are from South Africa originally and as you know it’s just rugby mad over there. Dad played when he was younger, all mums brothers played, and they love watching it. Mum watches it more than most girls I know. They froth over it so it was always going to happen, me playing rugby. 

Do you mind if we look ahead to the Reds 2020 season. What would your message be for Reds fans listening now?

Well, the message last year was to believe and I think we definitely showed a lot of fight, a lot of spirit and that there’s good things to come. You can see from the off-field department they’ve been working hard to sign a lot of young talent, keeping them at Ballymore for the next few years, so we’ve really got something to build on. I just think we’re going to go a step ahead. We’ve got that work ethic instilled in us, I think we’ve shown that in a lot of games this year, we’re still there in the 80th minute, thanks to our strength and conditioning program. Again, in the pre-season it’s going to be really, really hard, but it keeps us around in those games and against those teams that are gonna make you work for it right to the end.

We want to become a bit smarter this year. We missed out on a few games by just a few crucial plays and key moments. So that’s probably going to be the difference this year, at least we like to think so. We think we'll have the same fight and the same enthusiasm every game but we’re gonna have the smarts about us and be able to close out those tight ones.

That’s awesome. I’m super excited about next years Reds season too. I’m also excited about the NRC games happening this weekend. All the best in Fiji on Saturday!

Thanks Tommy! Can’t wait. Go Country!

Bonus Reds Rugby Rules Section

I asked Liam to explain “pilfering”, to help rugby fans (like my mum) that enjoy watching the game, but don’t always understand the rules.

Can you explain “pilfering” in layman’s terms?

Yeah I’ll try! Pilfering - or “jackling” or stealing the ball, is essentially… when your defending, and when you go into a ruck and trying to take the ball from them, legally. There’s a fair few rules around it, like staying on your feet, not putting your hands on the ground, but essentially the gist of it is, you’re trying to get in, before their attacking guys can get in and come out with the ball - so that you regain possession for your team.

Queensland Country play Fiji on Saturday at 1pm

Brisbane City also have their final round game against the Melbourne Rising, RIGHT HERE at Easts Rugby Club at 3pm!

A Conversation with Sefa Naivalu

I enjoyed catching up with Sefa Naivalu earlier this week, just before his team training with Brisbane City. I hope you enjoy reading our interview as much as I enjoyed chatting!

Hi Sefa, thanks for making time this afternoon to catch up.

How are you enjoying this years NRC season?

Yeah really good. I enjoy every moment here with the Reds and Brisbane City. Just a good group, good bunch of blokes

Sometimes when I finish training, when I come home, I can’t wait to come back to training. Just the environment that I enjoy the most. I’ve enjoyed every moment with the Reds. 

What’s been a highlight of being based at Ballymore this year?

Like I said before, with a great group, you enjoy your footy. Also, being at Ballymore, with the history that the Reds have and representing Queensland as a State, it’s amazing to be part of it.

When you moved from Fiji to Australia in 2014, what was the biggest change you had to get used to?

For me it was adjusting to the lifestyle in Australia, especially the weather down in Melbourne. It’s quite cold and freezing. Yeah, just adjusting to the lifestyle.

What’s some advice you would give to young players who want to play rugby professionally, both boys and girls?

My advice would be, just working hard, taking opportunities that come your way and making sacrifices.

I’ve made sacrifices, I’ve worked hard to get here where I am today. I’m still doing the same, I’m still working hard and making sacrifices I can for my family.

You’ve had to bounce back from injuries a few times in your career. What’s something you learnt during your recovery process?

Yeah. When I got injured it was mostly negative things that would came up in my head. The most important thing that helped me bounce back is my motivation. My Mum told me “I know you will make it to your rugby career, but don’t forget your younger brother and sister”.

I broke my tibia in 2015 and I was out for nearly a year, 11 months. Not playing, just doing rehab and training. Just changing my mindset, being positive all the time, instead of putting negative thoughts in your head.

That’s great advice. Thanks Sefa for taking time to chat. All the best in Perth this weekend!

Thanks Tom! Always good to see you around.

This weekend, Brisbane City play the Force over in Perth, while Queensland Country are playing NSW Country at Bond on Sunday at 3pm!

Jock Campbell - One to Watch in City Versus Country Derby!

