Colts, women’s club rugby: Easts, Brothers in thrillers
Colts, women’s club rugby latest: Tigers claw their way to two thrillers while top end derby between Brothers and UQ features finals’ intensity.
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Colts front runners Brothers have escaped a late heave by UQ to come away 21-20 winners over University in a western suburbs local derby.
The home side UQ were down one point with two minutes left and did everything they could to advance full field and get points, but a timely lineout win from Brothers secured the result. This was after marching 50 metres upfield with running, free flowing footy. It was gripping stuff.
In other matches, Easts came from behind to pip a gallant GPS 17-10, Norths found their way to a 24-14 win over Sunnybank and Souths beat Wests 30-15.
And in the women’s match of the day, Easts held off a fast finishing GPS 27-17. Those match reports below.
At University, UQ colts 1 had all the possession in the first half, and were playing great footy.
Their scrum was dominant, Xavier Stiles’ lineout throwing was accurate and St Edmund’s College Year 12 student Tafito Falaniko Ah-Ki was making winning plays out of scrum half.
Brothers stuck to it, and in the second half they came alive. Having two very capable playmakers in Dre Pakeho and Harry Grant was a point of difference for the visitors but it must be said Siliva Leofa had a strong game at No. 10 for UQ.
Brothers also unearthed Iona big bopper Hopo Leota who made our AIC Team of the Year alongside UQ’s new halfback Ah-Ki.
The Red Heavies crossed first through winger Max Boulton after strong lead up work by tall No. 8 Pat Sowerby and centre Ellis Hannah. What put him in was a cut out pass right on the money by flanker Jordan Dick.
The home side kept their foot on the gas.
A terrific touch finder from fullback Seig mackellar and a Xavier Grambower lineout win later and a penalty goal would see UQ go up 8-0. Grambower and Sowerby continued to run the ball with purpose.
A response from Brothers came in the form of a Robbie Mapa try, experienced fly half Grant gifting him a pop pass across his body. A hole opened straight up for the third year Colts 1 winger from Nudgee College.
Brothers looked set to take the lead with 14 minutes left in the first half but a pilfer from UQ’s Xavier Stiles held them out. It was a huge play from the spot-on lineout thrower.
And again with 4 minutes left in the half, Mackellar made a trysaver on Brothers No. 8 Oliver Harvey after quick thinking from grubber kicking flanker Jack Condon forced a UQ drop out.
UQ led 8-7 at the break and deserved the lead. But you had a sense Brothers would soon arrive at the party.
It was a textbook Brothers styled try to open the scoring in the second half, supporting scrum half Will Cartwright crashing over to earn his team’s first lead at 14-8.
The trademark try began on one end of the field with Grant and Pakeho and away Pakeho struck downfield with Harvey on his hip. Cartwright scored but immediately his deeds were erased when the effort of centre Mac Kelley earned UQ their next try.
Kelley cashed in after his charge down brilliance won ball only a metre out from the tryline.
End-to-end footy entertained the UQ crowd before Brothers took a 21-13 lead through pile-driving prop Malakai Taulani. Great resilience was shown by UQ on their try line, holding out raids from big Leota and Condon.
With five minutes to go, UQ scored a timely try to edge closer down 21-20.
The pretty ball playing of fly half Siliva Leofa assisted on a Joe Clifford five-pointer.
UQ mustered up for one last crack but going 100 metres and scoring against Brothers is no easy feat – especially in the 70th minute.
Outside centre Tom Harvey had some nice touches for Brothers while UQ backrower Ronan Austin kept play alive with his offloading ability.
And at Wests, Souths were winners yet again with a 30-15 job over the Bulldogs.
There were cobwebs to be blown out, Souths coach Cian O’Connor saying it was a scrappy return after three weeks holidays.
He was however, happy to come out on top.
“We were a bit flat, but we got the job done and with a bonus point.
“We started sharp but then gave away three soft tries,” O’Connor said describing a game where Souths led the entire way to the finish line.
Fly half William Nason was a good organiser, and lock Jake Kurbatoff was exceptional.
Stealing the show was three try hero Ryley Bierton, the Magpies winger the matchwinner.
One of Bierton’s three was an absolute beauty, beating two defenders down the touchline and outpacing the defence to score.
“Our forwards did well and scored off mauls,” O’Connor said.
“We took points when we were in their 22.”
Wests found their way on the scoreboard through hooker Tom Scriven, fast finishing winger Harry Logan and inside centre Campbell King.
Wests coach Roscoe Deacon knew it was going to be a tough game coming up against one of the competition’s biggest packs.
“I was pleased with how our pack stood up and I thought we matched them physically for most parts of the game,” Deacon said.
He said unfortunately Wests gifted Souths 2 soft tries in the first half which ultimately proved the difference.
“We felt we were in the game and had some good momentum in the final quarter … It was our mistakes in giving away soft tries and failing to capitalise on some chances we created which costed us the game.”
First year colts player Liam McGregar, No. 8, impressed with his effort and physicality on both sides of the ball.
At Bottomley Park, the Long Reach and desperation of Easts lock Tom Twaddell helped save the day, leading to a last-gasp win by top four side the Tigers over an improved GPS.
