Club rugby: Read how round 16 unfolded in Colts 1 and Premier Women action here
Club rugby: Colts 1, women’s latest here as Souths and Easts steal it at the death in Colts and Sunnybank and GPS’ women battle it out in a thriller.
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Souths Magpies turned giant-killer again to shock Brothers in a colts 1 boilover at Crosby Park.
For the second time this season Souths have beaten Brothers, confirming they were the real deal in the race for the premiership. The Magpies won 34-26.
In other colts games, Easts beat Wests 22-20, Bond snuck home 22-19 over UQ and GPS defeated Sunnybank 36-21 while in the women’s Easts beat Wests 31-19, GPS and Sunnybank drew 15-all and Bond Uni had a tough win over UQ 21-10. Souths beat Brothers 26-5. More on those games below.
But first, at Crosby Park Souths started fast in colts 1, then Brothers got a quick try off a set-piece play. This exchange remained the theme of the game as both teams went blow-for-blow.
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With five minutes to go it was 26-all, but storming home late were the Magpies who scored one then iced it with a penalty goal.
A barnstorming carry from prop Lington Leli paved the way for that go-ahead try scored by fullback Te Ohorei Totorewa.
Souths coach Cian O’Connor said his side had a lighter week with finals in mind, and was pleased but also a little surprised to clinch victory.
In an assessment of the season, O’Connor said as a group “We see ourselves as an under dog.”
“We don’t have the top end players. They are unknown guys. We gel together and work hard.
“A fit bunch of guys … The boys bought into it.”
Inside centre Dylan Jones broke the line on his way to a double today, the English young gun playing down under for the experience.
Jones was sharp in the centres and his buddy Joe Saina (outside centre) proved the difference according to O’Connor.
Saina, who made his Colts 1 debut after dropping down from the seniors, was “outstanding.”
No. 8 Fraser Leslie had his best game yet with his ball-carrying and big collisions swinging momentum, while hooker Arun Vinall was “amazing” in the lineouts.
Vinall started in Colts 3 this season.
Kadin Pritchard and Will Cartwright scored for Brothers, and if there wasn’t already enough flame in their bellies – this nailbiting loss at home will be more than enough to ignite Brothers for finals footy.
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In women’s matches Easts defeated Wests 31-19 while Bond Uni had a tough tussle with UQ before getting the chocolates 21-10.
At Bottomley Park the Bulldogs had a crack but it was the Tigers who prevailed by 12 points.
“Hana Lane was immense and kept at Easts all game,” said Wests coach Manuel
“Allana Sikimeti has moved to loose head prop but maintained her running ability against a very strong Easts scrum.”
The Easts scrum engineered a penalty try while inside centre Dreu and No. 8 Adi Lisikoveni also benefited from her forwards.
Gallant Wests did manage three tries from Michelle Curry, Ashlee Knight and Cole-magnolia.
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In Friday night’s women's clash between GPS and Sunnybank, a late try from Ana Drotini saved Sunnybank from a 15-10 defeat and secured them a 15-all draw.
The gallopers of course had plenty to play for with that No. 4 seed and finals spot in their sights.
GPS head coach Mutch Kite said his team had their opportunities to capitalise but praised the Sunnybank side who “were a pretty awesome team.”
“I was happy with our attitude from the outset, the girls were great from the start,” Kite said about the clinical GPS women who came out firing, and had the Dragons on the ropes for much of the game.
Emilya Byrne and Anna Nasolo spearheaded a strong forwards performance from the visiting GPS.
“Byrne was dynamic … Nasolo was a rock in the midfield. A great platform,” Kite said.
“Off the back of that, Bella Cole (fly half) controlled the game and Heleina Young (fullback) was good.”
Indeed GPS were minutes off handing Sunnybank their first loss of the season but Drotini had other ideas.
Christina Sekona also impressed with two tries and great presence around the ruck and scrum.
Kite said “that’s pressure footy … we were gutsy. We were down to 14 in the second half and we’re pretty happy that we are still alive in this run to the finals.