Big week for Reds fans following the NRC. It’s time for the annual Brisbane City versus Queensland Country game! They call it the “Andy Purcell” cup round and this year, they’ve chosen to host the game in Gladstone! Of course… the game will be broadcast on www.rugby.com.au. But before the game… make sure you read my interview with a true “Country” boy and Reds star, Jock Campbell! 

Hi Jock, so with the Country versus City grudge match this weekend… Has there been a little bit of banter between the two teams around Ballymore this week?

Jock is loving being based at Ballymore full-time.

Absolutely. Always is. [City head coach] Jimmy Mackay’s leading it, he loves a bit of banter. Also Fraser. No malice, but all laughter. It’s fun.

There’s a bit of a coaching divide, cos obviously Crapper and Jim are with City, Seiby, Toddy are Country. Actually not Toddy. He stays cool, but with the others, it’s fun.

2019 has been a big year for you. You’ve debuted for the Reds and even scored a couple of tries. What have some of the highlights been for 2019 so far?

Obviously debuting was pretty special, overseas in Pretoria. It was a pretty awesome atmosphere. But the whole year in general has been awesome. Just being here every day and being around the boys, it’s a really good group. I really enjoyed travelling and the away games, you get to play in South Africa, New Zealand… when you take a step back and think of that, it’s pretty cool.

Congrats to you and the UQ side on winning the Hospital Cup this year! That’s 4 out of 4 finals appearances and two championships. What do you love most about playing for UQ?

Yeah, I’ve played 5 or 6 years there. I’ve learnt a lot, but it’s just fun. I used to play footy at school for fun, I never expected anything like that. I know a lot of people there, it’s just comfortable playing around them…

2 out of 4 for the grand final, it’s awesome to be a part of such a great team. There are great coaching staff too. I owe a lot to the staff there, they’ve taught me a lot. And to beat the Brothers boys was sweet, I’ve always said I can’t go 1 from 4. So 2 from 4 was inevitable.

Can you tell us about your rugby journey and how you ended up playing for Queensland?

I grew up in a country town, Inverell. I played mostly Rugby League, a bit of Union.. but League is huge in Country New South Wales. Then I went to boarding school on the Gold Coast at TSS and they only play Rugby Union there, so I played that for five years. I just love footy and cricket, I just played lots of sport.

Then I moved to Brisbane for Uni, I lived at Kings, so I played for Uni cos it was around the corner. I played for them for 3 years, then made the NRC, played a couple of years of NRC and now I’m here. So it was a bit of a longer journey than most, but I wouldn’t change it. I really enjoyed my footy all the way through. So that’s sort of my journey.

What have you loved most about being based at Ballymore full-time and playing for the Reds?

Just playing full-time, it’s cool I guess. To say it’s your job just to come in and train, where as before you did uni and work… I’d say it’s just cool. To come to Ballymore, I haven’t experienced anywhere else, but yeah it’s awesome. The gym’s a bit old school (they’re gonna knock it down soon), but I really enjoy everything here.

[It was at this moment Jim Mackay walked across to say hi. So Jock invited him into the interview.]

[Jim:] I was just going to say… big game this week Tom, but he’s a real danger man for us. We’ve got to watch this bloke, big Jock. We have to try and wrap him up mate.

[Jock:] I told him you’ve been leading the banter, between the sides.

[Jim:] Oh really? No, I’ve been very quiet this week. (Laughs). I’ll let you go. See ya guys.

See you soon Jim, all the best this weekend.

[Jock:] Not really though Jim.

Ok, so back to you Jock… what’s your favourite position to play?

I prefer fullback, just because you get to do a bit more. You get to roam and it’s a bit more of a ball playing role. But in saying that, wing is fine, I love playing there too. Especially here under Jim and Brad’s attack, they really want us to be not just on the wing but roaming, so that makes it really fun and you don’t get stuck out there. You get the license to roam and be where you want to be and so it’s fun. So overall, fullback, because you get your hands on the ball a bit more. But either or.

I know your focused on the NRC right now, but are you excited about 2020 with the Reds?

Absolutely, I can’t wait. NRC is obviously good fun and a bit more relaxed, but we’re looking forward to getting out there and proving something as a team in 2020. I think last year, once again the team showed potential but now it’s about taking that next step and everyone’s keen to work hard and show it on the field. So hopefully we can capitalise on that. 

Thanks heaps for your time Jock!

No worries, pleasure. Good questions! Very friendly, no tough ones.

