GPS First XV rugby Rd 7: Highlights aplenty in race in three
GPS First XV rugby: There were highlights aplenty from a BBC terrific trio, BSHS’s Roman Siulepa and a dynamic duo from Nudgee in round 7 action. Read the reports here, including about the Walker wow factor.
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Brisbane Boys’ College and Nudgee College will enter a round 8 blockbuster with engines purring after substantial wins today in GPS First XV schoolboy rugby action.
BBC moved past Terrace 46-14, while Nudgee turned a 17-7 deficit into a 45-27 victory over Toowoomba Grammar School.
Nudgee and BSHS, who defeated BGS 61-21 this afternoon, remain unbeaten with two rounds remaining.
But third placed BBC still has a chance to challenge for the title if they beat Nudgee at BBC on August 31 in what shapes as a Miskin Oval spectacle.
In the other match, Ipswich Grammar School, so impressive in all matches this season in victory or defeated, enjoyed a 30-17 win over Churchie.
SURPRISE PACKET PLAYERS OF THE GPS FIRST XV SEASON
GPS FIRST XV RUGBY ROUND 6 TEAM OF THE WEEK
The road ahead for the premiership contenders
Nudgee play BBC (away), BSHS (home)
BSHS play Terrace (home at BSHS campus), Nudgee (away)
BBC play Nudgee (home), TGS (away)
Brisbane Boys’ College were mightily impressive for all sorts of reasons against a plucky Terrace outfit on The Internationals Oval, and three of the reasons were BBC utility forward Tyler Maybery and wingers Tai Taka and DJ Colaivalu.
If there was a Marvel Movie made in the western suburbs, Maybery would be the No.1 ticket holder when it came to the audition line-up.
The flanker turned hooker turned breakaway again did his best impersonation of god of thunder Thor with multiple thunderous runs in BBC’s 32 point win.
His highlight reel moment came five minutes after halftime when, from 18m out, Maybery picked up a loose ball near his ankles, changed direction and drove through a sea of red Terrace jerseys to cross the line.
In all he beat five players and it was a special try from a player who is having a whale of a season.
That try was followed soon after by a peach of a team try from 65m out when a turnover forced by Tavita Loughland saw BBC’s forwards transition from defence into attack.
The ball was swept through the hands of Jack Randall, Cooper Eagle, Gray O’Neill and Oscar Donovan before Tai Taka exploded away on a dazzling 40m sprint to the line.
The glitter did not finish there, with a spectacular 65m five-pointer by DJ Colaivalu ensuring his name will be flashed across the big screen at the end of season First XV dinner.
Around a fast moving defensive line, BBC displayed razor sharp strike power and with the quick hands of outstanding halfback Isaac Kefu feeding the frenzy, BBC could beat anyone.
Trailing 27-7, spirited Terrace rallied when hard working Nate Wines crossed to reduce the margin to 27-14, but the better side won and won well.
Such was BBC’s early territorial domination, it took 14 minutes before Terrace enjoyed attacking ball at the railway line end of the oval.
BBC started with surgical precision, cleaning out at speed around the breakdowns and moving the ball fluently and in numbers.
The first try was secured by outstanding prop Oscar Donovan who drove through from an attacking line out ball secured by the increasingly impressive Gray O’Neill.
They would have scored a similar close range try soon after had Terrace hooker Cody Harkins not gallantly held up BBC tighthead prop Conrad Scott.
There was no debating BBC’s second try, a golden moment in the match when fullback Andres Ayache let launch after snaring a clearing kick which had been lobbed midfield on halfway.
Andres Ayache took off to his right, linked with winger Ryder Koia who found a rampaging Tyler Maybery who, from 30m out, firstly bumped his way clear before sprinting the final distance to the line.
BBC made it 15-nil by halftime when a flood of possession led to a pick and drive assault that saw loosehead prop Donovan burrow over for his first try.
Terrace won the territorial battle for the rest of the half and with centres Franck Iraguha and Saia Poese to the fore they looked capable despite very good BBC defence.
There was no holding Terrace forward leader Oliver Nasser who doggedly fought and wriggled to keep his legs pumping on his way to scoring.
All of a sudden Terrace were back in the game trailing 15-7.
Terrace reduced the second half margin to 13 points, but BBC spurted well clear again when Frank Howarth spied a gap to score.
