AIC First XV rugby round 4 results
AIC First XV rugby: Giant-killing Saints continued to march in, while the competition heavyweights produced gutsy forward power in a full throttle round 4. Full round report here.
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Pinch yourselves St Edmund’s College old boys. You are not dreaming.
Your brave First XV lads were unbeaten after three rounds and challenging premiers St Laurence’s College for the 2022 title.
Off the back of killer kicking games by flyhalf Zane Kaatz and halfback Tafito Falaniko Ah-Ki, St Edmund’s defeated Iona College 18-7 in rain soaked conditions at Wynnum.
Not since 2014 has St Edmund’s College’s First XV won its first three matches of the season as the group’s winning streak gathers more momentum.
Next up will be Padua at Ipswich on Wednesday, then Villanova (away) before a June 11 showdown with Laurie’s.
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But for now the players, coaching staff, the school community and old boys were just soaking up the First XV’s winning start to the season.
Flyhalf Kaatz climbed off his sick bed to produce a four and a half star kicking performance to steer his team in the direction of victory.
So sick was Kaatz, he was unable to attend school during the week, but found the energy in the wet, gloom and mud to boot Eddies’ part of the way toward victory.
His halves partner Ah-Ki was supreme, the best player on the field, with his occasional darts, option taking in the week and goal kicking.
He landed three from four attempts, including a second half penalty goal from 38m out.
How he maintained his balance and footing at the point of contact in the slush to kick his goals is anyone’s guess, but he did and it iced another eye-catching performance by the young No.9.
St Edmund’s won because they played better wet weather football.
It was a day that if you won the territory, you’d more than likely win the match and so it turned out as Eddies turned territory into points.
Although Iona fought back strongly in the scrum across the second half, Eddies had fine set pieces and discipline in contact just off the ruck, rarely recklessly throwing possession wide in the wet.
Oh how old front rowers must have loved St Edmund’s second half try, scored by prop Jack Gleeson after his hooker Dan Mavunda had thrown short in the line out to fellow front rower Bailey Ward at the front of the line out.
Ward then tapped the ball back toward the narrow blindside where Gleeson swept down a narrow channel toward the line.
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After 10m or so, he lost some momentum but a blue wall of Eddies’ jerseys arrived to heave him over the try to score.
Earlier, in the first half, Eddies’ No.10 Kaatz put a delicate chip kick in behind the Iona’ defence, leading to winger Ben Naish scoring.
Across the cut and thrust of the match, St Edmund’s forward leader Larry Siala imposed himself on proceedings, while his back rowers Davis, Wilson and Kable deserve high praise.
Iona tried to run their way out of trouble which was high risk in the conditions, but sometimes they were dangerous.
Indeed their skills and speed with the ball did result in them scoring when influential lock Taine Heyaraka ploughed over after outstanding lead-up play which saw the ball go from one wing, back to the other.
Iona fullback Kyetonn Noah also looked dangerous and on a dry day, Iona would have threatened.
But it was not a dry day, it was wet and Eddies’ played better rugby in the sodden conditions.
At Ashgrove, Marist College Ashgrove got on the board this season with a 26-5 win over Padu College.
“I was really pleased with the way we controlled possession and a lot of field position,’’ said coach Anthony Matheson.
“Our control was better and we got a lot of reward for it. We had to grind it out in slippery conditions and I am very pleased with the win.’’
Marist flyhalf Pat Tierney was outstanding in controlling his team, while flanker Jack Billing upheld a proud family tradition - his brother and father played Firsts - with another gutsy performance.
Marist lock James O’Connor and hooker Tom Weaver shone, while hats off to year 11 student Gollo Caplick who had the hardest possible introduction to prop forward play in the Firsts, given the conditions.
St Laurence’s College have ticked off another obstacle on their way to becoming back-to-back AIC First XV schoolboy rugby premiers, defeating St Peters Lutheran College 21-0 on a puddly Mayer Oval surface.
In a very scrappy affair, the reigning premiers stuck to the basics and piled on the points through their hardworking forwards.
Head coach Welmar du Plessis said: “It’s hard to pinpoint one forward because it was a great forward dominance performance. We told the forwards they’d have to come and win the game for us today and that’s what they did.”
The boys in black and gold proved too strong in all facets of the game to continue their undefeated season. Laurie’s made fewer handling errors, treasured possession and most importantly capitalised on scoring opportunities when they arose.
du Plessis added: “The boys played well and stuck to the plan which was to keep it tight in these conditions. The forwards really battled through today.”
“We are grateful for St Peters for making sure the game happened. It’s these Year 12’s last year so we want to make sure they play. Especially going through Covid over the last few years.
“So I’m just happy the boys had the opportunity to play. Full credit to Peters for making it happen today.”
Laurie’s tighthead prop Hugh Smith used his strength and leg drive to burrow his way in for his teams first five-pointer, the big prop scoring a textbook pick and drive to lead 7-0.
Laurie’s loosehead prop Rylan Lock scored before half time following the same game plan they scored their first with.
The forwards got to work once again and dug deep to score another pick and drive try.
“The territorial game was always going to be the big one,’’ de Plessis said.
“Playing on the right side of the field. I thought halfback Sam Benham and flyhalf Darcy Rowan controlled the game really well in that aspect.”
Laurie’s flanker Lachlan Rolls extended his team’s lead at 21-0 when shooting in under the posts with a cracking pick and drive. Rolls scored his team’s third pick and drive try of the afternoon to secure their third win from three games.
St Peters prop Moe Koroi gave his best, as well as country kid Barney Radel at No.8.
Radel “just rips in, pulls the socks up and gets the work done,” said St Peters assistant coach Sam Wheeler.
Wheeler said: “All things considered I think the boys should be proud of themselves.”
“Our second rower Vice Latu came off the field with 20 minutes to go coughing up a lung, looking like he was about to throw up. So when you’ve got boys putting in an effort like that against a team like Laurie’s that are playing the way they do. You can’t complain.”
Wheeler was happy with the bash brothers in the second row, Latu and Oli Pesce.
He said the shift they put in was unbelievable against a massive Laurie’s pack.
In the other match, Villanova College defeated St Patrick’s College 22-15.
Villa led 22-10 with seconds to go after scoring three tries in the first half in a scrappy affair on a very wet oval.
“The plan was good field position, keep kicking behind them, turn them around in the wet and chase. Which the boys did,’’ said the Villanova coach Eddie Harris.
“Our set piece was really strong and our lineout was fantastic. We did a lot of rolling mauls and ate a lot of metres by doing that. so the guys really delivered in tough conditions.
Best for Villa was Dan Taylor who “did fantastic in really challenging conditions,’’ lock Jackson Moloney, Connor Moloney at inside centre and flyhalf Larry Clark.
“I’m looking forward to Laurie’s next week and keen to get our season back on track.’’
Villa again played two halves of football and not for the first time this season fought back after being down 15-nil.
“In the first half it was literally we would give away two penalties, they’d go to a lineout, they’d maul and they’d score,’’ explained St Patrick’s coach Joshua Neilsen.
He said around his team’s poor discipline, they confronted opponents with excellent set pieces.
“In the second half we treasured possession a lot more, we built some pressure and scored some points and then unfortunately fell back into making errors.’’
Openside flanker Dean Laws was the best on the field for Pats while winger James Boland got involved.
Sam Condon at flyhalf was also strong again.
“He ran the attack really well in the second half. But basic errors in the end really let us down.”
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