Bonus: "Rugby Rules" Question

You’ve been known to perform well at 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. If you were talking to a fan who’s still learning about the game.... what’s the difference between these positions?

So 10 is the organiser, the guy that orchestrates everything… him and 9 (half-back) touches the ball the most I’d say. Centers: There’s two types of centers I guess. There’s big ball-carrying centers like Samu, although I guess he’s more a hybrid now… he can ball-play too… but then you can get centers like James O’Connor, he’s more of a skilful guy. So there’s two types of centers, big ball runners, like Sonny Bill Williams and Samu, and your skilful players.

Fullback, is like your second play maker I guess, he can organise too, if you’ve got the big centers. These days, a lot changes, depending on the balance of the side. So you can switch out ball players into other positions and have big guys in other ones. But you sort of need 2 ball players, whether that’s at fullback, or in the centers.

So in the wing… quick, steppy, big, although I’m not very big… there’s a few big boys out there unfortunately for me… tackle them around the legs I guess.

Numbers and positions for the backs are:

9: Half-back

10: Fly-half (or first five-eighth)
11: Left Wing

12: Inside Center

13: Outside Center

14: Right Wing

15: Full-back

To rugby fans out there who would like to understand the game more: what's a rule you don't always understand? What's something you would like me to ask one of the Queensland Reds to explain?

Catching up with Adam Korczyk

Right in the middle of the Brisbane Cities NRC season, Adam Korczyk took some time to chat. Adam was one of my first interviewees for this blog and is always great to talk to! (Catch up on that interview here.)

I was told afterwards that when he runs out this Sunday with his team, he will become the most capped Brisbane City player since the team began in 2014!

Brisbane City is playing NSW Country at Norths Rugby Club in Wooloowin on Sunday!!! Even with the Wallabies World Cup campaign kicking off on Saturday, there’s still some great NRC games this weekend, so don’t miss them!

Thanks for taking the time to catch up. You were one of my first interviews when I started Reds Rugby Rules and its always good to chat.

Thanks for having me Tommy. Always a pleasure, never a chore.

Tough loss last weekend for Brisbane City. What has your team been working on this week ahead of this Sunday’s game at Norths?

Yeah, obviously it was a tough loss. Canberra are a tough team, they’ve got a lot of Brumbies players. I think this week we’ve sort of been working on our game. We probably weren’t working around the game plan as much against Canberra and sort of let them back in the game with a few turn-overs and penalties. We’ve been working on following our game plan. If we follow the plan we’ve set out for this season, I think we’ll get wins that way. We’ve got the talent, we’ve just got to work hard and the wins will come from that.

How have you found this year overall so far?

Yeah, it’s been to good to be honest. Obviously I’ve been here since the start of the NRC, as you know at Brisbane City, it’s always a different group coming in, different players, sometimes different coaches. We’ve gelled quickly, which is obviously what you want with a short season, I think we’re going well. All of the games we have had, we’ve certainly been in it, we’ve been competing well.. But maybe the lack of cohesion, not being a team for so long… that you have to get over quickly in the NRC. But yeah other than that, I’ve always enjoyed playing for Brisbane City and it’s going well so far and hopefully we’ll be going into the finals as well.

This is your 6th season with Brisbane City in the NRC! What’s been your favourite thing about the NRC so far?

My favourite thing is… Obviously, you get to play footy against Super Rugby players from different states a teams, but the best thing is always playing with club players that have come through, say the Queensland Premier rugby system, that you might not have had the chance to play… so it’s meeting new players and sort of testing yourself. When I came in, I was obviously a young guy, I always enjoyed playing the Super Rugby players. Now I’ve developed a bit and played Super Rugby myself, and I love playing with the young guys coming through. The energy and the “youth” they bring is quite contagious, you love it. I’m not that old, but there’s 19-20 year olds around and you feel young and that’s the main thing I’ve enjoyed this season.

Do you still get called kiwi now?

I do! I think it’s sort of stuck with me now. Obviously. I got the nick-name when I moved from New Zealand, I was born there and I had an accent… I’ve lost my accent, I think, I don’t know what I have now. Probably a bit of everything. But yeah, they still do call me Kiwi. During my first year at NRC, our team manager called me Carol Brady (from the Brady bunch), because I had long hair. So people started calling me Carol. But people sort of moved on and that’s disappeared into the woodwork. I’d rather have Kiwi than Carol that’s for sure. (Laughs.)

