AIC First XV rugby Round 5:
AIC First XV rugby: The premiership race is hotting up with two unbeaten teams yet to play this season. Full round 5 wrap here.
West
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The oval was blinding green, conditions heavy and a team wearing Black was in an uncompromising mood.
On lookers could have been forgiven for thinking they were at a rugby ground somewhere in New Zealand, but it was instead the venue was named after a Wallaby legend - Villa old boy Andrew Slack - and the team wearing black was St Laurence’s College - not the All Blacks.
Today on Villanova College’s home track, St Laurence’s won 22-nil to move another step closer to claiming back to back AIC First XV premiership.
On another day, against another opposition, Villanova’s commitment and effort would have seen them pushing for victory, not playing for pride as they did after trailing 17-nil at halftime.
As it turned out they did a marvellous job competing in close quarter combat with St Laurence’s who reverted to wet weather football despite glorious spring sunshine baking onlookers.
Indeed Villa restricted their opponents to just one second half score - by Laurie’s flanker Ben Davis after teammates had probed the blindside.
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But this St Laurence’s outfit is a pretty special team unit, superbly coached, well disciplined and willing to win the hard way and not take shortcuts.
It was a grand battle upfront, and the players from both forward packs would need a good dose of OMO on their jerseys after the match.
However St Laurence’s won the battle for territory despite the best efforts of Villanova fullback Joey Wilson who tried to keep his team in the arm wrestle.
Laurie’s props Byron Murphy and Hugh Smith were grand today alongside backrowers Lachlan Rolls, Joe Nadenic and Ben Davis, and around them consterious giant Mikael Ibrahim and Joe Woods, lurked, pounded ball forward.
In one run Ibrahim beat four defenders before a stoic Connor Moloney confronted him.
Last ditch defence also quelled St Laurence’s momentum after winger Joel Lamb had skipped away.
But as a unit Laurie’s were an overwhelming force that suffocated their rivals, particularly with four star tactical kicking efforts by halves Rowan and Beham.
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St Laurence’s led 17-0 at halftime, with a try on the stroke of the break to prop Byron Murphy harpooning a spirited Villanova.
Murphy’s five-pointer came from a clinical pick and drive assault after Hugh Smith, Murphy, Smith again, Joe Woods, Lachlan Rolls and Jake Kurbatoff had taken turns thumping forward.
Early in the match, St Laurence’s briefly quelled Villa’s enthusiastic supporters with a try to flanker Lachlan Rolls who, appropriately, scored off the back of a series of rolling mauls.
The Black and Gold forward wall of Laurie’s was imposing as the pack, executing with precision.
Villanova won a kicking duel after fullback Joey Wilson had shown bravery in winning possession on the ground amid a challenge by his opposite fullback Michael Brewster.
From that field position a penalty was won and Villanova had their best field position of the match so far.
But a series of pick and drive assaults were met by blanket Laurie’s defence, resulting in a turnover - followed by a rousing eight man shove in the scrum by Laurie’s.
Then, out of the blue, a Sam Benham clearing kick was won by Laurie’s winger Joel lamb who passed to his No.8 Joe Nadenic who galloped away with the speed of a back.
Winger Lamb deserves high praise for his earnest chase because the odds were with Villa securing possession until he arrived at the contest.
Wilson’s commitment typified Villa’s desire, with skipper George Binney leading by example.
Scores: St Laurence’s 22 (B Murphy, L Rolls, J Nadenic, B Davis tries; B McLaren conv) def Villanova College 0.
Marist College Ashgrove made it two wins on the trot with a gritty 31-5 victory over Iona College at Davine oval in Wynnum.
Ashgrove showed glimpses of some of the magical footy they are capable of producing with wingers Tom Howard and Cody O’May holding down their wings defensively, and looking aggressive when on-the-charge.
Returning First XV young-gun Patrick Tierney steered the ship for Ashgrove on their way to a well-deserved win, threatening Iona’s defensive line and putting his teammates into space with excellent playmaking from flyhalf.
Tierney was vocal all afternoon, showing the fight and belief that remains within an injury-ridden Ashgrove outfit.
Tierney said: “ The focus was our discipline after our first two games where we leaked penalties. Our work rate off the ball has been a key thing for us at training.”
“It’s just good to get a few wins together after a tough start to the season. We had never beaten Iona before in our grade so this was the first time. To do it on their Old Boy’s Day at their home ground was awesome.”
Tierney, the newly appointed captain said he wanted to lead from the front and do the crest proud. He said: “everyone’s doing their job at the moment and that’s what is making it easy for me and those outside guys to score those flashy tries down the wing.”
Iona’s stars in flyhalf Ayden Hoad and fullback Jeremy Trappett were damaging with the ball all afternoon however centre Tasman Barry stood tall in defence to deny any of Iona’s firepower free passage through Ashgroves brick-wall of defence.
Iona head coach Paul Davey said: “ We didn’t adjust. Repeating penalties gives field position and field position gives points, and that’s what we did today. We got penalised on four attacking opportunities when the game was in the balance and Ashgrove were very good so they capitalised.”
“I thought Jemery Trappett fought really hard, No.8 Jack Leo and flanker Blake Fennell played their guts out.”
Ashgrove fullback Connor lyons strolled in to score Ashgrove’s first try of the day.
Lyons got his second try when scoring the best try of the afternoon. Grade 10 Winger Tom Howard was steaming down the right touch line and offloaded a magnificent pass back to Lyons who was in support on his inside, extending Ashgrove’s lead at 17-0.
Ashgrove was awarded a penalty try when Winger Cody O’May was tackled around the neck when planting the ball. O’May was put into space through a Tierney and Barry connection in the backline.
Ashgrove did their best to repel Iona however flanker Angus Davison scored a try on the back off enormous tryline pressure.
Ashgrove were rewarded with another penalty try to run away at 31-5 winners after Iona came in from the side in a rolling maul.
Ashgrove head coach Anthony Mathison said: “ Our boys have been working pretty hard after a slow start, so to get a positive result is fantastic for us. Individually a lot of guys stood up today.”
“Tierney controlled the game well and Barry had his best performance of the year for us. Flanker Jack Billing, centre Dan Witt and hooker Tom Weaver were all outstanding.”
“We are confident that when we put it together we can win and play well. We are starting to build some nice momentum.”
Earlier in the week St Peters Lutheran College’s good season continued with a win over St Patricks’s College.
In Ipswich, the competition’s other unbeaten side, St Edmund’s College, continued on their winning way, 30-10, over Padua College.
Eddies’ coach Andrew Kirk described his halfback Tafito Falaniko Ah-Ki as “next level’’, such was the standard of his play.
But he said his team’s performance “was not polished and we left points out there’’.
Kirk did praise the defence of Padua, a “very big, very physical side that made us play their game’’.
“But once we got back to our identity we played really well,’’ Kirk said.
Aside from Ah-Ki, best players for Eddies’ included Bailey Ward at tighthead, Lochlan Davis at flanker, fullback Tyler Cuthbert and No.10 Zane Kaatz.
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