GPS First XV rugby round 6
The GPS First XV rugby competition enjoyed a mini classic between TSS and BGS, while Terrace upset the apple cart by downing IGS and Nudgee had a big win.
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The Southport School captain Jye Gray produced a moment of individual brilliance to ensure his side avoided the upset of the GPS First XV season in a schoolboy classic against Brisbane Grammar School.
With the match in the balance, and his side leading just 21-17 against their resurgent rivals, Gray fielded a clearing kick on halfway and somehow created a try for Mason King. The final score was 26-17.
TSS, Nudgee - who were winners today - and Churchie (bye) all have just one loss in a bumper season.
We are accustomed to seeing TSS skipper Gray scout for space, but this time he played direct, backing his strength with a powerhouse burst through tacklers.
This superman effort after a 85m solo try on the eve of halftime which took his side from 14-nil to 21-nil. There is no doubt both his bursts were the difference in the match.
Gray is not a tall man, but Gray must feel 7ft tall a bullet proof, such is the season he is having.
A Meninga Cup rugby league premiership winner (under 18s), the Qld league schoolboys title winning captain and the inform GPS strike weapon is having a winter of dreams.
But even at 26-17 BGS surged again, and were unlucky not to cross when a pass from outstanding winger Lewis Strachan was ruled forward as Shannon Simpson raced in to score.
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BGS coach Phil Mooney said TSS’s captain Gray’s 80m run just before the break, and his creation of the second half try were the difference.
“When we were 14 behind near halftime we were still in it, but that runaway try (Gray) right on halftime hurt us,’’ Mooney said.
“But I was really proud in the second half the way we stuck at it,’’ Mooney said.
“We played some really good rugby and we were in it with minutes to go and it was really just some individual brilliance that beat us,’’ said Mooney, who stressed the referees also played their part in an entertaining game.
TSS coach Mike Wallace also heaped praise on Jye Gray.
“Pound for pound he is the strongest player in our team, he is the hardest trainer in our team and he is the captain mainly for those two reasons,’’ Wallace said.
“His skill set is amazing. He is a top academic and everything about him ticks the box.’’
Wallace also had high praise for his opposition coach Phil Mooney who he said was the best schoolboy coach in the competition, and said if it was not for his team’s defence, TSS would have been beaten.
“We use the ball pretty well as a team, but defence is something we try and pride ourselves on.”
“We work hard on it, and that starts to show in games and they buy into that.’’
Down 21-nil, BGS had to be the first to score in the second half and they were, a close quarter combat effort by Liam McGregor from pick and drive.
One try became two for BGS when back rower Doe forced a turnover, leading to quick hands toward right winger the impressive Strachen.
Strachen did not need a second invitation and finished the movement, cutting the TSS lead to 21-10.
And the match was anybody’s when replacement centre Angus Tolhurst, further reducing TSS advantage to 21-17 after Ben Mooney’s booming sideline conversion.
It was again a quick hands movement, this time to the right after minutes of BGS occupying the attacking zone.
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BGS did wonderfully to return serve from 21-nil down.
This was after the most potent counter attacking team in the competition, TSS, scorched over for three long distance tries to establish a 21-nil halftime lead.
Fullback Keahns Skipps and winger Mason King both garnished counter attacks with tries, while the remarkable Gray sprinted 85m to score from a turnover on the cusp of halftime.
While that score did not remotely reflect the competitive nature of the match, it did highlight TSS’s ability to strike anywhere at anytime.
TSS broke an entertaining nil-all deadlock with typical precision from broken play, counter attacking through Skipps, Alcock, Gray and Ruaporo who sent winger Mason King scurrying over beneath the posts. It was 7-nil to TSS.
Yet the try had cone a little against the run of play, with BGS players largely backing their handling skills.
BGS fly half Ryan Shaw mixed his game with wide passing to his winger Lewis Strachan making an extra man from the blindside wing, while also grubber kicking down the blind and lifting a Garryowen midfield.
BGS’s first chance unfortunately could be polished, with Will Sheedy’s break from his quarter line leading to a missed fired kick ahead for his halfback Madden.
All the while you sensed TSS’s arsenal of a strong scrum, powerful rolling maul and brilliant counter attacking capacity could unravel BGS at any moment.
Off the ball TSS also delivered an ever present counter rucking and mauling threat if BGS were not committed so it was some challenge confronting BGS.
And it was such an effort at the breakdown which lead to Skipps skipping away for TSS’s second try after prop Caleb Loifoo had stolen possession after BGS were building pressure.
If TSS had not been prepared to dig their shoulders in hard against the BGS ball carrier they would have been in trouble, such was BGS’s challenge.
The style of play must have taken TSS out of their comfort zone, but for all the effort of the BGS, TSS still led 21-nil at halftime.
Centre Ruaporo (neck) was taken from the field in the first half but early signs were extremely promising.
Hi
s replacement Wyllie Bucknell, an outstanding tennis player, deservedly got a run in the Firsts and did well.
He has been with the college since Year 7 and it was a nice reward for him.