What are your future goals as a player?

My aspiration has always been to make the Wallabies. I was lucky to be in the Wallabies squad in 2017 and I still have that hunger. I’ve been in Super Rugby for 4 years and I think I can still develop. I’m 24, I’m still young, so for myself, it’s just to get better and always aspire and have that final goal of making the Wallabies and experiencing test rugby.

Always a pleasure catching up Adam. See you at Norths this weekend!

No thank you. It’s always a pleasure chatting with you. Can’t wait to see you there!

2019 World Cup Special

Reds Rugby Rules 2019 World Cup Special

The Wallabies kick off their 2019 World Cup campaign in Japan, on Saturday against Fiji!

All the best to Cheika and the whole team!!!!

This is Reds Rugby Rules, I figured I’d post something special about all of the Reds players who are part of the squad.

Samu Kerevi

Samu has risen through the ranks to become not only the Queensland Reds captain this year, but Wallabies Vice-Captain as well. Along with captain Michael Hooper, he will be leading the charge this Saturday. Samu has always been great to talk to and has always had time for his fans and supporters at Ballymore and everywhere he goes.

We’ve had some great chats for Reds Rugby Rules… make sure you catch up on past interviews here:

http://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2017/04/an-interview-with-samu-kerevi.html

https://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2018/03/fellowship-with-fijians-filipo-daugunu.html

http://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2019/02/captains-run-with-samu-kerevi.html

Taniela Tupou

I loved catching up with Taniela back in 2017 and have enjoyed a lot of laughs with him since then. Always one to make you smile off field, "Tongan Thor" is a serious threat on the field. He’ll be one to watch during the World Cup, for sure. Read some of his story here:

https://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2017/02/an-interview-with-tongan-thor-taniela.html

Izack Rodda

Izack has also risen through the Wallabies ranks over the last 2 years. When I interviewed him back in 2017, he’d just joined their training squad.

You can read our chat here:

http://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-conversation-with-izack-rodda.html

Lukhan Salakaia-Lotu

I still remember catching up with Lukhan in Samoa for this blog a few years ago, during the teams overseas match against the Blues. (He went by Lukhan Tui at the time.) I’ve enjoyed watching his rise on the international scene as well!

https://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2017/06/talofa-from-samoa-catching-up-with.html

Jordan Petaia

Jordan has proved his worth during the 2018 Super Rugby season, but since then has had a run of bad luck with injuries. Even though recovering from injury, based on his track record, he’s still been named in the World Cup squad and could be making his debut on the world stage very soon. Go Jordan!

https://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2018/07/chatting-with-jordan-petaia.html

James Slipper

Honourary mention, because… once a Red, always a Red. James has shown a lot of heart, working his way back into the Wallabies squad this year.

With Slips and the Reds back in Japan last year

James was my first ever interview for this blog. You can catch up on our previous great chats here:

https://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2017/02/yesterday-i-was-lucky-enough-to-sit.html

https://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2017/05/hows-james-doing.html

Rob Simmons

Once a Red, always a Red. Enough said.

https://redsrugbyrules.blogspot.com/2017/04/an-interview-with-rob-simmons.html

Will Genia

Can't leave out another 2011 Reds champ, Will Genia. I caught up with him earlier this year as well. Pleased to tell you he is still a gentleman.

James O’Connor

Life has led James O’Connor to Queensland for next years Super Rugby season and I couldn’t be more excited. I had a quick chat with him during Wallabies training in Brisbane earlier this year. I’m looking forward to interviewing him when he’s at Ballymore sometime soon!

All the best to all of the Wallabies this year, including this guy!!

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Catching up with QLD Red and Country Lock Angus Blyth

The NRC season is full swing!

Last Sunday last week was an awesome day of rugby. I travelled down to Bond Uni to watch two games in a row. Brisbane City took out Sydney and right after that, our Queensland Country team beat the Canberra Vikings! It’s the first time I’ve ever witnessed two back to back NRC games live and to watch both of our teams win was even more special.

While preparing for next weekends game against Sydney, I caught up with Angus Blyth, a QLD Red and Country lock.

I’m also bringing back a new segment this week - see below for my “Rugby Rules” section that Angus helped me out with. This is for rugby fans who are still learning the finer points of the game.

Enjoy!

Hey Angus, thanks for taking the time to catch up.

[Angus:] No worries!

