AIC First XV rugby: Ash-Laurie’s thriller; grand final confirmed
The AIC First XV schoolboy rugby premiership showdown has been confirmed following a thrilling round today which featured an Ash-Laurie’s classic and a bayside derby. Full reports here.
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St Laurence’s College fairytale ride continued today with a premiership showdown awaiting on Saturday against Padua College.
Laurie’s were given a scare down 16-3 against Marist Ashgrove before turning it on in the second half to claim a thrilling 20-16 victory – setting up a grand final collision with the competition’s other unbeaten side in a clash that will decide the premiership.
Ashgrove was not playing for a premiership but they were playing for pride in what is one hell of a rivalry.
St Laurence’s head coach Welmar du Plessis said prop Byron Murphy stepped up in the second half but stressed it was a win of character to come back from 16-3 down and keep Ashgrove scoreless for 30 minutes.
“That’s a team of character. There’s not too many teams that can come back from 16-3,” du Plessis said.
“Ashgrove brought it today and we knew they would. Trial form and prior form you can throw that booklet out the window when you play Ashgrove.”
Indeed Laurie’s winger Sam Bevan made the play of the game with a thumping tackle dislodging the ball from the grasp of danger man Tom Howard in the 68th minute.
“We were short of numbers and we were in big trouble. That’s a game saving tackle. You miss that tackle they go 60 metres, there was no one there,” du Plessis said about how important Bevan’s tackle was.
“I’m happy we got through … If you beat Ashgrove it’s special. It’s the one game you have pencilled in at the start of the year.”
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In other results, St Patrick’s beat St Edmund’s 19-10, Iona beat Villa 38-33 and Padua beat St Peters 29-26.
But at Runcorn, the atmosphere was tense and the AIC’s greatest rivalry was on display for all.
It was a gala day at Laurie’s with their Old Boys always giving the home side an extra kick.
Ashgrove relished the occasion with a territory focused game plan to combat that of St Laurence’s.
Ashgrove skipper Tobias Graham would have made at least 10 kicks in the stop-start first half, and Finn Mackay the same for Laurie’s.
Atticus Armstrong gave Ashgrove an early 3-0 lead after defensive dominance from Jasper Barry and Bailey Caplick stunned the Laurie’s boys early.
A few uncharacteristic mistakes from the home side saw them come out the gates slowly for the first time this season.
We are so used to seeing them make the opposition pay in the first 15 minutes. It was a different story today.
Outside centre Brody McClaren returned the favour for Laurie’s, slotting a penalty from in front to equalise the scores at three apiece with 15 minutes to play in the first.
Such were the stakes of the occasion that both sides had to take any points that were on offer.
The first try of the day came in the 28th minute and it was Ashgrove who broke the deadlock.
The Ash boys had a lineout in close and after lock Ben Caughley secured it and dished it off to flanker Riley Canavan, it was Oliver Clements who steamrolled his way over the retreating defence.
At this time, the Ashgrove swarm and the loud and proud band of Laurie’s boys were in a back and forth ‘Boom Chicka Boom’ battle.
Ashgrove held an 8-3 upper hand at the break.
For the Year 12 Laurie’s boys the 35 minutes that remained would be the last time they’d wear the black and gold at home. The stage was set.
But Ashgrove came out flying, an early Armstrong penalty goal and a piece of individual brilliance from Graham shooting the Frasers Road boys further in front at 16-3.
The home side responded like they always do, and with 12 minutes to play they were just three behind at 13-16.
A Byron Murphy pick and drive try and a Hamish McDonald try off the back of a Mackay bomb quickly countered Graham’s brilliance in scoring the best five-pointer of the day.
The heroic Murphy struck again much to the delight of the home crowd, the powerful No. 3 muscling his way over to earn Laurie’s their first lead of the contest at 20-16.
Despite a gutsy effort, Ashgrove could not find a way to hit back.
Laurie’s winger Sam Bevan made a thumping tackle with one minute to play, preventing Ashgrove from turning an overlap into a full field try.
It saved the game.
“We came with a specific game plan and in the first half we executed it. Credit to them they stuck to their guns and we beat ourselves … A lack of disciple around key areas,” said Ashgrove coach Richard Graham.
