Epic NZ Tour for Danville
Epic NZ Tour for Danville
On Easter Sunday, the Danville Oaks Boys Varsity Team touched down at San Francisco International Airport after a very successful 10-day tour to New Zealand through Irish Rugby Tours.
Irish Rugby Tours is a Goff Rugby Report sponsor and they take teams all over the world; they organize cultural and natural-wonder side trips as well as competitive and enjoyable games. Go to IrishRugbyTours.com for more>>
The tour comprised of three matches, two high level training sessions, and covered a good amount of the North Island from Wellington to Auckland. Also sprinkled in were some amazing Maori cultural experiences, adrenaline fueled jet boating, downhill luging, whitewater rafting, and a Hurricanes Super Rugby match to cap off an epic week.
The games
Danville Oaks 44 - Bishop Viard College 1st XV 0 (Wellington)
Tries: Hingano, Pribble, Deely, Leitch 2, Barth, Postin, Pau-Mendoza
Convs: Leitch 2
Danville Oaks 21 - Rotorua Boys HS 2nd XV 5 (Rotorua)
Tries: Pau-Mendoza, Glynn
Convs: Barth
Leitch 2, BarthDanville Oaks 52 - Rosehill College 1st XV 14 (Auckland)
Tries: Deely, Pribble, Pau-Mendoza, Jimenez, French, Comiskey, Segoria, Dempster
Convs: Leitch 5, Barth
All three matches were highly physical encounters where the Oaks played with tremendous poise under pressure. Strong set pieces, stifling defense and well worked tries set the tone in all the matches. Additionally, every player in the squad was able to get significant playing minutes to enhance their development and to build depth.
Every player performed very well on the field, although players that had outstanding performances in all 3 games were Ofa Hingano (hooker), Nico Jimenez (prop), the "Irish Towers" Seamus Deely and Liam Walsh (locks), Sawyer French (#8), Ethan Younger (FH & Captain), and Glegory Leitch (fullback and goal kicker).
Tucker Barth and Nate Comiskey had solid games in the centers, while juniors Mitch Bruno (prop), Talan Jones (loose forward), Declan Postin (SH), and Pau-Mendoza (wing) covered all ends very well.
Oaks returned to training this week with a crucial league game at De La Salle April 22. With this game in view, and an eye on the upcoming NorCal championship title, the Oaks remain focused on the National HS championship competition at the end of May.
The Oaks would like to thank Irish Rugby Tours, as well as all of our Coaches, important local sponsors and supporters who made this tour possible.