Club rugby semi-finals: Bond Uni score double in Colts 1 and Prem Women while Wests pip minor premiers to book grand final ticket
Mel Wilks played a blinder as Bond Uni emphatically surged into the Premier Women club rugby grand final, while Wests and Bond claimed epic colts 1 semi-final wins. Read here how it all unfolded.
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Bond University will play the Souths Magpies to determine who confronts Wests Bulldogs in the Colts 1 grand final following the Bull Sharks 29-14 semi-final success over Easts on Sunday.
At Sunnybank, Bond shot out to a telling 19-nil lead, let Easts back in when the Tigers clawed clawed to within eight, 22-14, before a try in the 66th minute by left wing Ieuan Cornelius nailed the coffin shut.
How appropriate a cut out pass from flyhalf Callum Simpson did the trick for Cornelius after the Somerset College senior had ensured the result with his boooming kicks and organisation of the forwards.
“His game management was exactly what we were after,” Bond Uni coach Rico Gear said of Simpson.
“He has a monstrous kick. At times (this season) he has been conservative...we are getting him to back himself more and unleash it and let himself go.
“He made it tough for them.”
SIMPSON SERVES
Schoolboy flyhalf Callum Simpson announced himself early on with a booming kick downfield that led to a Bond lineout in Easts’ half.
After his pressure relieving kick, he put winger Hunter Robinson through a gap with a nice pop pass back inside, Bond taking a 7-nil lead.
“It was good to see, when you go from the training field and see it in action, seeing him fly through there,” coach Gear said.
After more metre-eating kicking in general play, Simpson was in the action again charging down a Frankie Goldsbrough clearance kick which then landed in front of Robinson.
Everywhere Man Robinson gobbled it up and made it 14-0 after 24 minutes.
In his final act, Simpson and Blake Raymond connected to put Cornelius in for the dagger.
GAME GILLAN
Bond University’s towering young lock Fergus Gillan brought his best to Sunnybank.
Aside from winning every Bond lineout in the first half, Gillan impacted the game with his defence where not once but twice he had a hand in holding up Easts prop Byron Murphy over the tryline.
Gillan also won a penalty with a pilfer that led to him getting the chance to win a lineout and give No.8 Nick Hilton a shot at the tryline.
Hilton scored to give the Bull Sharks a commanding 19-nil lead five minutes from half time.
He was in everything and stole an Easts lineout 20 minutes from time when the Tigers trailed 22-7.
“I think there is a lot more room left for Ferg,” Gear said of Gillan’s untapped potential.
“Today and in the big games, you want your big players step up and he did that.
“It was good to see him shine through.”
BLOOMY’S BRILLIANCE
While Bond’s defence was impenetrable, hardworking Easts prop Nick Bloomfield was doing all he could at scrumtime to get his Tigers within striking distance.
A third year colt and Australian Under-20s select, Bloomfield is renowned for his dominance at the scrum and he held up his end of the bargain.
The tighthead prop had won four scrum penalties before halftime had arrived and six just after forty minutes.
DID YOU MISS ME?
20-year-old young veteran Joe Liddy returned to the fold on Saturday for Easts after missing the entire season through injury and made a wonderful impact off the bench.
Liddy was a breakdown king in Easts shared premiership with University in 2022, a menace again in 2023 but missed this season for his beloved Tigers.
Apart from his no-nonsense carries through the middle, a highlight of Liddy’s feel-good performance was when he followed a box kick by Archie Wilson and got it back.
This led to big Bloomfield barging over and cutting the deficit to eight, Easts down 22-14 with 11 minutes left.
Dangerous Bond University fullback Rocco Gollings also had a heap of good touches in just his second game back from an achilles injury.
“His chat and leadership out there is really good. He is really secure for us,” coach Gear said in praise.
SATURDAY’S COVERAGE
How appropriate it was a King who had the final say in the protection of Wests kingdom after the Bulldogs edged past Souths in a colts 1 semi-final classic today at Ashgrove.
With both King brothers enormous, Wests won 22-17, defying a dramatic late surge by Souths which finished just one metre from the Magpies tryline to clinch a last second win.
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There was no time left on the clock when both benches held their breath as Souths went to an attacking lineout 5m out, only for Wests hooker Finlay King to throw himself on a loose ball which had sprayed erratically over the top of the jumpers and landed in no man’s land at the back of the lineout.
