Forward pack from Hills Sports High heavier than Waratahs pack
This story was published 4 years ago March 11, 2010 12:00AM
Source: The Daily Telegraph
MEET the fearsome schoolboy rugby pack that is an incredible 30kg heavier than the Waratahs forwards who will start in tomorrow night's Super 14 clash with the Lions.
While NSW has one of the biggest forward units in Super rugby, they met their match yesterday in big Willie Skelton and his monster teammates from The Hills Sports High School at Seven Hills .
The NSW pack to play at the Sydney Football Stadium tomorrow includes seven Wallabies and tips the scales at an impressive 893kg.
But it's nothing compared to the heavyweights from The Hills Sports High- including their 142kg 17-year-old second-rower Big Willie- who rack up a total of 923kg.
The youngsters made a real impression on the Waratahs, who could not believe the hulking youngsters who walked into training at the SFS yesterday were studying for the HSC.
"Look at the size of them, they really are a Super 14 pack. When I was at school I think I weighed 98kg," said Test prop Al Baxter.
"They are big lads, they're massive. If they play like they look they will be pretty damaging.
"Look at big Willie over there, he is towering over Cliffy [Palu]."
Skelton, who hopes to forge a career as professional footballer, also plays rugby league for the Wests SG Ball side and is still undecided as to which code to pursue.
"I am still iffy, I love both," he said. "I love running the ball, that is probably one of my main assets."
Skelton and his teammates got a real buzz from meeting the Waratahs pack and seeing them go through their paces at training.
"It's good man, it shows the technique and all the skills we need on the field," said Skelton, who will turn 18 in May.
Big Willie's team has been selected to represent Australia at the prestige Sanix World Youth Championships being staged in Fukuoka, Japan, from April 27 to May 6.
They are ready to really shake up rivals from New Zealand, South Africa, France, England, Uruguay, Korea and Japan.
But to carry the flag for Australia, the team has had to raise $92,000 for the trip and is still working feverishly to get the final $35,000 needed.
"Hopefully we'll get over there. I think we will do well," Willie said.
The team spent a full day at Blacktown Kmart last weekend running a barbecue and selling raffle tickets, with the major fundraiser a corporate lunch at Tattersalls Club in the city on March 26.
Robert Hawkes, long-serving director of sport at the school, put the huge size of the current pack down to some "accidents of birth".
He said: "In the past couple of seasons the boys we have selected have been of normal size.
"I think it was just there were some very large boys around in these particular years.
"It's a team that we have been developing for five or six years and hopefully this year everything will come to fruition."
And he said while the schoolboys had size, they could also combine that with plenty of footballing talent.
"A lot of them are big boys with fast-twitch muscle fibre and they really get around the paddock," Hawkes said.
"Willie is a very exciting prospect with his size and with the speed he has got over a short distance - he quite often breaks the line and can make 40-50m dashes downfield."
Hawkes said there were quite a few people interested in Willie, not surprisingly, and his future plans.
And Willie's fellow forward Jason Havea is already one to have got away from rugby. He will join the NRL and has been contracted to the Melbourne Storm for four years.
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