Easts won late 17-10, fighting back from a 10-3 deficit to score two late tries.
“It was a good fight back after a bunfight at the start,’’ said Easts coach Tyrell Barker, praising Twaddell, Alex Kerr, Kaileb Crothers and inside centre Alex Condon.
The turning point came with the scores locked 10-all and GPS venturing back into their attacking half after repelling the Tigers.
An attacking kick was charged down by towering, mobile Easts lock Twaddell who somehow found the energy late in the match for an extra effort play.
The ball rebounded back into the attacking zone for Easts and after a midfield Set up from the Easts, a left shift saw winger Will Quinn find the tryline.
Sam Farrar then kicked the conversion and two minutes later it was full time. A relieved Easts now sit in the top four.
What a gallant effort it was from GPS, surely the most improved side in the competition, a side which has lost six matches by bonus point margins this season.
They matched Easts throughout the first half, and by midway into the second half were making the running.
“It was a pretty tough loss. The guys don’t quit which is what I loved about them best,’’ said GPS coach Mutch Kite, praising his halfback Braydon O’Sullivan, Pat Gavin and fullback Pat Tierney.
GPS scored first in a low scoring first half when forward leader Stuart Tualima powered over.
It was a rugged affair featuring string first up tackles and rallying defenders scrambling to plug gaps at the breakdowns.
In the hurly burly it took some pure pace from GPS winger Zachery Maseinawa to break the game open with a 50m try scoring effort in the second half when the Galloping Greens turned defence into attack.
At 10-3 to GPS it was still anyone’s game as Easts went as close as you get – losing the ball marginally over the line.
But faced with Easts pounding their line, GPS backed its handling skills to burrow out of trouble, including a bulldozer run from prop Harry Gould.
However Easts kept coming, ramping up their effort following a charge down from flanker Alex Kerr.
And finally, from resulting pressure, halfback Sam Farrar took play across field to put his inside centre Alex Condon into a channel leading to a try.
Farrar’s conversion made it 10-all.
GPS then lacked a little composure under pressure and continued Easts pressure saw the Tigers push hard for victory.
After the GPS scrum then won a penalty in defence, the match was headed for a draw until Twaddell’s match-turning charge down.
It was also a desperately close women’s encounter between the two clubs, with the Easts scrum winning the day to lead to a match winning try.
With the match in the balance at 20-17, Easts way, the Tigers set piece won a scrum battle leading to halfback Gemma Schnaubelt plunging over for the game defining try.
Easts celebrated like they had won a final, the players relieved to get clear again 27-17 after GPS had turned a 15-0 deficit into a 20-17 thriller.
The win reversed a first round last gasp win by GPS. Easts led 15-0 and then 15-5 at the break before scoring the vital first try of the second effort – a charge down try from halfback Schnaubelt.
Her effort said everything about the desperation and pressure her team applied to the Galloping Greens. But a gallant GPS, with white knuckles clinging to the cliff face, refused to give in.
Despite facing an Easts defensive blockade they rallied more pick and drive forward efforts and persistence paid off when one of their best, hooker Vira Kite, scored in close quarter combat. Kite’s try cut the margin to 20-10 – in Easts favour.
But GPS had hope. An inspiring run which took play 15m upfield then planted GPS on the front foot and with attack ball, and momentum, a rolling maul propelled GPS Isabella Coll over. She converted and it was 20-17.
Yet it was all Easts in the first half, with tries by flanker Adi Likioveni Dreu and fullback Piper Flynn (two).
The Tigers tight five were a ball of muscle repelling the GPS scrum, and Easts challenged strongly at the breakdowns to either secure their own possession, win it back or earn penalties.
On the edge of the ruck inside centre Luanna Moors delivered a platform from which Easts would Set up their play. Down 15-nil, GPS hammered a defensive line which was only breached once – when GPS finally out flanked their rivals.
A lesser team would have buckled, so complete was the Tigers effort across the first two-thirds of the game. But GPS battled away, making Easts work hard for its wins from phase to phase and eventually got back to a 20-17 deficit.
At Courtney Oval, Norths found their way to the winners post 24-14, with a second half surge setting the win up.
The Dragons gained a foothold to lead 14-5 at the break, but Norths stormed home, helped by the goal kicking of Callum Reidy.
The Dragons could not respond enough to bridge the gap.
“I am very dissatisfied,’’ said Sunnybank coach Brendan Underwood.
“We fell out of the game plan and this affected our mindset.
“But credit to Norths who stepped up through the middle of the second half and there was some poor execution at the end of some good footy which provided Norths opportunities.’’
Sunnybank showed fight but the Eagles’ side, boosted by hooker Will Rogers, pulled away.
Rogers, leading tryscorer of last year’s GPS First XV rugby competition with 12 tries, was up to his usual tricks in the rolling maul and in close to the line with a two try effort which gave his team the edge.
Lock Adam Flynn and winger Mackenzie Fox joined Rogers on the scoresheet when finishing off lead up play that would’ve brought a smile to their coaches face.
Sunnybank showed glimpses of their best and prop Jacob Coase made Norths pay – but the better side on the day came out on top.
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