Congrats to you and the Country boys for a great win last weekend! I loved being there to watch it.

Yeah thanks. It’s pretty awesome, having our first win! Bit of a shaky start against Perth the week before, so we were happy to beat Canberra. 

Are you looking forward to playing in Sydney this coming weekend? (Sorry I can’t make it to that one…)

(Laughs.) That’s alright. I am looking forward to playing another away game! I think as a Country team, we almost play better away. We have a better schedule, everything timed for us, that sort of thing. We need to watch them and take them seriously… Hopefully we’ll be fine-tuning our defence and our attacking structures, it’ll be a good challenge.

One of the things I love asking people about is their rugby journey. How did you start playing the game?

So I grew up in a place called Kingscliff, which is in Northern New South Wales. That’s where I went to school up until year 10. I just played in a local rugby competition, pretty much lost every game through out the season. Luckily enough, I got offered a place at TSS, a Southport school in the Gold Coast. It’s a big rugby school down there. I went there after year 10 and played in the First XV for two years.

After that, I was lucky to get a development contract after school and came through the 20s program.. then NRC.. then I was lucky to get my first game with the Reds last year and I played another eight games this year.

What do you love most about being based here at Ballymore and playing for Queensland?

Admiring a painting in the hallway, a tribute to the 2011
Championship winning Reds

Being here at Ballymore, it’s such an old place, there’s a lot of history here, looking at the paintings and cool photos and stuff of the winning teams, the greats… And it’s close to home, only an hour and a half away. I’m also studying down at Bond, I got the rugby scholarship down there, it’s easy to drive down when I’m free and do my one class a week for that semester.

I just love the Queensland whether, it’s nice and warm, it’s never really rainy or cold like Canberra - it’s only an hour or so down to the beach, you can go there for a swim or a surf… I love Queensland, it’s home.

How good is it having your brother Wilson around, as a part of the Reds development squad?

Yeah I’m pretty excited about that, he’s pretty excited as well. Me and my brother are really close, we get along really well. He always tries to one up me, everything he does (laughs), so he’s always trying to beat me in something. So once he gets here and starts training and eventually training full-time with me up in the main squad, he’ll be really competitive. It’ll be good to have him here, we can always move in together and do the same thing as the Smith brothers. I’m really looking forward to him coming along.

What are your thoughts on next years Reds season and with that, what would your message be to Reds supporters coming into next year?

Could the current Reds players be future champions?

I’m really looking forward to next season. A lot of the young guys coming through the main squad, like Isaac Lucas, Harry Wilson and Fraser, they’re all playing well. It’s gonna be another big year. We’ve been saying we’re a young side for a few years now so now that everyones come through the ageing process.. the bleeding process, to Super Rugby, we should get some results. This year, we fell short by one try for a one try or something for a few games, you know, that Chiefs game where we were edging within seconds and meters… we could have won that game. I think that added experience of an extra year will help us get over that winning line. And for the supporters, keep hanging around, I’m sure there’s good things coming in the future here at Ballymore.

Angus, thank you very much for your time, all the best for the rest of the NRC season, I’m supporting you all the way.

Awesome. Not a problem Tommy. Thanks for interviewing me, it’s been awesome.

Rugby Rules

This is a new segment, where I ask a player to explain a rule, or an aspect of the game. Today, I asked Angus to explain scrums to fans, like my mum, who don’t understand all of the rules of the game. Enjoy…

Angus Blythe on Scrums

A scrum happens when a person drops the ball forward… Instead of just handing it over, they pack a scrum to contest the possession change. Whoever knocks it on, the other person has the feed and they put the ball in to the middle of the scrum. So it’s 8 players, or the forwards, (numbers 1-8). The front row are the fat guys, or another word would be strong (laughs) or massive. But the short, strong guys (numbers 1-3), they’re the wall at the front, they cop all the force. The second row is the tallest players on the field (4-5), almost all of the time. They provide most of the power. And then you have the back row, which is 6, 7 and 8, also called the flankers. Their job is to stabilise the scrum and release the ball out the back and make the first tackle in defence.

Basically, 8 guys push alongside the other 8 guys, if you have the “feed” you have the advantage. There’s a lot of different rules about collapsing, and binding early, which is a whole other episode (laughs). But basically, whoever has the dominance in the scrum gets a penalty if it collapses.

