Well tour is done and dusted now and the experience and memories I have will now last me a lifetime!!!

I would like to thank all the players for their commitment and dedication over the course of the 3+ weeks and the atmosphere around the camp was always upbeat and would like to think I have made some lifelong friends from the trip and will certainly look forward to catching up with people over the course of the year in our domestic competition for a few beers and a reflection on what we achieved.

I would like the thank all at Optimum and Parker Sandford for the work and training they gave me to run and update the blog whilst away and the support they offered whilst on tour.

Finally I would like to thank all friends/family/supporters of the touring party whilst we were away. Your comments and well wishing certainly kept our morale up and kept us in touch with home wherever we were.

Signing out for the last time,

Ant

Carpe Diem

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Team for the final game is as follows:

(1) Jordan Precious (2) Carl Redford (3) Gavin Corfield (4) Chris Humphries (14) Anthony Atherton (7) Tony Baker (15) Carl Roden (8) Lee Brown (9) Jimmy Giblin (10) Micky McAlister (11) Kevin Thompson (12) Sean Wildbore (13) Mel Alker - SUBSTITUTES - Mark Spence, Steve Atkinson, Carl Mort, Carlos Sanchez

Kick Off @ 2:30pm Local Time (5:30am UK Time)

Lets give it one last push and bring it home!!! Nothing can be better than stuffing some arogant Aussies on their own patch!!!

GO THE LIONS!!!!!

QUAD SERIES 2008 – PLAY OFF

SATURDAY 19 JULY 2008 AT STOCKLAND PARK, KAWANA, KICK OFF 2.15PM

QUEENSLAND RANGERS (16 ) 34 – 16 (16) GREAT BRITAIN COMMUNITY LIONS

Queensland Rangers produced a strong second half display to combat the Great Britain Community Lions in the Quad Series Play Off on Saturday afternoon at Stockland Park in Kawana.

The Lions went into the half time interval level pegging at 16 – 16 and well on top however the break could not of come at a worse time for them.

Great Britain set the pace early doors and in the third minute a Gavin Corfield break down the left hand touchline set away his wing partner Anthony Atherton. Although the final pass put Jordan Precious in for a score the effort was ruled out as Atherton had his left foot just in touch.

Minutes later the Lions were not to be denied as good go forward from forwards Lee Brown, Carl Mort and Sean Wildbore led to Micky McAllister busting through before he fed Tony Baker with a nice off load who in turn dived over by the side of the goal posts. Full back Precious converted and the Lions were up six points to the good.

Corfield was causing the Queenslanders all sorts of problems down the left hand side and after another powerful run his fed Atherton who was bundled into touch just short of the line.

After eleven minutes Bundaberg local boy Matt Banner levelled matters with a good try and with Paul Stanley converting it was game on. The Rangers started to get well back into the wrestle and it took some superb defence on the Lions right hand side from Carl Redford, Chris Humphrey and Sean Wildbore to keep them out.

Rickie Dodd was having a big impact in proceedings and on twenty three minutes he crossed for Stanley to easily convert.

Carlos Sanchez, Kevin Thompson and Steve Atkinson were brought on from the Lions bench and they added some good solid impact in the blistering heat. Lions Skipper Mel Alker was as ever ripping into the Australians with his aggressive approach too however on the half hour Queensland scored a breakaway try against the run of play. Hooker James Giblin, who was in great form once again in attack and defence, made a nice break in the Rangers red zone but the final pass was picked up by Stephen Kim who raced ninety minutes for a sensational effort.

At 16 – 6 the game could of got away from the Lions but Atherton came up with an outstanding tackle to dislodge the ball from the Queensland attack. It certainly seemed to inspire his team mates as they scored two tries in the space of three minutes before the break to level the scores. Wildbore and Alker both came up with key off loads and Giblin smashed over for a beauty which Precious converted. Moments later Humphrey was over in the right hand corner after some very slick ball handling from Carl Roden, Tony Baker and Precious on the ‘Bronco’ set move.

The second half penalty count of 11 – 4 in the Maroons favour certainly helped them in their quest of getting the result both sides were striving for.

Dodd, Daniel Sorbello and huge front row forward Frank Neemia all crossed in the third quarter and with Dodd adding all three conversions the score shot up to 34 – 16 leaving the Lions a mountain to climb.

Mark Spence came on and added some style to the left hand side attack and looked to test the Maroons on the fringes. Cumbrian Thompson was so close to getting well deserved solo effort when he went a full fifty metres brushing aside would be tacklers but the last ditch defence stood firm just metres from the whitewash and he was halted.

Sanchez too hit some nice holes behind the ruck in his spell and made a good thirty metres on one particular hit up before off loading to Alker. Queensland worked hard for one another to bring him down and unfortunately the pressure could not be converted into the points which was a similar story for the whole of the half.

