Colts 1 club rugby round 15: Team of the Week features Easts’ find of the year Ilan Cloete
Colts 1 club rugby’s find of the season Ilan Cloete and others have been named in the latest Team of the Week as the race for the premiership heads toward the downhill run. More here on round 15.
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Outstanding discovery players Ilan Cloete (Easts) and Juan Falaniko (Brothers) were among those first chosen in the Colts 1 club rugby round 15 team of the week.
Inside centre Cloete, a fantastic find from Redlands, was top notch in the Tigers’ 25-14 taming of Souths on Saturday.
Meanwhile on the Gold Coast, Auckland enforcer Falaniko was to the fore.
Falaniko’s inspired showing from No. 8 helped The Brethren, typically competition heavyweights having a down year, bring up their third win over first-placed Bond University.
Brothers (ninth) beat Bond (first) 38-36 in the upset of the season to show just how close this year’s competition was.
At GPS, Norths won 19-17 with their matchwinning try scorer Ben Kluck featured at No. 7 in the team of the week.
At Sylvan Road, Wests’ 38-21 win has them sitting in second as the race to the finals intensifies with three rounds remaining in the home-and-away season.
COLTS 1 TEAM OF THE WEEK
15. Nick Dunstan (Wests)
The well-rounded fullback had one of his best games at the club to inspire his Bulldogs towards a crucial 38-21 win over Sunnybank.
He did all the right things from the back and his classy showing included a 68th minute try that added the finishing touches to a match that saw him run, kick and pass at a very high level.
On one occasion, Wests stole the ball 5m from their line and Dunstan dashed down field before unloading to Ryan Shaw whose 50-22 kick led to Stan Keats scoring.
It was one of too many golden-Dunstan moments to count.
14. Gideon Lasaqa (Souths)
Souths fullback Gideon Lasaqa was magnificent for the Magpies and he makes the team of the week as a winger in order to get the best XV from the weekend into the side.
He supported his teammates well and could also trigger an attacking move all on his own.
There was not much of him, but his uncanny evasive skills made him a constant danger.
13. Carlos Ka (Norths)
Ka was cooking with gas on his way to producing his finest rugby game in Norths colours.
A rugby league junior out of Wavell State High, Ka took a leap of faith earlier this year when joining the Eagles nest and trying his hand at a new format.
His hard work in the midfield on Saturday helped Norths accrue scoring opportunities — plenty of which they couldn’t translate into points.
12. Ilan Cloete (Easts)
Cloete continued to be one of the finds of the season with another tough and skilled performance against high-class rivals Souths.
A South African, Cloete’s straight and uncomplicated runs from No. 12 straightened the Easts attack, laying a platform from which they could attack.
His strength with the ball also saw him create a try in contact for his flyhalf Sam McGahan.
Cloete was just as good in defence, smashing Souths’ big men who had strayed into his line of sight.
11. Tate Connors (Brothers)
Tate, the son of 134-cap Queensland Reds backrower Mark Connors, has speed to burn and he was able to use it on Saturday with a few more opportunities than normal.
The young speed demon scored twice after going without a try through the first 12 games.
His ideal winger’s performance saw him create a telling 64th minuute Jackson Hill try and defend very well against bigger bodies.
10. Sam McGahan (Easts)
McGahan’s tactical kicking rewarded his team’s stoic defence and endeavour in contact.
You can’t beat a crisp, bullet-like clearing kicks, and McGahan had several in his arsenal when it counted.
He also made some important tackles around supporting a super pass from his centre Cloete that put him on a path to the stripe.
9. Stan Keats (Wests)
The fearless scrumhalf did not have his best game but he scored two important tries while Wests were feeling Sunnybank out.
The blonde-haired BBC old boy scored on the stroke of half time, scurrying from the feet of scrummaging No. 8 Tom Doe and stepping his way over on the short side.
Then, with 10 minutes left to pull into the clear up 31-14, Keats pounced from the ruck base.
Around those grand moments, his service to Jamie Alexander (No. 10) was sound.
8. Juan Falaniko (Brothers)
Falaniko, a revelation from Auckland, has been forging a very good reputation for himself at Crosby Park.
On the Gold Coast, he delivered the goods from No. 8 to spearhead his side’s two-point pipping of Bond University.
A product of North Island rugby stronghold De La Salle College, Falaniko never stopped working and built a platform for Brothers by bending the line at a regular clip.
7. Trent Picot (Souths)
In a losing side, Picot was outstanding at flanker.
The athletic breakaway would swoop onto the ball with unmatched leg speed. Once tackled, he was able to rebound and propel his body forward before lunging to present perfectly-placed possession to supporting teammates.
There are some mighty fine players in contention for Queensland under-19 representative rugby selection and this under-aged openside is an ace in the pack.
6. Ben Kluck (Norths)
Kluck, a valued member of the Norths Colts program, continued to make his team tick with a high work rate and tenacious defence.
One of the best in the Colts 1 business, Kluck scored the pick-and-drive try on full time that equalised the scores at 17-all.
Flyhalf Cale Maurice did the rest.
5. Samson Chow (GPS)
Samson Chow bit down hard and often onto his mouthguard and gave Norths defenders a challenge when he carried the ball into contact.
The Mackay product came to Yoku Road via Downlands College in Toowoomba and his bright pink boots zipped across the field often as he tracked down Norths players.
His fast linespeed, strong clean outs and defiant defence late in the game as Norths closed in were features of a bloke who started the year in Colts 2.
4. Will Ross (Brothers)
The Queensland Reds are already seeing a return on investment.