A while ago, it used to be pretty messy and 8 guys would almost run into each other… but now it’s a lot safer, to stop people getting injured in their necks and backs and stuff… the ref calls “crouch, bind, set” and it’s a lot safer now. Basically, the scrum gives the backs more space to do their thing. There’s less defenders and gaps to play into.

I enjoy scrums - it’s a hard position being a second rower, having your head between two front rowers… It’s a lot of hard work, but it pays off when you get a dominant scrum.

Do you expect to have the dominant scrum this weekend?

[Angus:] We should do.

Tune in to watch Queensland Country play Sydney on Saturday at 12pm.

After that, Brisbane City play Canberra (also away) at 2pm! Free to watch at www.rugby.com.au!!

Captain Fraser McCreight and Brandon Paenga-Amosa: Ready to Attack

Brandon (old photo) before he cut his hair...

NRC is off already and our two teams (Brisbane City and Queensland Country) have both had close games in week 1. As we get to week 2… people keep asking which team I support, Country or City. As a Reds blogger, I am supporting the teams that come out of Queensland. :-D

Brisbane City's Ready to Attack

This week, I’m focusing on Brisbane City and am grateful to both Fraser and Brandon for answering some of my questions for them!

Last year, I caught up with Fraser about his rugby journey (click here to catch up and read it) and earlier this year about the Wallabies Under-20 World Cup campaign. Here I asked him a few questions from his perspective as City Captain!

I also caught up with Brandon (you can call him B… or BPA, if you like) about his journey since our last catch-up when he was brand new to Queensland. I also asked him what he thought of the new rules that are being trialed in the NRC. Enjoy!

Fraser (another old photo) during his first NRC season last year

Catching up with Brisbane City Captain - Fraser McCreight

You came off towards the end of the game on Sunday. What was your injury and are you ok?

Yeah, I just got hit on the hip and was just a cork... it was so painful! (Laughs.) But it’s good now and can’t wait to rip in for a bit more game time this weekend.

How did you find captaining your first seniors game?

It was an unreal experience. It was a different game than usual, as Fiji play with such freedom and there isn’t much time to speak to the ref. So you just have to try and do the best you can when you get the chance.

As expected, the Fijian attack was good. Is defence something you’re looking to improve after your first game?

Our defence we thought was very good. Especially our scramble D (defence). Obviously we can improve, but our focus this week was more about our attack and capitalising once we have gone into our green zone, something we failed to do against Fiji. 

What are you looking forward to most about the NRC season?

I’m looking forward to the annual derby clash between Country and City . I haven’t played that game really and now I know a lot more boys because of the Reds and I can’t wait to match up against some of my good Brothers [club] mates. It’s going to be a good night in Gladstone as well!

Will these Under-20s Wallabies friendships be in jeopardy during the NRC?

Brandon Paenga-Amosa tells Brisbane City and Queensland Fans to Get Ready

Hey B, Great to catch up again. Thanks for making time for our second Reds Rugby Rules interview!

That’s all good bro. It’s a pleasure. You’re a legend, all the boys and even the girls love hanging around you. It’s an honour to be interviewed by you.

It’s week 2 of the NRC already! How are you feeling?

Yeah, I’m feeling really good. It’s good I get a break this week, I wasn’t named in the 23. But I know the boys are gonna do the job. Last week was amazing to be a part of, the boys really turned up. I feel like we got the victory, but in the end rugby’s rugby.

I’m really enjoying the comp so far, the boys are awesome, especially the City boys. Such a good vibe.

Big weekend for City AND Queensland Country fans coming up! What’s one thing your team is focusing on ahead of the game against Sydney!

Yeah, good question bro. So this week, I guess for us as City, we pride ourselves on our physicality… Queensland does in general. You know, running hard, putting big shots on and being very physical when it comes to the scrum, line-outs and mauls etcetera. So that’s one area we definitely want to focus on. I know us and Country will be bringing that.

I love how the NRC is also a testing ground for the Reds season next year. I know your focused on this week, but are you looking forward to next years Reds season?

Yeah definitely. I actually can’t wait. It’s gonna be a good season for us. We’ve been talking about a young squad and developing, but I think next years gonna be a year when we start delivering. A lot of the young boys in the squad are starting to step up and I actually cannot wait to see that. To see what we’ve been working hard for. Not every games gonna be perfect, but I know that we will get results next year.

What do you think of the new rules being trialed for NRC? And do you think they’ll affect you much in your position?