At that moment, the match was safe.
It was a clash of the titans, a compelling final which swung too and fro before the referee blew full-time with Wests in front.
Phew.
What a game it was as Wests pair Campbell King and James Martens smartly kicked for territory, while Souths’ forwards revved up to counter the Bulldogs’ field position.
Souths had taken the lead for the first time, 17-15, in the second half after Dom Thygesen had powered over, and Will Nason converted.
But two minutes later Wests conjured up an extraordinary rally from 60m out to recapture the lead.
The movement was started by prop Archie Clinton-Smith, continued on by Thomas Dore, handled by James Martens before winger Carter Liddard crossed.
It was a brilliant exhibition of running rugby and support play.
Earlier in the half Liddard had saved what seemed a certain try when Souths had brilliantly counterattacked, but Liddard was able to run down Nason.
Wests had gone to oranges leading 12-10 at halftime.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring off the back of an astute tactical kick by Campbell King who positioned his side in the red zone.
The Wests forwards took it from there and after sustained pressure flanker Thomas Doe found the line.
Wests also scored a similar second try courtesy of Archie Clinton- Smith to recapture a narrow lead after Souths had struck twice off set plays - one directly from a line out and another via a rolling maul sparked by an attacking line out.
At 12-10 it was anyone’s game.
All 16 forwards from both teams were magnificent, giving their all for the cause.
It was a magnificent match, that’s for sure.
Earlier, Mel Wilks played a blinder as Bond University emphatically surged into the StoreLocal Premier Women’s grand final after beating Sunnybank 57-19.
With athletic forwards mimicking backs, and backs mirroring tenacious forwards, Bond’s skilled ball in the hand game resulted in three first half tries - and then a flood of points in the second half.
A more emphatic performance in a final you could not imagine, and Bond will take some beating in the decider.
Few could have imagined the second half onslaught which was to follow after Bond led 10-nil early.
“I am stoked with how we played,” said inspiring Bond captain Zoe Hanna.
“We go out and play for each other and give it our all, so I am stoked with the girls and the coaches.”
Wilks and Gabby Rivers were magnificent outside, with Wilks causing trouble throughout.
“Mel is an unbelievable player with such a high IQ and such talent. As much as we have some phenomenal players, she stands out and is everything I want to be as a player.”
A corker of a try came not long before half time when Bond inside centre Wilks carved a gorge in the Sunnybank defence.
From her break Bond were able to build pressure and after a patient build-up Leticia Medeiros put winger Miya Rapana Faifua over.
Down 15-nil at the break, Sunnybank had to be the first to score - and they were.
The ‘Bank players brought their power game to the table and after pounding the Bond line, No.8 and vice-captain Luana Tongia crossed under the posts.
At 15-7 to Bond, the match was in the balance again - until a Bond counter attack finished in the hands of Wilks.
After the ball had beaten the man on a wide passing movement across the line, Rivers exploded on a 50m run to the line, beating two defenders along the way.
Leading 22-7, Bond had the upper hand - but minor premiers Sunnybank refused to go away.
After Dragons halfback Manaia-Rose Afuie ran herself side deep into attack, the Sunnybank forwards again imposed themselves and this time it was Isabelle Robinson who scored, restricting Bond’s lead to 22-14.
However, Bond was back in control again when Rivers scored again, this time after combining with prolific fullback Amahli Hala.
Finally Bond shrugged Sunnybank off when another wide passing movement to the left resulted in Diane Waight sprinting away to score.
Then the cake was iced when prop Eve Karpani produced a remarked grubber kick try after regathering the ball which had bounced off the posts.
The Bullsharks led 43-14 and were home.
Waight then added another, and it was 50 when Wilks added another conversion.
Bond accepted a down payment on victory with desperate defence minutes before halftime when the Bullsharks defended its hard earned 15-0 lead.
After Bond’s third try scored by Faifua, Sunnybank won possession back quickly after the restart.
The Dragons forwards swarmed like bees around a hive, almost pushing each other out of the way as they lined up to activate the team’s power game.
The wave of forward charges was met in small numbers at the contact point, allowing Bond to have numbers spread in case of a quick spread to the flanks.
When the quick shift to winger Kalisi Longopoa did come, centre Wilks was able to scramble and tackle her opposite into touch.
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