The Bakker family will have smiles from ear to ear after hooker Lucas Bakker found himself on a 22m sprint to score under the posts.
It was a moment to saviour for the big fellow who was swamped by well wishers.
There were nice touches from flyhalf Toby Kennedy who was in everything, including a trick kick off that earned possession back.
All the BBC forwards were outstanding - everyone of them - but the work of Randall, O’Neill, Maybery and Donovan was special.
At Northgate, that man Roman Siulepa provided the x-factor to help BSHS out of early trouble against Brisbane Grammar School.
Firstly, off the back of a rampaging scrum, Siulepa attacked the blindside, running 45m before finding the flashing feet of Jackson Hill looming in support to score.
That try made it 7-all after Brisbane Grammar School stung BSHS by scoring first.
Then Siulepa proved unstoppable close to the tryline, driving himself to within a body length of the line before reaching out to score and make it 14-7.
BGS were gritty and courageous and time and again turned BSHS away during the first half.
There was no better example of their desperation when track and field champion Seth Kennedy used his pace to help his fullback Zac Reader drag down a runaway BSHS player.
But BGS could only plug the dam wall for so long, and following a perfectly executed rolling maul which was spurned from an attacking line out, young gun hooker Cyrus Suniula drove over to score BSHS’s third.
BGS had crossed the line first when a crisp Elijah Breen pass was snared by inside centre Tom Siganto who sprinted into a gap off the back of a retreating scrum.
It was 7-nil and a nice moment for Siganto who had a strong game for BGS.
BSHS came to rest at halftime leading 21-7, although the scoreline did not reflect how competitive BGS were.
The visitors found their stride in the second half and ran in six tries.
Paddy McInally scored a hattrick in 35 minutes of play and around him Siulepa, fullback Angus Tagicakibau and reserve front rower Darnel Taki crossed.
Sniping flyhalf Seamus Boakes added 16 points to BSHS’s whopping 61 point total by nailing eight-from-nine conversions.
Mcinally, a hot-stepping right wing with great rugby pedigree, scored his first on the back of a brilliant Eli Langi line break.
For his second, Mcinally chased through a Seamus Boakes kick that was regathered by Junior Latu.
To bring up his hattrick, McInally was joined to the hip of fullback Tagicakibau who weaselled his way right through Brisbane Grammar’s defensive line and found Mcinally in support on his inside.
On Ross Oval, Nudgee showed its premiership DNA in a superb six minute flurry approaching 10 minutes from fulltime where they scored three quick tries to pull away from Toowoomba Grammar 45-27.
Nudgee’s quickfire triple treat of tries was something out of a magician’s top hat.
Captain John Grenfell barged over, before scrumhalf Sam Watson and winger Nick Conway created something out of nothing to turn a slender 26-20 advantage into an unassailable 45-20 lead.
In the blink of an eye, Toowoomba Grammar went from being within striking distance to behind more than three converted tries and it was nothing less than sheer magic that ensured Nudgee remained undefeated with two games to go.
The quick between the ears Watson attacked the blindside 60m out from the tryline off a Nudgee scrum feed and dashed clear, evading excellent Toowoomba Grammar left wing Adam Davis on his way to scoring in the corner.
Then, immediately off the kick restart, No.8 Adam Latham galloped forward 10m before unloading to Nick Conway who sprinted 70m to score Nudgee’s seventh try - a nasty grubber kick through to himself eliminating Toowoomba Grammar’s last line defenders.
This 80m special capped off an incredible 38-3 run by the home side who scored six unanswered tries after Toowoomba Grammar had made the most of a one man advantage to lead 17-7 after 27 minutes.
CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS
Nudgee’s hooker and captain John Grenfell was the only schoolboy selected in the Queensland Reds Under-19s squad preparing for the Super Rugby Pacific National Championships and he showed why he is so highly thought of with a quality first half showing.
The central Queensland enforcer set up the first try scored by thunderous tighthead Levi Slater when he sneakily took the ball from the ruck base and went himself before offloading back on his inside.
Then, later in the half when Nudgee hit their straps, a wonderful pop pass from Grenfell sent elite openside Hugo Hart spearing through a gap to score and take a 19-17 lead two minutes shy of halftime.
That came after Nick Conway, Prestyn Laine-Sietu and Jacob Johnson combined to score a beautifully worked set-piece play off a scrum inside Toowoomba Grammar’s half and move within three points down 17-14.