Vice Captain Wildbore suffered a head injury in the closing minutes but it showed this toughness and desire within the camp when he got up after appearing to be knocked out.

At the final siren, the Lions gathered together on the field for a photo shoot with the Maroons and then had a bonding session celebrating the Tour which will go down as one of the toughest a British side away from the professional game will ever witness.

QUEENSLAND RANGERS

Squad: 1 Daniel Sorbello 2 Saul Terare 3 Shaun Daylight 4 Nat Volz 5 Stephen Kim 6 Colin Wilkie 7 Paul Stanley 8 David Grainger 9 Roy Baira 10 Frank Neemia 11 Gareth Turton 12 Craig Snell 13 David Nixon 14 Rickie Dodd 15 Lee McLean 16 Steve Farrelly 17 Jason Wardrop 18 Anthony Toby 19 Matt Tanner 20 Ashley Radunz

GREAT BRITAIN COMMUNITY LIONS

Starting Line Up: 1 Jordan Precious 2 Carl Redford 4 Chris Humphrey 3 Gavin Corfield 14 Anthony Atherton 7 Tony Baker 15 Carl Roden 8 Lee Brown 9 James Giblin 11 Micky McAllister 12 Sean Wildbore 21 Carl Mort 13 Mel Alker (Captain)

Bench: 10 Kevin Thompson 17 Mark Spence 18 Carlos Sanchez 20 Steve Atkinson

Squad: 5 Ben Taylor 6 Paul Pendlebury 16 Luke Garnett 19 Sasch Brook 22 Shaun Painter

STATISTICS

Queensland Rangers Tries: Daniel Sorbello, Stephen Kim, Frank Neemia, Rickie Dodd 2, Matt Tanner

Queensland Rangers Goals: Paul Stanley 2, Rickie Dodd 3

Great Britain Community Lions Tries: Tony Baker, Chris Humphrey, James Giblin

Great Britain Community Lions Goals: Jordan Precious 2

MEN OF THE MATCH

Queensland Rangers: Colin Wilkie – Some really neat touches from the Queensland stand off who looked dangerous out wide with the ball in hand. A nice kicking game that regularly split the Lions back three.

Great Britain Community Lions: Sean Wildbore – An all action display from the Lions back row forward. Brave in defence including some desperate last ditch defence on his own line to go with some good footwork in attack.

***

In the Quad Series Final, the Jim Beam Cup rep side defeated New South Wales Country 28 – 8 with Skipper Chris Yates lifting aloft the trophy.

***

GREAT BRITAIN COMMUNITY LIONS – QUAD SERIES AWARDS 2008 – FRIDAY 18 JULY 2008

Players Player Award – Tony Baker (Scrum half)

Coaches Award – Mel Alker (Captain)

***

OFFICIAL QUAD SERIES AWARDS 2008 – SATURDAY 19 JULY 2008

Tony Baker (Great Britain Community Lions) – PLAYER OF THE SERIES … A very well deserved acolade for the young half back who had a tremendous series in all matches against Queensland Rangers, Jim Beam Cup and New South Wales Country. At just twenty years of age, a massive future in the game lies ahead of Tony who plays for Wigan based National Conference League side Ince Rose Bridge.

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The awards were made last night for Players’ Players of the Quad Series and Coaches’ Player of the Quad Series …

Players’ Player: Tony Baker

Coaches’ Player : Mel Alker

Well Done Boys!!!!

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Today saw the eagerly anticipated “off day”and visit to Australia Zoo, however the concensus of the players that we should first off all have an early morning training session before the Zoo visit as final preparation for the 3rd/4th place play off tomorrow.

The session went well and a few creases were ironed out before our final game of the tour, all the lads are buzzing and really want a good crack at the side that narrowly beat them in the opener.

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Yesterday saw the first real camp division of the tour!!! Whilst on a rehab/bonding/bbq session on the beach a cricket set was purchased and it saw a heated Lancashire v Yorkshire grudge match!!!

Needless to say the Red Rose County came out on top with star man Paul “THE PENGUIN” Pendlebury taking 5 wickets and notching up 16 with the bat including the winning runs! Other wickets came from Dave “GERMAN HAND GRENADE” Ruddy, Mel “DWARF” Alker and Ben “THE GOAT” Taylor. Anthony “THE HANDS” Atherton and Carl “THE CAT” Redford excelled in the field!

Top performers for Yorkshire were Jimmy “BOYCOTT” Giblin, Carlos “THE FAT SPANIARD” Sanchez, Luke “DAY WALKER” Garnett and Slasher “THE FLASHER” Brook!

Umpire, Jimmy Aspinall suggested it was one of the finest games of cricket he had witnessed and that the Lancashire contingient deserved the victory.

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