Queensland II and ACT to compete in 2017 Australian Schools Championship Final
The ACT and Queensland II will play off for the Australian School Championship on Saturday 8 July, after a thrilling third day of Rugby at St. Ignatius College, Riverview in Sydney.
ACT progressed through Pool B as the only undefeated team in the Championship, with dominant wins over more fancied opponents Queensland I and NSW II. Queensland II cemented their spot in the Final with a hard fought 27-25 win over NSW I.
ACT have not won the Australian Schools Championship since 1988, and are on the verge of potentially winning the Championship for only the fourth time in its 42-year history. Queensland II have won the Championship twice in 2010 and 2006.
Earlier today ACT was challenged by a resilient Western Australian outfit who played their strongest game of the week. In the end, ACT’s skills shone through and the side was able to score two late tries and close out a 38-18 victory.
The clash between Queensland II and NSW I was one of the matches of the championship so far, with a late penalty goal cementing a committed 27-25 victory to Queensland II.
In a big year for Australian Schools Rugby the BMW Australian Schoolboys side and the Australian Schools Barbarians side will play matches against New Zealand Schools and Fiji Schools later in the year.
BMW Australian Schoolboys Head Coach Pat Langtry said: “Every team since they have arrived has improved throughout the tournament. That makes it great for the game but also makes it difficult in terms of selections.
“As a coach this is a great problem to have.
“I don’t think anybody told Queensland II or the ACT that they were underdogs and both sides rose to the occasion today.
“Both teams had systems that were simple, they believed in each other and you could see that in the way they played.”
“We’ve had a few close games with those teams (New Zealand and Fiji) but those games have only ever had a few points in them”, Langtry said.
“The side we pick will have to be at their best for those matches and I am looking forward to the challenge.”
In the other matches from day three, Combined States defeated Victoria 45-7 in Pool A, while Queensland I defeated NSW II 33-19 in Pool B.
The washup means that Victoria Schools will play Western Australian Schools and NSW II will take on Combined States, with both games beginning at 8.45am AEST on Saturday 8 July.
NSW I and Queensland I will meet in the third-place playoff, before the main event between the ACT and Queensland II which kicks off at 11.30am AEST.
Matches from the final day of the Australian Schools Championship will be broadcast LIVE on rugby.com.au.
2017 Australian Schools Championship day three results:
Pool A
Victoria 7-45 Combined States
NSW 25-27 Queensland II
Pool B
Western Australia 19-36 ACT
NSW 19-33 Queensland I
2017 Australian Schools Championship Finals Day Fixtures:
Seventh Place Play Off
Western Australia v Victoria, 8.45am AEST
Fifth Place Play Off
Combined States v NSW II, 8.45am AEST
Third Place Play Off
Queensland I v NSW I, 10.00am AEST
Championship Final
ACT v Queensland II, 11.30am AEST
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