Day 19. 1st August

We were due to set out for the day to Natadola Beach, voted the second sexiest beach in the world 2007, however we woke to strong winds and driving rains. Not the final day we had planned however spirits were still high. We are leaving for the airport at 5:30pm, see you all at 11am at school on Thursday…

Day 18. 31st July

Our last full day was spent relaxing in the resort, culminating in a tour dinner.

Match 5. Colfe’s v Sigatoka Methodist College

Colfe’s 15 – Sigatoka 7

The strategy to playing a Fiji side is to keep the game tight and structured using the technical strength of the forwards and tactical kicking form the backs. The boys followed the game plan to the letter, starving the opposition of quality ball, resulting in numerous penalties in range of the posts. An excellent kicking display from Dan Courtneidge, the eventual man of the match, put us in the lead early on and resulted in a well deserved win. Much praise must go the pack who were organised and dominant throughout despite giving away weight and height to the opposition.

Day 17. 30th July

The day started with time to spend around the pool and in the sea. We met at 12.30 and headed out on the bus to Sigatoka stadium for our final game of tour. After the game we watched the Fiji National rugby team train and had photos taken with them once they had finished.

Day 16. 29th July

This was a relaxing day and the kids were free to enjoy the facilities on offer. The staff gathered in the evening for a dinner to mark the first anniversary of the death of one of the finest staff tourists and all round top guy - Adrian Chapman. We laughed a lot and cried a little and I think that Ade would have thoroughly approved

Day 15. 28th July

We met in reception at 3am and headed to the airport. When we arrived we were greeted with the information that our flight was delayed by two hours. The flight to Auckland was short and with no time in transfer we were rushed straight through to the Fiji flight. We transferred straight to the hotel and checked into our rooms

Day 14. 27th July

Started the day in Circular Quay where we took a 30 minute jet boat trip round the harbour, the staff were encouraged to sit in the back, surprisingly getting soaked before too long… This was followed by a tour of the city and surrounding area on the back of a Harley Davison, everyone was on the back of their own bike for a one hour trip. The rest of the day was spent enjoying the sights of the city, before we all went to a local Malaysian restaurant for dinner. The evening was short as we had to get up at 3am.

Day 13. 26th July

Picked everyone up from the school in the morning and headed out to Bondi Beach for a coastal walk round the headland to Coogee Bay, where we spent a few hours on the beach in the middle of winter, enjoying 20 degree heat! This was a much needed day of rest for the boys after a tough game and very hard ground. Also it was the first day we forgot to take the camera with us... Sorry!

Match 4. Colfe’s v Newington

Colfe’s 39 – Newington 10

A much deserved win! With performances improving every game it was inevitable this would be a close game. The starting fifteen began applying pressure from the first kick, and it was not long before Sam Stamp saw a gap on the blind side, chipped the winger which allowed Hugh Mac to pounce on the loose ball, Jake Mallen got the conversion. Continued pressure and surging runs by the forwards persisted throughout the first half, with Dan Courtneidge, Liam Cleary, Jake Mallen and Hayden Deol all crossing the line. The half time score saw Colfe’s up 29 – 5. Newington made some changes and the second half was a physical and evenly matched affair with Colfe’s scoring early through Alex Clubb, only to concede from the following kick off. Dan Courtneidge added three points from a penalty late in the game, bringing to a end a very exiting game of rugby.
Praise must go to all the team, but Liam Cleary was selected as man of the match, before leaving the pitch with what is thought to be ligament damage to his right ankle.

Day 12. 25th July

We assembled the party in Circular Quay, where for the first time we had an excellent view of both the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. With a few hours to kill before kick off we headed out to Manly for the morning in clear blue skies and 20 degree heat. After walking the beaches and enjoying the sites, we headed back on the ferry enjoying some breathtaking views. We arrived at Newington with an hour to prepare before the game, where we were greeted by old gap students Matt Miles and Rachel Climie.

Day 11. 24th July

Another early start and another flight saw us down to Sydney by the afternoon where we headed straight to Newington to meet our forth hosts and introduce the boys to their new billets.

Match 3. Colfe’s v B.G.S

Colfe’s 15 – B.G.S 21

The closest match yet, saw Colfe’s produce some of their best attacking rugby on tour, equalling the three tries scored by their opposition. Daniel Courtneidge playing at fly half scored the first try after a good opening spell. Some lack lustre defending saw B.G.S score three tries in the first half, before Colfe’s rallied, pulling one back through Liam Gray. In the second half neither side could gain the upper hand, with Colfe’s once again making numerous substitutions. The game became very scrappy, with man of the match Jake Mallen scoring a late try, creating a close finish. In the end a much deserved victory will have to wait for another game, hopefully against Newington in Sydney.