“We did really well for the first 40 minutes. We said all week this is the way we’re going to play and we delivered. We stuck true.”
“We wanted to make them think,” Graham said happy with how his side executed what they’d been preparing for in training.
At Villanova, Iona College continued on with their winning ways with a tight 38-33 win.
Iona scored three tries while Villa were down to 14 men in the first half, and that was the turning point.
At half time, Iona led 31-5 after the three try barrage and Villa responded accordingly in the second half to begin a comeback.
Levi Hawea was huge for Iona, while Ben Addley made Iona pay for silly errors and ill-discipline.
“The second half was good,” Villa coach Eddie Harris said about a disappointing result in front of a bumper turn out on Andrew Slack Oval.
Jackson Moloney carried the ball well for Villa but it’s safe to say Iona had found their groove.
Iona head coach Paul Davey said the usual suspects shone for his team.
Adam Kelly was amazing, scoring a stunning solo try with a 60m return from the kick off.
Hopa Leota burrowed his way over for a try again and skipper Alex Manteit played himself into a stand still in a terrific captain’s knock.
Centre Will Lane was destructive and Hawea was electric at fullback.
But the win was bittersweet for Davey who had coached Villa for five years before moving to Iona in 2022.
“It’s the last of the boys I coached. Ben Addley and Cam Bukowski. It was bittersweet because you want to see those boys finish on a high … For us now we have the chance to have a winning season which is good from where we came from.
“It was lovely to connect with them (Addley and Bukowski) after the game and they’ll move on to wonderful careers.”
Davey said it was great to close out the season on a positive note, with eyes on next year and Paddies’ next week to potentially finish 4-3 on the season.
At Padua, Peters had a moral victory losing 29-26 at the hands of premiership hopefuls Padua, who were blown away by their aggression and lockdown defence.
Padua was down with only five minutes left but a two-man advantage for the home side allowed them to come back through man of the match Will Tozer. Peters, once again falling victim to yellow cards.
Padua head coach Andrew Clyne said there were big time nerves late in the game, with his boys most likely thinking about next week instead of the more important game today.
“Now we can focus on next week,” he said after getting a scare from a saints team you can never count out.
Fly half Damon Humphrys kicked well and slotted a couple crucial conversions while Nick Hinchey was great defensively for the home side.
“The only place we lost was on the scoreboard,” said Peters coach Cameron Wright.
“That was the first game we’ve played for 70 minutes. They weren’t ready for us. We were in their faces … It was just really good footy.
“We’re stoked. Absolutely stoked.”
Hooker Connor Chalmers led the way with his work rate off the ball.
He was in every tackle and every breakdown according to Wright and in the backline fly half Wallace Charlie controlled the tempo of the game with a mixed bag of tricks, his kicking and communication advancing his team up the field.
St Peters played 50 minutes with 14 men and 10 minutes with 13 men, Wright’s boys “defensively outstanding”.
Skipper Vice Latu was a powerhouse at No. 8 as the visitors fought valiantly to the death.
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And in Ipswich, St Patrick’s came from 10-0 to win 19-10 over St Edmund’s College.
The Paddies’ boys were due one, but they made it hard for themselves early when letting in two tries in the first three minutes.
A half time spray from coach Jim Potts flipped the switch and the visitors scored 19 unanswered points to clinch their first win of the season.
Potts said the boys stepped up with a man down in the last 10 minutes especially with replacements covering starters out with injuries.
Sam Condon was the deserving man of the match for Paddies’ but flanker Liam Inngs had a case as well, winning nine turnovers in a breakdown clinic.
“He had four or five by half time … He did bloody well,” Potts said.
The Paddies’ scrum was dominant with Tom Davies making his debut at loosehead prop.
“We just turned too much pill over … They were excellent at the breakdown and we weren’t connected enough,” Eddie’s head coach Andrew Kirk said.
“Their No. 10 was excellent he controlled the game and their No. 7 made us a look silly at times,” Kirk said in praise of Condon and Inngs.
Eddie’s halfback Tafito Falaniko Ah-Ki was untouchable again, the “never say die” No. 9 running, kicking and pilfering in another brilliant game.
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