Grenfell struck again 16 minutes from time to hand Nudgee a commanding 33-20 lead after a penalty goal from Toowoomba Grammar young gun Rhymen Tusi got his side within six points.
It was another one of his unstoppable rolling maul tries.
SET PIECE PRECISION
Nudgee’s return from playing with a man down (Ben Didonna, lifting tackle) and trailing 17-7 to lead 26-17 46 minutes in was built on the defensive end where they began their attack.
The home side defended ferociously, forcing Toowoomba Grammar to kick for goal on three occasions when there seemed no way through for the visitors.
After the likes of Isaac Rauluni, Hugo Hart and Ed Kasprowicz had manned up on defence, Nudgee turned to their playbook to produce three sharp attacking moves that led to tries.
The first involved Conway, Laine-Sietu and Jacob Johnson, the next was a combination between Watson, Grenfell and Hart approaching halftime and the third involved Watson, Carter Welfare and finally tryscorer Oli Patterson.
All tries were scored off a Nudgee scrum feed and it was clinical.
TERRIFIC TRIO
Despite falling short against a composed Nudgee outfit, there was plenty to like about Toowoomba Grammar’s effort and flair, especially in the backline.
Toowoomba Grammar midfielder Trace Beattie was a man on a mission, the leader in charge of an impressive TGS backline that got through plenty of work.
Beattie set up a cracking try for TGS, scored by Illy Baravilala and involving Myles Rosemond.
Beattie had another good touch in Baravilala’s second try on the stroke of full time, after the inside centre had won a breakdown penalty earlier in the match.
Left wing Adam Davis was also outstanding for the boys in blue and gold, before leaving the field in an ambulance (head knock).
On one occasion the speedy left wing made a brilliant cover tackle that forced a knock on.
On Churchie’s Main Oval, Ipswich Grammar led from sun up to sun down in their impressive 30-17 success over Churchie.
Tireless left wing Brock Coombes scored the dagger for the visitors, the headgear wearing Sunshine Coast kid refusing to die in contact and scoring on the cusp of time.
Coombes’ unrelenting leg drive to shrug out of a tackle and score moved Ipswich Grammar ahead 30-17 after Churchie had closed the gap to six points when lock Sam Williams scored a great try four minutes from full time.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Workhorse Churchie lock Sam Williams held up his end of the bargain in his team’s final home game of the season.
Williams was a consistent carrier of the ball throughout, astute defender and scored two of the three tries scored by his team.
His first came in the 28th minute and his second was a reward for his good positioning and footwork in the left corner.
WOW WALKER!
Ipswich Grammar Year 11 Tyson Walker was close to his best off the kicking tee, the Sydney Roosters signed playmaker slotting five-from-six kicks.
Featured in his 12 point kicking performance was an impressive sideline penalty goal from over 30m out right on half time that moved Ipswich Grammar ahead 13-7.
His kicking in general play and passing was crisp as well.
POST CAN PLAY
Beware the Ipswich Grammar halfback Joseph Post.
Post is in a purple patch of form, and enhanced his reputation as one of the top halfbacks in this competition with another classy performance.
Post was a presence in and around the ruck, guiding his forwards and delivering the ball on a platter to his inside backs.
His moment of brilliance came in the first half when he spotted space and fed his centre Finn Kendall down the shortside.
That gave Ipswich Grammar a 12-nil advantage after 17 minutes and it followed last week’s magic moment when he put Tyson Walker in with a 15m cut out pass.
FRONT ROW STOCKS STRONG
The results may not show it but Chruchie have had another good year, while playing some of the most enterprising, entertaining footy in the competition.
Two bright spots in a season of near misses have been the emergence of young gun front rowers Harry Solofa (hooker) and 145kg 15-year-old Sio Kite (tighthead).
In their debut seasons, the agile Solofa and hulking Kite have been consistently strong for Churchie and again on Saturday the youthful pair were among the standouts for their side.
Kite scrummaged well and almost crashed over for a try had Ipswich flanker Tannar Baker not pulled off an epic trysaver.
Solofa did score off a lineout play involved Everywhere Man Sam Williams and scrumhalf Hugh Rylance.
Solofa sneakily dashed down the left touchline to draw Churchie closer down 23-12 with 11 minutes to go.
Originally published as GPS First XV rugby Rd 7: Highlights aplenty in race in three
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