‘Don’t worry about us,’ Daniel said. ‘It’s going to be great.’
‘Yeah, it’s going to be the best!’ Jake said.
‘Win, lose or draw,’ Adam added.
Sione nodded enthusiastically.
They walked out of their cabin lugging their bags. A large bird rose from the grass nearby and into the sky.
‘That bird’s out late,’ Daniel said. ‘It’s almost as if it was waiting for us to leave. What was it?’
‘A jabiru,’ Sione said. ‘I think it was saying goodbye.’
POSITION: Wing
SCHOOL: Valley North
TEAM: The Tigers
LOVES TO: Watch Izzy Folau play on TV
Picked to play for the Valley team on the wing, Sione has many attributes that good wingers need. He is fast, fit and able to find a gap within any line of defence. At first, Sione wasn’t sure if playing on a rep team was the right fit for him, but since finding his feet with Valley, he has become more comfortable with his selection.
Soft-spoken Sione does all his ‘talking’ on the rugby field, where he strives to play with the enthusiasm and happiness of his hero, Izzy Folau. Sione plays for the Tigers in his local competition. There, he has excelled and become what many rugby fans might call a ‘try-scoring machine’, though those are words he would never use to describe himself.
POSITION: Fly-half
SCHOOL: Barton Grammar
TEAM: Barton Grammar
LOVES TO: Kick a match-winning goal
Daniel plays for Valley at the vital position of fly-half. As he directs the back line on the field, he also tries hard to lead by example off the field. Daniel’s ultimate dream is to captain Australia at the Rugby World Cup. Sometimes his dedication and desire to win get in the way of having a good time, but with Valley, he is learning to do both.
Daniel is also a terrific goal kicker who is never happier than after kicking one hundred per cent of his attempts in a match. His success comes from the extra hard work he puts in after training and on his days off. If there ever was a boy who loved his rugby, it’s Daniel. Possibly the most passionate rugby player in the world after Izzy Folau, Daniel never stops giving his all.
Name: Daniel Masters
Position: Fly-half
Plays for: Barton Grammar
Known for: His accurate goal kicking
Greatest moment: Leading his team to an undefeated season
Name: Sione ‘the Eel’ Taito
Position: Wing
Plays for: The Tigers
Known for: Weaving through defenders
Greatest moment: Being selected for the Valley rep team
Name: Theo ‘TJ’ Jones
Position: Fullback
Plays for: Grantham Boys
Known for: Catching high balls under pressure
Greatest moment: Scoring three tries in a grand final
Name: Steven Hendricks
Position: Wing
Plays for: The Bears
Known for: His courage under pressure
Greatest moment: Scoring a try in his first game
Name: Eric Le
Position: Centre
Plays for: Saxby Prep
Known for: Being selected for Valley in his first year playing rugby
Greatest moment: Scoring a hundred-metre try
Name: Joseph Rosenberg
Position: Centre
Plays for: Saxby Prep
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
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
Learning how to kick is overlooked by many rugby players because it doesn’t happen in a match as often as passing or tackling does. However, everyone should dedicate time to their kicking skills. You never know when you’ll be called upon to give it a go!
There are different methods for kicking a rugby ball. Kicking in play, for example, is very different to kicking a penalty or a conversion goal. When a player kicks the ball
during play it can be very exciting because doing so places the ball up for grabs. It is important to keep in mind that every time you kick the ball your team may lose possession of it. Practising long and short kicks is something everyone can do, even if they aren’t their team’s designated kicker.
In order to kick well, you need hold and control the ball properly.
2) Practise placing the ball on your foot. The needs of every kick are different. With practice you will learn the correct angles and slopes of the ball your foot requires to make different kicks.
3) Point your foot and leg in the direction you want the ball to go.
There are different types of kicks.
Long kicks are often used to gain territory. When your team is finding it hard to move the ball downfield, a kick for touch (out of bounds) may be the way to go. If you do find touch with your kick, a line-out will be used to restart play.
High kicks can be used to kick the ball over the opposition’s defensive line, or just to send the ball deep into the opposition’s territory.
Low and short kicks can be useful when trying to find gaps between defenders. Teamwork is essential here. Teammates must work together to anticipate where the ball will go in order to catch it before the opposition does.
Kicking off and kicking for scoring attempts are very different, but the three tips for controlling the ball still apply when learning those skills. Even though each team has their designated goal kickers, don’t be afraid to put your hand up and give it a go.
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Version 1.0
Izzy Folau 3: Pushed to the Limit
9780857986665
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
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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: Pushed to the Limit/David Harding and Israel Folau; illustrated by James Fosdike
ISBN: 9780857986665 (ebook)
Series: Izzy Folau; 3
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, James, illustrator
Dewey number: A823.4
Front 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