AIC First XV rugby round 4
AIC First XV rugby: Who made our Team of the Week after round 4 action? All is revealed here.
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St Edmund’s College halfback Tafito Falaniko Ah-Ki was the first player picked in our round 4 Team of the Week.
Ah-Ki helped Eddies’ defence of its unbeaten start to the season with a five- star performance in the rain and mud against Iona College.
With astute option taking, he mastered the conditions alongside his halves partner, Kane Kaatz, and both boys occupy halfback and flyhalf in our Team of the Week.
RELATED LINKS
COLTS 1 MAY 22 TEAM OF THE WEEK - herehttps://bit.ly/38LFfp7
AIC ROUND 4 REPORT - herehttps://bit.ly/3LDl2PE
COLTS 1 ROUND 3 TEAM OF THE WEEK
Fullback: Pat Tierney (Marist Brothers)
Pat Tierney played No.10 for Marist Ashgrove but to get our best players represented, he is named at fullback - which he is no stranger at playing. Tierney was outstanding in the wet with an astute kicking game, but also his careful pass selection in the conditins.
Winger: Wing: James Boland (St Patrick’s College)
Boland got involved a lot and was solid in both offence and defence on Saturday afternoon. He did an excellent job coming in off his wing to help his team wherever he could.
Centre: Centre: Connor Moloney (Villanova College)
He played inside centre, but to get our best XV into the side, we named Moloney at outside centre. Villanova First XV rugby coach Eddie Harris said he delivered a couple of really important defensive efforts for the team. Harris also said he made six or so really tough carries that advanced Villa up the field and got them into great point scoring positions.
Centre: Mikael Ibrahim (St Laurence’s College)
Ibrahim came off the bench and took no time at all to make an impact. His presence on the field was enough to give Lauries more go-forward. Ibrahim made his jersey look like a size XS, with the chiselled Queensland Reds Academy centre bullying the opposition with his strength. Whether it was through his unbeatable defence, his ability to turn a tackle into a maul, or even when cleaning out, the beastly No. 22 made it obvious that he wasn’t a bench player.
Winger: Centre: Jirra Twist (St Peters)
Playing centre, Twist was fearless when running into contact. He took plenty of hit-ups which gave Peters their best chance at advancing up the field in such horrible conditions. He is squeezed out to the wing, such was competition for midfield placings.
Fly half: Kane Kaatz (St Edmunds)
Take a bow Kane Kaatz. You are a star. Kaatz rose from his sick bed to steer St Edmunds to victory with a supreme kicking game in wet conditions. He would have needed a good dose of Vicks VapoRub and a nice warm shower following a performance which ensured Eddies won the battle for territory, particularly in the second half. He also produced a lovely short kick for Ben Naish to score in the first half.
Halfback: Tafito Falaniko Ah-Ki (St Edmunds)
Even in the deep wet and darkness, Ah-Ki’s class flashed like a lighthouse on the horizon. The kid has got it all, with box kicks and blindside darts, and a passing game appropriate for the terrible conditions. He never transferred pressure, and as a result Eddies were a calm, considered XV which played with unexpected cohesion in the conditions.
No. 8: Barney Radel (St Peters)
Radel was a standout for the Saints, the tall No. 8 proving he is one of the most valuable players in their whole squad. Radel did not fail to make post contact metres every time he ran. He used his leg drive to push his team past the advantage line on multiple occasions, and in challenging weather he was mistake-free. St Peters assistant coach Sam Wheeler had big wraps for the country boy saying he just rips in and gets the work done.
Flanker: Joe Nadenic (St Laurence’s College)
From afar, Nadenic looked like another version of Mikael Ibrahim. We’ll leave it up to you to decide who is bigger. Nadenic was the unsung hero for Lauries in their 21-0 victory over St Peters. He got all the little things right and led his forward pack through his actions. Crunching tackles, clean-outs, pick-and-drives, scrum strength and damaging ball running. The No. 8 did it all. The forwards scored all three of the team’s tries on Saturday afternoon.
Flanker: Flanker: Dean Laws (St Patrick’s College)
Open side flanker Dean Laws was St Pat’s best player on the field against Villa. He scored a double and got his team back into the game. Laws gave it his all, however basic errors and poor discipline prevented the boys in green from gaining a lead.