BGS replacement centre Tolhurst also contributed to his team’s late rally after Will Allen went down.
At Tennyson, Gregory Terrace put an end to Ipswich Grammar School’s three game winning streak with a gritty 22-13 victory.
In the end, a spirited team effort by Terrace matched what was a truly dominant display by the Ipswich backline.
A powerful centre pairing in Stanley Huen and Israel Leota mixed with the playmaking and kicking precision of fullback Kohen Briggs and fly half Jack Hocking to lead the way for Ipswich in that first half.
It was a freakish high flying catch from towering athlete Israel Leota that earned Ipswich their first points of the day.
Terrace fullback Nick Dunstan and Ipswich fly half Jack Hocking traded penalty goals early to begin the proceedings. But in terms of trading, halfback Archie Xavier of Terrace and Nathan Fraser of Ipswich were duelling all game.
The highest quality of service and decision making was on show by the scheming scrum halves.
Ipswich scored the first of the day with some dazzling one-handed offloads in contact by forwards Lyncoln Cliffe and David Leota, putting fullback Kohen Briggs in for a try.
David Leota would continue to dismantle Terrace, with tireless defence, barnstorming runs and threatening one handed carries in the hope of an offload.
Fullback Nick Dunstan hit back for Gregory Terrace to make it a tied game at half time.
It was a jinking inside step from Dunstan that saw him capitalise, following quick service by halfback Archie Xavier and fly half Will Balke who noticed that Ipswich were on the back pedal.
No. 8 work horse Angus Munn, who was dynamic all afternoon, dived over to make it 15-8 immediately after the break thanks to the dominance of the Gregory Terrace rolling maul.
Indeed this would have brought a smile to coach Michael Broad’s face, with hooker Cody Harkins, who had his hand in his team’s forward dominance, making his first XV run on debut.
Terrace prop Jovid Aveau was phenomenal, as was lock Xavier Grambower. Aveau had a touch of Dane Coles to his game, threatening Ipswich’s right edge defence with quick hands and strong pick and drives.
Grambower was his right hand man.
High praise to wing Harry Lane, centre Henry Hill and Dunstan who all stood tall in defence when Met by a rampaging Leota on a raid to the try line.
Leota, who had no shortage of line breaks, was met once by Lane, another by Dunstan and once more by Hill- who were the last line of defence.
By no means is it easy to stop Leota once he has wound up, so this really showed the fight in the Terrace boys.
Leota finally had his way in the 63rd minute with a jaw-dropping surge to the line which saw him step past one defender and leap over another to muscle his way over the line. This drew Ipswich closer at 15-13.
After Munn continued to lead with a man of the match performance and speedy wing Max Boulton left his mark, Terrace were able to seal the deal with one last try on the siren.
It was anyone’s game at 15-13, but reserve wing Maika Poese who was set up by Boulton, secured a spectacular win for Terrace.
An amazing sideline conversion from Dunstan settled the scores at 22-13, and called for a well-deserved mid-pitch celebration by black and red jerseys.
At Ross Oval, Nudgee helped their premiership cause with a dominant 45-0 showing over Brisbane State High School.
Fullback Tory Bath scored a dazzling try down the right edge to begin the proceedings, with lock Jack Harley throwing a brilliant pass back on his inside to set up Nudgee’s first.
Fly half Archie Condon went over for his team’s second following some unstoppable magic up the middle by centre Tariq Tanner and other backline assassins.
Bath brought up his second of the day in the 13th minute, with wing Kai Combarngo making a cracking break out of Nudgee’s half. Combarngo faked to kick, and pounced on gullible State High defenders, extending his team’s lead at 21-0.
Bath and Combarngo connected for their teams fourth, but this time a Bath draw and pass put Combarngo away down field. Indeed Nudgee were off to one heck of a start.
A simple try for prop Rory Beech pushed Nudgee ahead 33-0 after just 23 minutes. State High showed resolve to keep Nudgee quiet until the break.
Wingers Toshi Butlin and Seamus Boakes on his First XV run on debut were the best for State High.
But, just two minutes after half time hooker Will Rogers pounced from the back of a rolling maul.
Tanner was next to join the party, reading State High’s attack and storming away for a 55m intercept try. This 43rd minute five pointer was the last of Nudgee’s onslaught, the home side cruising to a 45-0 win.
In Toowoomba, the home side also got home in a thriller, with Brisbane Boys College scoring late to make it 34-29.
“We got a couple of tries in the first half and led 22-5 before BBC came back in the second half and played really well,’’ said TGS director of Sport Steve Fryer.
“The difference was we had a better first half when we got out of the starting blocks a bit better.’’
He said it was a team performance, although skipper Charlie Horn led by example.’’
THE ROAD HOME
ROUND 7
ACGS v BBC
GT v NC
BGS v TGS
TSS v BSHS
IGS bye
ROUND 8
IGS v NC
ACGS v BGS
TSS v GT
BSHS v TGS
BBC bye
ROUND 9
BBC v BGS
IGS v TSS
BSHS v ACGS
TGS v GT
NC bye
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