With the scrum rule… I love being able to put my head onto the other hookers shoulder and use that to help my props win the bind. Definitely it helps me a lot and us hookers are still trying to find a way to help our props when it comes to binding on to the other pack… we’re not used to it, but the rules to rugby are always changing so we’ve just gotta adapt. 

In terms of the other rules - the 50:22, honestly, I really do like that. It doesn’t affect me, it’s more for the wingers and the fullbacks to worry about. Obviously, when I’m out there and my lungs are dying, it sucks (laughs) but in terms of watching it, I definitely agree it will speed the game up. I know our kickers will get better and start getting those, so that we can get attacking line-outs going towards our try-line.

What do you enjoy the most about playing as hooker?

I haven’t been in the position for a very long time. One thing I hated about being a hooker, I hated scrummaging, this is when I was down in Sydney… I hated getting cauliflower ears… I also hated that I had to throw because I sucked at throwing.. I still stuck a bit at throwing now, I’m still learning. But I think, being up in Queensland, it’s changed my perspective my whole perspective on things. Here at the Reds, we pride ourselves on our scrum and I’ve fallen in love with scrummaging. 

Obviously sometimes I wish I could be standing out wide, chucking chips over the top, catching it and scoring tries, or putting grubbers through for myself.. Or kicking the winning field goals… but I guess God had a different plan for me (laughs). I’m unlucky with my genetics. Nah, I love playing hooker.

Brandon with some of his team-mates

I’ve seen you practice your throwing quite a few times, I don’t think you suck at throwing… What’s been the highlight of your last 2 seasons with the Reds?

A big highlight for me was actually playing for the Reds, my debut down in Melbourne against the Rebels. That was probably the biggest for me. All the club players know it’s hard to crack Super. The amount of time we put in and still a lot of us fall short, it’s hard to crack it. So yeah, playing for the Reds was a dream come true for me, literally. Also, debuting for the Wallabies, I really enjoyed that, having my family there.

Honestly, I couldn’t put it down to one moment… but the biggest thing I love about rugby is how much we get to travel, how much of the world we get to see. We’ve travelled to Argentina, different parts of South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, for me going back, home and seeing all the fam in New Zealand was special.

And finally... what’s your message to Reds and Brisbane City fans, ahead of this Sunday’s game?

I guess the biggest message I could say is get ready, Brisbane City, Queensland, we’re about to tear it up. And that’s not just City, that’s Country as well.

Thanks BPA for your time. I’ll be watching this weekend!

Thank you, my brother. Thank you for actually spending time. Thank you for coming out and interviewing players, we love it, we love this stuff. We appreciate you and I’m speaking on behalf of all the players, the boys and the girls. We love you so much.

Brisbane City play against Sydney this Sunday at Bond University at 1pm.

We're ready!

QLD Country are playing the Canberra Vikings at 3pm at the same location!

Catching up with Queensland Country Captain Angus Scott-Young

Angus Scott-Young has been putting in the hard yards with the Reds and in the NRC with Queensland Country for a few years now. I’d been keen to catch up with him for some time and was glad we were able to sit down and catch up. Since we organised our interview, it was announced that he was chosen as Captain of this years QLD Country squad!

Congrats to Angus and also to everyone else that was selected to be a part of both the Queensland Country and the Brisbane City squads!! I’m looking forward to an exciting season.

[NRC update: Brisbane City have their first local game this Saturday at 3pm, down at GPS in Ashgrove. Our Country side are playing over in Perth, but you can watch that game and all other games live for free, at www.rugby.com.au.)

I hope you enjoy reading my conversation with Angus!

Hey Angus, thanks for taking time to sit down and chat. First of all, congrats to you and the UQ squad on your premiership win this year. No doubt you will be hungry for more success with Queensland Country.

Yeah of course. It’s pretty cool winning with Uni. I remember watching them throughout the season, they were like 7th or 8th, I think at one point. I was obviously off with the Reds… I was pretty keen to get back and play. I had a few health concerns, I don’t know if you know, I was in hospital for a couple of days. I had a bit of pneumonia which isn’t the best thing to have. I was in hospital for the Easts game, I was watching and cheering in my bed… then I got out 2 days before the Uni-Jeeps game and I was running waters. I wasn’t the best water runner cos I was kind of struggling to breath (laughs). But I got a bit better during the week and got 20 minutes at the back end of the final.. but it was awesome to win. But yeah like you said with the NRC… coming second last year doesn’t really sit well with me, so hopefully we can do one better this year.