Lock: Jackson Moloney (Villanova College)
Villanova coach Eddie Harris had high praise for Moloney following their round four win over St Patrick’s College. He said he was outstanding. “He made a couple of really big defensive plays. His lineout and scrum work was top notch under the conditions.”
Lock: Larry Siala (St Edmunds)
One senses the mere presence of Siala gives Eddies confidence as they go about their giant-killing ways this season. A big, mobile lock who could play No. 8 with ease, Siala produced multiple powerhouse runs in the slop to drive his team onto the front foot in conditions where territory meant everything. Around their forward battleship, loose forwards Davis, Wilson and Kable worked feverishly and how they must love cleaning up after he has ploughed into the thick of the action.
RELATED LINKS
AIC ROUND 1 TEAM OF THE WEEK HERE
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR SEASON 2022
Prop: Moe Koroi (St Peters)
Koroi was one of the best on the field for St Peters. The big forward got stuck in, especially with his pick and go’s. Koroi was fantastic in the scrum, and played great for the full game against a damaging St Laurence’s College outfit.
Hooker: Dan Mavunda (St Edmunds)
The Eddies hooker was in everything, playing with the energy of a flanker and the tenacity of a tight forward. He also produced a sleight of hand play which led to a crucial try to prop Jack Gleeson, finding a short line out throw which enabled fellow prop Bailey Ward to pass to Gleeson running a narrow blindside channel.
Prop: Liam Maher (Villanova College)
Villanova tighthead prop Liam Maher had a great first game at prop. Maher usually plays lock, however this week he slotted into his new position with ease. To the delight of coach Eddie Harris, Maher was massive in the scrums and lineouts.
Reserves:
Vice Latu (St Peters)
Lock Latu didn’t lack any ticker against a huge Lauries line-up. The towering lock worked so hard he had to come off the field. His efforts were appreciated by the Peters coaching staff and his teammates, as he put in 110% all afternoon. His ball running was superb, charging into a wall of black and gold jerseys at full speed countless times.
Darcy Rowan (St Laurence’s College)
Fly half Rowan’s kicking game was exceptional and that played a massive part in the outcome of the game. Rowan recognised the conditions of the playing pitch, and chose to keep kicking down into St Peters end of the paddock. This allowed his team to march up the field and eventually strike a blow through their hardworking forwards. Rowan plugged the corners and constantly kicked the ball deep to turn around the St Peters back three. In the muddy conditions, there wasn’t much they could do to return the ball.
Larry Clark (Villanova College)
For a young Year 10, Clark was courageous on defence to deter St Pat’s from landing five-pointers. The fly half controlled the game at fly half, and defended extremely well in response to the opposition sending a lot of traffic down his way all game.
Jack Billing (Marist College Ashgrove)
Marist produced its most accomplished handling performance of the season and adding the icing to the cake was flanker Billing, lock James O’Connor and hooker Tom Weaver. Billing was magnificent, disappearing under a pile of jerseys to win possession which, given the conditins, was like finding a pot of gold in “them there hills.
Drew Smith (Iona College)
In a match made for forwards, the Iona captain Smith did his best to give his side a platform on which to push for victory against Eddies. He also spearheaded a recovery in the scrum, with the Iona set piece shading their rivals after St Edmunds had initially seized the advantage at scrum time.
Jack Gleeson (St Edmunds)
Gleeson and his fellow prop Bailey Ward took to Iona No. 1 like ducks to water. The heavy, slippery conditions were made for close quarter combat and both boys were up for the challenge. The bonus for their coaching staff was that they came up with the only try of the second half after a lineout trick play. I am not sure who was more excited - Gleeson in scoring the try or Ward who joined a wall of Blue jerseys to push him over the try.
Jack Leo (Iona)
Leo was an energetic, skilful No. 8 who did everything to get the Iona motor warmed up and firing. Locks Noah Clark and Taine Heyaraka were also big, strong, motivated contributors to the Iona effort. Heyaraka was sin binned for 10 minutes and Clark replaced 10 minutes from full-time, but no one who watched the match could doubt their endeavour or effort. However, best of all was Leo.
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