“It’ll go down to us against Bond University.”
Speaking of Bond University, the Bullsharks had a 21-10 win against University at the Gold Coast.
It was a back-and-forth battle between two teams who may well meet again in the finals’ series.
Blindside flanker Zoe Hanna, winger Charlize Ratu and Dominika Baleinagasau scored for the home side. For University, No. 8 Tess Evans and fly half Chanelle Kohika-Skipper crossed.
“It was a grind today,” said Bond coach Lawrence Faifua.
“We had to try and win the middle, and expose the edges.
He said the team had to again live with changes in its halves which was disruptive, but full credit for over coming the spine alterations.
He said Gabbie Rivers did a great job playing her first game at fullback, having moved from centre.
He said Rivers straightened the attack while in the midfield Catie Costello played “a really good role”.
At Crosby Park, a spirited women’s clash, Brothers outfit fell 26-5 to Souths.
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In the first half, the home side were playing like a rugby sevens team with offloads aplenty.
They tried things like kicks to the corner, fullback Meredith Schultz was brilliant with her kick returns, young outside centre Jazlyn Leota was a cover tackling hero and the forwards were defensive machines.
Hooker Georgia Lewis could be seen in contact, while the brave Leota made two try-savers in a row when South’s were surging down the right touchline.
Yes South’s had a calming influence in Ellie Draper (fly half) which led to strong outside backs Georgia Wilson and Deborah Burese flourishing.
And Yes powerful No. 8 Mary Tuaana led destructive close-range forward heaves.
But Brothers were game, especially their daring fly half Jeniffer Ravutia who scored a fantastic try in the first half.
Ravutia was exciting, drawing and passing to cause problems for the Magpies’ left edge.
She enjoyed the service of scrumhalf Jordan Manega, whose spiral-passing was impressive from the ruck base.
In the second half, the well-structured South’s struck ahead further and claimed a 21-point-win where they led the entire way.
In colts action at Ashgrove where GPS won 36-21, Sunnybank coach Brendan Underwood rued watching his team concede defeat after again establishing a halftime lead,
The Dragons reached 14-nil by halftime despite having little ball in the first 15 minutes of the game.
“We spoke about winning the battles and we did that in the first half,’’ Underwood said.
“Unfortunately we got a yellow card, injuries to key players and the penalty count against us which crucified us.’’
Best for Sunnybank were Lolo Sekona, Tom Sullivan and Jack Leo.
GPS coach Sio Kite gave Sunnybank’s back rower Leo a huge wrap, saying the Iona College product “was a real problem for us’’.
Long striding outside back Rhonan Jensen, who’s dad Mark played more than 100 first grade games for the club, made the most of a starting role in colts 1 with a fabulous day day.
Jensen, lock Pat Gavin and No.8 Stuart Tualima were best for GPS.
Easts colts 1 coach Tyrell Barker said his team could have won by a bigger margin than 22-20 after scoring four tries, but only managing one conversion. “That made it closer than needed,’’ he said.
Halfback Archie Xavier was very good, while Kaileb Crothers and Lachlan Carew were strong in the forwards for the Tigers.
Wests colts 1 coach Roscoe Deacon said his team started slowly in its two point loss to Easts, a start which included unforced handling errors which put the side on the back foot.
“We knew we could score points when in the A zone so the game really came down to who could control field position and that was the message at halftime.
“We missed a couple of key moments in the second half which ultimately cost us the game.’’
But he had high praise for Campbell King and Jock McCormack who played a full game in Colts 2 before backing up to play a lot of minutes in colts 1.
“Jock was one of our best forwards,’’ Deacon said.
And in the late game on the Gold Coast, a penalty conversion from Bond replacement Tom Maher was the difference in a cut throat clash between Bond and University of Queensland.
Both team’s scored three tries - with Bond No.8 Vereniki Naureure twice scoring - and both teams kicked two conversions.
There was nothing in it - except Maher’s boot for Bond.
Originally published as Club rugby: Read how round 16 unfolded in Colts 1 and Premier Women action here
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