Day 10. 23rd July

Jono Newman's 15th Birthday – Thanks must go to the Ireland’s for providing a cake and some presents after Alex Gallagher’s dad left his on the kitchen table in England!

Boys met at school in the morning and walked down to the waterfront through the local parks and past the high rise buildings. Took a ride on the city cat cruises along the river where we were able to get a different view of the city. We walked back to school and had some lunch from their parent run canteen. After lunch we trained at the school and because of a few injuries had to re-organise the squad. After training we made the 10 minute journey to the school’s playing fields.

Day 9. 22nd July

Day with host families

Day 8. 21st July

We had time to train again in the morning, making full use of the pitch and facilities available. We then had one hour to make free use of the other facilities, with pupils using the gym, running track and Olympic 50m pool. Buses picked us up at 12 noon and took us back up the coast to Brisbane, where the pupils were introduced to their third set of billets. We arrived at Churches school, a rival of B.G.S where they were hosting 35 rugby teams for the day.

Day 7. 20th July

After a more relaxed morning and another 'all you can eat' breakfast had been digested we took the squad out for our first good weather training. Located in the centre of a running track we were able to run through the backs moves and develop the forwards lineouts and scrums. In the afternoon we headed into Surfers Paradise were we set up camp on the beach, swam in the sea and enjoyed our first sight of the sun. This was a good opportunity for the squad to relax, and we even met up with three sets of parents two of which joined us for dinner. We returned to our accommodation around 10pm and it did not take everyone long to get to sleep.

Day 6. 19th July

We started the day with a trip around the Westpac Stadium, also known as the Cake Tin, where we were given a guided tour of the stands, corporate boxes and changing rooms. We then were shown around New Zealand Rugby Headquarters where the boys were introduced to how the national team is run. There were many impressive and important artefacts on show, as well as numerous tributes to Mr. Gallagher’s playing days. After a quick lunch in Wellington centre we headed to the airport to catch our flight to Australia, this was a quick journey and we arrived at the Sports Excellence Centre that would be our home for the next three days.

Match 2. Colfe’s v Hutt International Boys School

Colfe's 6 - Hutt International Boys School 22

This match was situated in the unusual location of Trentham racecourse. On a heavy pitch but luckily in dry conditions, Colfe’s encountered another physical side. The team did not help themselves early on by attempting to run from their own twenty two, resulting in turnover ball and H.I.B.S first try. We battled back into the game with a great forward effort, led by Matt Stammers and Christy Moen and were unlucky not to draw level on several occasions, in the end two well kicked penalties from Dan Courtneidge were the only points we scored. We missed two further occasions in the game attempting to run ball from deep, which again resulted in errors and tries for the opposition. Overall it was am improvement from the first game with better organisation and skill levels returning leaving us hopeful for better results in Australia.

Day 5. 18th July

The day started with a trip to nearby Lower Hutt, where the boys were able to look around and buy any bits for the afternoon’s game. We returned to H.I.B.S, where we had full use of their training facilities and were able to work on a few areas highlighted in the previous game. After about an hour we headed back to Lower Hutt for some lunch. We returned to school with enough time to get the team well warmed up and prepared for the game.

Day 4. 17th July

The boys all met at the school, some still looking very tired from the game and jet lag. We left Rathkeale heading south for Wellington. With a few carrying bumps and bruises we took the squad to the Kilbirnie sports centre where they swam and enjoyed the spa pool and sauna. We then headed onto Hutt International Boys School where the team were introduced to their second set of billets.

Match 1. Colfe’s v Rathkeale College

Colfe’s 5 - Rathkeale College 33

The team were greeted onto the pitch by Rathkeale’s own version of the haka which the boys Colfe’s boys accepted and enjoyed. A committed and brave performance, against our bigger and stronger hosts indicated the start of what will be a very challenging tour.
27 of the 28 players were used and many of them had good performances. A combination of jet lag, lack of match practice and very strong opponents, saw Colfe’s trailing by half time.
Honours were even in the second half and Colfe’s scored a well deserved try through lock Jon Muir after an excellent break from Liam Gray. Colfe’s were unlucky not to score more tries, but credit must go to a very organised and effective defence. Stand out performances were from Sam Wallis, Liam Cleary, Tim Smith, Jake Mallen and Alex Clubb who was also voted man of the match by the opposition coaches.

Day 3. Monday 16th July

We all met at school for 9am and headed to Martinborough a popular wine making district where we were invited by C.E.O Lindsay Cunningham, another friend from Rongotai to look around his vineyard ‘The Alana Estate’, one of the finest producers of Pinot Noir in all New Zealand. The boys were given a tour and introduced to each stage involved in wine production. They were then allowed to sample some of the wines, most retailing at around £35 per bottle. Mr. Taylor was manning the spittoon!! We then headed back to Rathkeale for lunch, pre match training and the arrival of Mr. Gent.