We planned to catch up last week and so it was cool to hear, just a few days ago that you were given the captaincy. How are you feeling about that?

Yeah it’s pretty cool. I’ve played with Country for four years now and I was always the young guy that followed the orders, now I guess it’s a bit of a different challenge to be the guy telling everyone else what to do. I’m still kind of finding my feet because I was a captain of under-12s, that was probably the last time. Ever since then, I’ve just been doing my job. But it’s a good group of guys, they make it pretty easy. So hopefully we can get some good performances out there. 

What does the NRC mean to you and your teammates, especially in the lead up to the Reds season next year?

Yeah. For me, I’ve always seen NRC as a place to test yourself in a different sort of arena. Cos with Super, you get pretty nervous when you’re out there and as a young guy, I was pretty focused on just doing my job, I wasn’t as focused on expansive game playing and pushing my skills and that sort of stuff.

NRC is a place to develop those skills. And relating to the previous question… Hopefully I can develop my leadership skills and that can shine through to the Reds season and I can take more initiative in that sort of arena.

I’m looking forward to getting my Reds membership for next season. In the mean time, I’m excited about the NRC games, especially the local ones we will see this year.

Yeah, we’ve got a few. Next weekend is the double header down at Bond [Sunday 8th September]. Have you heard about that one?

City will play first [at 1pm] and we’re playing second [at 3pm]. How good will that be? A big day in the sun… I’m excited for that one.

Me too! I hope you don’t mind if we talk about your rugby journey.

Yeah of course, all good.

What was it like watching your dad play for the Reds and for the Wallabies while you were growing up?

So my Dad’s career was more in his prime in the early 90s and I was born in ’97. So his career was sort of coming to an end when I was born. Obviously, growing up I watched a lot of his games when I was younger though.

One of the ones I remember quite profoundly was when I was around 8 or 10 years old and he was going on an Ex-Wallabies legends tour and they played against the South African Barbarians team or something, over in Durban. So I went over with my family and my brother and I were ball-boys which was pretty cool. That was my earliest memory of being actively involved.

How old were you when you played your first game?

I actually used to play soccer when I was young ‘cause Mum thought it would be good to keep the foot skills up. I was probably 6 when I started soccer. My first footy game, I was probably at 8, down at Brothers, right near my house. It was still touch back then. I think my first game of tackle was under-9. That’s when I started to really enjoy it, ‘cause I was pretty much bigger than everyone else. So I was a pretty good player, everyone would just give me the ball and I’d run through some people.

What clubs did you play for before you came to UQ?

Yeah, I played at Brothers for probably 4 years. Then I moved across to Easts, because all my school mates were at the Eastside, I went to Churchie eventually. Then I stopped playing club to focus on school footy. Then getting out of school, I started down at UQ. I started studying there, I got a scholarship, so I was just started doing everything over there.

Are you excited about the rule changes coming up? Also, in particular... can you talk about the 50:22 rule? (Some of my readers, like my Mum, are clueless about rugby, so feel free to start from the beginning.)

Yeah it’s pretty cool, the new rules. The 50:22… Apparently, if you’re behind the 50 meter line and you kick it out, you get the line-out. It’s gotta bounce, but if it goes out inside the other 22… you get to throw it in. And the same with the opposite - if you’re inside the 22 and if you kick it out past the 50 meter line, you get the throw as well. It’s pretty cool… changes the game up a bit. Apparently it will impact the game by making more free-flowing footy because they’ll have one more person back to cover the kick. So that will affect the defensive structures of teams.

And also, if you’re held up over the line when trying to score, it’s a drop-out, instead of a 5 meter scrum, which I think’s pretty good. ‘Cause there’s a lot of time when they just keep getting held up, keep scrummaging, keep getting held up and it’s like you’re defending all day. Drop-outs are pretty cool, it reminds me a bit of League, which could be pretty fun.

With the 50-22 - if a team masters that and does it really well, I can see that being a massive weapon.

Thanks for that. I think the NRC is going to be fun, especially with these new rules being trialed.

Yeah, it will be exciting and makes it fresh again!

Thanks Angus for taking time to chat today! All the best over in Perth, this weekend. I’ll be watching online!

Perfect. Thanks very much. Thanks for having a chat with me!