Known for: His ability to set up tries
Greatest moment: Putting five other teammates on the scoreboard in one game
Name: Harrison Gordon
Position: Scrum-half
Plays for: Bunyan Bunyips
Known for: His leadership at the scrum
Greatest moment: Winning his team’s Best Player trophy two years in a row
Name: Derek ‘the Ringmaster’ Ngo
Position: Wing
Plays for: Clifton Grammar
Known for: Running rings around the opposition
Greatest moment: Being promoted from the D Team to the A Team at school within two weeks
Name: Ty Fennelly
Position: Fullback
Plays for: St Francis’s
Known for: His long kick returns
Greatest moment: Scoring twenty-five points in one match
Name: Jake Hunter
Position: Prop
Plays for: Queens
Known for: His strong tackling
Greatest moment: Playing every minute of every game last season
Name: Benny Simons
Position: Prop
Plays for: Queens
Known for: Pushing opposition teams back in the scrum
Greatest moment: Being selected for two different rep teams in two different states
Name: Adam El-Attar
Position: Hooker
Plays for: St Christopher’s
Known for: His jumping in the line-out
Greatest moment: Making thirty tackles in one game
Name: Tim Broadbent
Position: Second row
Plays for: The Saints
Known for: His goal kicking
Greatest moment: His tackle in extra time that saved his team’s season
Name: Patrick Mulholland
Position: Second row
Plays for: The Saints
Known for: Taking on any opponent, no matter how big
Greatest moment: Chasing down an opponent from twenty metres behind, then tackling him into touch
Name: Terry ‘Tezza’ Williams
Position: Flanker
Plays for: The Bears
Known for: His speed down the blind side
Greatest moment: Scoring a try in every game last season
Name: Zach Smith
Position: Flanker
Plays for: St Francis’s
Known for: His ability to play as a forward or back
Greatest moment: Being his team’s captain and also its youngest player
Name: Nathan Davidson
Position: Number-eight
Plays for: Clifton Grammar
Known for: His seemingly unlimited energy
Greatest moment: Regularly landing twenty-metre-long passes to teammates
Name: Kane Williams
Position: Utility-forward
Plays for: The Saints
Known for: His accurate kicking for touch
Greatest moment: Playing in every forward position last season
Name: Sean de Groot
Position: Utility-forward
Plays for: Clifton Grammar
Known for: His ‘never give up’ attitude
Greatest moment: Winning a grand final with an extra-time try
Name: Kian Hardy
Position: Utility-forward
Plays for: Clifton Grammar
Known for: Always walking off the field covered in mud
Greatest moment: He has played for three Premiership-winning teams
NICKNAME: Izzy
BORN: 3 April 1989 in Minto, NSW
HEIGHT: 195 cm
WEIGHT: 103 kg
POSITION: Fullback
TEAM: NSW Waratahs, Australian Wallabies
2007/08: NRL Melbourne Storm
2007–2009: Australian Kangaroos
2008–2010: Queensland Maroons
2009/10: NRL Brisbane Broncos
2010: NRL All Stars
2011/2012: AFL Greater Western Sydney Giants
2013–present: NSW Waratahs
2013–present: Australian Wallabies
You may think that passing a ball is as simple as tossing it in the air in the direction of one of your teammates. However, to become a great passer, there is a lot to think about before you let the ball leave your fingers.
As you pass a ball, hold it with both hands. Use your hand furthest away from your target to push the ball, and the other one to guide it. Your hands should end up in the direction of your target after letting go.
A successful rugby pass must be of the correct strength and height and be on target.
TARGET: Remember to look at the player you wish to pass the ball to and swing your arms in their direction. If your pass is not accurate, it may not be caught.
STRENGTH: If your pass is too soft it will not reach your target. Too hard, and it will hit them too vigorously. Practise passing from different distances to learn how hard your passes should be.
HEIGHT: This is similar to your strength. If your pass is too high or too low it will be difficult to catch and may be dropped.
Did you know that waiting to pass can be just as important as passing the ball? Sometimes, players want to get rid of the ball as soon as they gain possession of it, but take that split second before you pass to consider your options. Consider who you are going to pass to and whether they are ready to receive it.
Why not try this training drill to improve your passing strength?
Stand a metre away from your partner. Pass the ball to them, remembering correct positioning and technique. If they catch it at their chest, your partner should pass the ball back to you. Whenever both of you successfully pass and receive the ball, both of you can then take a step back. Now the passing distance is greater. How far can you go?
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Version 1.0
Izzy Folau 1: Chance of a Lifetime
9780857986627
First published by Random House Australia in 2015
Copyright © Random House Australia 2015
The moral right of the author and the illustrator has been asserted.
A Random House book
Published by Random House Australia Pty Ltd
Level 3, 100 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW 2060
www.randomhouse.com.au
Random House Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com/offices.
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
Creator: Harding, David, author
Title: Chance of a lifetime/David Harding and Israel Folau;
illustrated by James Fosdike
ISBN: 9780857986627 (ebook)
Series: Izzy Folau; 1
Target Audience: For primary school age
Subjects: Rugby Union football players – Australia – Juvenile fiction.
Rugby football coaches – Australia – Juvenile fiction.
Rugby football – Coaching – Australia – Juvenile fiction.
Rugby Union football – Australia – Juvenile fiction.
Other creators/contributors: Folau, Israel, author;
Fosdike, Jam
es, illustrator
Dewey number: A823.4
Cover image of Israel Folau by Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Internal image of Israel Folau by Matt King/Getty Images
Illustrations by James Fosdike
Cover design by Christabella Designs
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