Ross, who earlier this year signed to the Reds Academy, was a lineout trojan during a triumphant AIC First XV rugby season for premiers Padua College and he has lost nothing in comparison to his Colts 1 rivals.
Against Bond University, Ross ran rampant more than once as his big body burst through the line and away down field.
The young giant was key.
3. Archie Smith (Wests)
Smith’s entrance into the team of the week was guaranteed by his sensational scrummaging effort alongside Harry Solofa and Hamish Ward.
Wests won the scum battle against Sunnybank with flying colours and Smith added much more with his willingness to run the ball and test how strong his opposition’s shoulders were.
Smith, also known as ‘Chuck’, is a wrecking ball.
2. Harry Solofa (Wests)
The Bulldogs hooker is having a dream season.
That dream run continued against Sunnybank where he was responsible for a glorious 25m try and building a scrum foundation that forced Wests into enemy territory.
1. Jake Leck (Bond University)
The Bond loosehead prop would be first to thank his front-row counterparts Blaze Moana and Rogan Huntley for his selection here.
Leck and Co headed a dominant scrum that had the Brothers forwards back-pedaling.
He honed his scrum-time strength as a schoolboy at Christ’s College in Christchurch.
Reserves:
Jakeb Horne (Easts)
The entire Tigers pack stood up and delivered, and in the thick of the action was the Easts hooker.
Horne’s deeds alongside props Craig Rowsell and Byron Murphy gave Easts authority in set piece and close quarter confrontations.
PJ Su’a (Easts)
The big-bodied Tigers junior produced several barn-door breaking runs, one of which won back momentum for his side after Souths had dominated the opening 10 minutes of the game.
The outstanding No. 8 also had a high work rate with the ball, and his strength in possession was a big reason Easts successfully battled back against an upbeat Souths’ pack.
Huw Griffiths (Souths)
Griffiths was a gutsy flanker.
He did not have the same impact as Picot in contact, but he was here, there and everywhere and played well above his weight.
Him and Picot have been a mighty duo this season, with Griffiths’ swift transition from hooker to flanker an underrated aspect of the Souths campaign.
Joe Stoddart (Easts)
The hugely-improved Easts breakaway set up his team’s first try and galloped 35m to score his team’s final try.
In between, Stoddart put his shoulder to the grindstone on both sides of the ball.
Souths’ big bodies challenged Easts early with roaring runs and passes in contact. Stoddart was a reason why the Tigers eventually gained parity with their rivals before throwing a bit of medicine right back at them.
James Prole (GPS)
Prole’s progression has been a success story at Yoku Road in a tough season for GPS.
He wasn’t even a First XV player at Marist Ashgrove but has stacked up two very good seasons of Colts 1 club rugby at a club that needed someone to step up in that position.
He has done that all right.
Saturday’s skirmish against Norths saw Prole flex his box-kicking skills, as well as his to-die-for service.
Jayden Solien (Norths)
Every few years a player like Solien bobs up and you’re left dumbfounded as to how he remains unsigned in either rugby format.
The elite rugby inside centre was simply superb for Souths Logan as their Meninga Cup No. 13 earlier this year. Solien, with a presumably packed schedule, attended Norths pre-season training sessions when he could.
In the two games he has played for Norths so far, Solien has been a midfield magician with his defensive involvement and uncanny ability to burst into the clear welcomed with open arms by teammates.
Matt Ribot (GPS)
Ribot showed why he is a future first-grade winger at GPS. That future might be just around the corner.
He was in everything on Saturday and he just loved the ball being kicked towards him because he could wind up, bring the ball back and give it his best shot.
He was rarely tackled without having beaten a player or two and rather than just kicking the ball back to Norths, he created so many half chances with his robust running and cheeky one-handed offloads.
Josh Takai (Brothers)
Takai has warmed into his second season of Colts 1 and over the past month showed his class at outside centre.
He was game in defeat against Wests last week before putting it on with powerful running and soft hands a key contributor in Brothers’ upset win.
Takai really is a top-flight No. 13 and he affirmed his status as such against this year’s team to beat, Bond University.
Callum Simpson (Bond University)
If there was a team of the week every week Bond University flyhalf Callum Simpson would always be there or there abouts.
He just understands what needs to happen from No. 10 and his kicking was sharp again against a Brothers side that aimed up after trailing 12-nil quickly.
Simpson and his inside centre Jackson Jury were very good.
Charlie Johnstone (Brothers)
The Brothers flyhalf was outstanding as a schoolboy at Churchie and has kept his foot on the gas in club land.
Installed at fullback against Bond University, Johnstone looked at home. He kicked very well and loomed in support whenever a player broke through the Bond defence.
He scored a stellar try and created chances elsewhere injecting himself with quick feet and even quicker hands.
Special mentions: Alex Watkins (Wests), Nate Wines (Brothers), Jonah Allen (GPS), Tom Millard (GPS), Fergus Gillan (Bond Uni), Sam Condon (Brothers), Joe Post and Will Graham (Brothers), Jack Corby (Norths), Blaze Moana (Bond University), Rogan Huntley (Bond University), Charlie Bird (Wests), Ryan Shaw (Wests), Rory Bliss (Wests), Dre Loughlin (Sunnybank), Mattias Agent (Sunnybank), Genesis Iuli (Sunnybank), Netani Lesimaikimatuku (Sunnybank), Larry Clark (Easts), Riley Canavan (GPS), Tom Hansson (GPS), Oliver Aleman (Norths), Manaaki Bateman (Norths), Ta’ialalo Faalogo (Norths), Brock Powell (Norths).
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