‘Jeremy’s a bit of a joker,’ Izzy said. ‘He was like that when we were little and played footy together.’
‘You guys were on the same team?’
Izzy nodded. ‘He doesn’t play anymore, but we’re lucky to have him on tour. He’s a great manager.’
Sione wanted to ask why Jeremy stopped playing, but Izzy was standing up and ready to get changed for breakfast. Instead, he asked a question that he had been dying to ask for a while, and he hoped Izzy would be happy to give him an answer. ‘Izzy, do you have a mum?’
Izzy smiled. ‘Yes. Do you?’
‘Yes and no.’
Izzy looked at Sione in a way that suggested he had an idea of what he was talking about. ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ he said after a while. Then he looked at the time on his phone. ‘I’m happy to chat about anything you like at any time, but we can’t be late for the plane. I’ll see you at breakfast, okay?’
Sione nodded.
‘You’re a good kid,’ Izzy added, ‘and a great player – I mean that.’
Sione looked down at his feet.
‘Trust me,’ Izzy said. ‘If you keep putting in the effort, you’ll see the benefits on the field. But you have to believe in yourself, too. Can you do that?’
Sione thought about it for a moment. Believing in himself seemed like a foreign concept. He shrugged.
‘Well, I trust in you,’ Izzy said with a smile. ‘You’ll do great things for Valley, and anyone else you play for. I know it.’
Sione walked back to his room to find everyone getting ready for breakfast. Daniel appeared from the bathroom, and their eyes met. Neither of them said anything. Somehow, without a word spoken, all was understood and forgiven.
Sione closed the bathroom door behind him, chuckling at the sound of Jake, Adam and Daniel chanting ‘N-T! N-T! N-T!’
Returning to Coolangatta Airport was strange. They had only been there four days earlier, but it felt more like four months ago to Daniel. Spending time away from home with other people had really stretched out his days. Perhaps, he wondered, it was the living out of routine, or maybe it was the emotional highs and lows he had been experiencing.
Sione grew less talkative as they lined up to board the plane. This would be his second flight in a week, so Daniel assumed he was already more at home with the idea of flying. Though Sione remained close to Daniel and sat next to him on the plane, he didn’t seem anxious about the flight like he did on their first trip.
This time Sione sat next to the window and Daniel took the aisle seat. It was going to be a much longer flight. Darwin would take over twice as long to get to as the Gold Coast had taken from home. Soon enough, the plane roared to life and lifted the Valley team above the clouds. While the other boys excitedly checked out which movies and games were available, Daniel didn’t feel like doing anything more than sitting and thinking, which wasn’t like him at all. There was one thing that he couldn’t shake from his mind. Since Sione had got upset about his mum, Daniel had felt confused and flustered.
Daniel thought about his own parents’ divorce. He knew it had been an upsetting time but he couldn’t really remember it. He only thought about his mum occasionally these days and he hadn’t been troubled by that fact until now. His dad had taught him to be tough and to not get upset by such things, but now Daniel wondered if he should have been.
Why wasn’t he upset about losing his mum the way Sione was? Was it because she lived far away? Was he just more brave? Or was it because he was self-centred and didn’t care?
Daniel turned to look at Sione. He didn’t really understand him. He was quiet, shy and sometimes Daniel wasn’t sure if he even wanted to play rugby or be on a rep team. But the thing that made him jealous of Sione was the fact that he knew how he felt. He had emotions. Sometimes Daniel felt more like a statue than a living, breathing person.
He pulled out his phone and put on his headphones. But Daniel didn’t turn any music on – the headphones were merely a cover. Instead, he began to type. His fingers, moving slowly at first, soon began tapping on his phone’s screen at a ferocious speed.
Hi Mum. I’m writing to you from a plane flying to Darwin! I’m going as part of the rep-team tour around Australia, then it’s on to the State Championships. I hope we see a crocodile!
Dad said he’d tell you that I was going on the trip. I hope he did because it has been lots of fun. I’ve made heaps of friends. We’ve just played two games on the Gold Coast and we went to the beach every day. And our coach is Izzy Folau!!! He’s cool. He even said he thinks I would be a good captain one day, maybe even for the Wallabies!
Do you remember that day we were on the patio and Dad wanted to take a family photo and he was testing the automatic shutter on the camera and I was sitting in your lap? Just as he took a photo I burped accidentally and you started laughing SOOOOO loud. That was really funny. I still have that photo.
Hopefully you can move back or I could move to Perth. One day I will save up enough money to come visit you. When I’m a famous rugby player I will come every week in the off-season.
‘Hey, what are you doing?’ Adam asked, popping his head up from the seat in front. ‘Writing a book?’
‘No,’ Daniel answered, locking his screen.
‘Well, you’re missing out. They have the latest episodes of Hurricane Fighters on here.’
‘Cool, I’ll check it out in a sec.’ Daniel returned to his email, and quickly added one more paragraph before saving it and turning off his phone.
He lay back in his seat. He realised he had been missing his mum all along. He hoped she could make it to see him and his team holding the State Championships trophy aloft. It would be the greatest moment he could wish for.
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
Plays for: Grantham Boys
Known for: Catching high balls under press
ure
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
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
Every rugby team has eight forwards, who are known as ‘the pack’. They are usually the bigger players as they tend to do most of the tackling during a game. The forwards also have two other very important jobs: they help to gain possession of the ball after a restart of play, either from a line-out or a scrum.
Scrums are the perfect example of good teamwork on the field. All eight forwards must work together for a successful scrum.
Have you ever wondered what the jobs of the different forwards in a scrum are?
The Front Row is made up of the two props, and the hooker who stands between them. The hooker’s job is to try to win the ball for his team with his feet. The props must support the hooker – or ‘prop him up’ as he works – all the while, engaging with the opposition’s front row.
The Second Row is made up of the two locks. They push the scrum from behind the front row. They provide most of the scrum’s power.
The Back Row includes the number-eight and two flankers. The number-eight binds behind the locks and gives weight to the scrum. They help to ensure the ball leaves the scrum cleanly. The flankers only connect to the sides of the scrum very loosely so they can quickly detach from it when they need to. They also help to push the scrum at angles.
Scrums are like nothing else in any sport. Crowds watch with bated breath once the ball is fed into a scrum, hoping that their team will win possession of it once again. However, players can be hurt in a scrum if they do not practise correct body position.
Remember these tips for correct body position in a scrum – you could try this in front of a mirror.
1) Stand shoulder-width apart with your feet pointing straight ahead.
2) Shorten your neck, making sure to keep your head in a neutral position.
3) Bend at the hips, then bend at the knees. This will help you to keep the weight off your heels. Your chest should be in front of your knees.
4) Lower your bottom and stick it out a little. This will straighten your back.
5) Try to squeeze your shoulderblades together to push out your chest.
6) Keep your eyes on your target.
It is important to regularly practise forming the scrum with your teammates. Establish a routine and stick to it – your team is counting on you!
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Version 1.0
Izzy Folau 2: Reality Check
9780857986641
First published by Random House Australia in 2015
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ht © 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: Reality check/David Harding and Israel Folau; illustrated by James Fosdike
ISBN: 9780857986641 (ebook)
Series: Izzy Folau; 2
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
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