GPS First XV rugby: Who claimed the 2023 premiership
The coveted GPS First XV rugby union premiership has been decided after four teams entered round nine today with hopes and aspirations. Report here.
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They did it the hard way with away trips to Toowoomba and Southport in the final two rounds of the competitions, but the 2023 champions Nudgee rose to the occasion to claim a cherished outright premiership today.
After four teams entered round nine today with hopes and aspirations, it was Nudgee who finished No.1.
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Entering today Nudgee College had secured at least a joint premiership, but The Southport School, Toowoomba Grammar School and Churchie all had hopes of sharing the title with Nudgee.
But Nudgee had their sights on an outright premiership and that’s what they came away with after a clinical 37-7 victory over TSS on the Village Green notched the College’s 44th premiership (36th outright).
In today’s other games Churchie beat Terrace 34-28 in an entertaining affair, TGS defeated IGS on IGS Old Boys Day 40-21 while a fast finishing BBC claimed a 34-19 win over BSHS.
Competition Ladder
Nudgee 7-1, 14 points
Churchie 6-2, 12 points
TGS 6-2, 12 points
TSS 5-3, 10 points
BBC 5-3, 10 points
BSHS 3-5, 6 points
Terrace 3-5, 6 points
Ipswich Grammar, 1-7, 2 points
Brisbane Grammar 0-8, 0 points
Nudgee College won fair and square and it was convincing after skipper Macarius Pereira and winger James Duggan put the icing on the cake with a try each to finish the game.
“When I came to Nudgee it was always my dream to play First XV and this year to get to captain the side it’s what dreams are made of,” Pereira said.
“We had a goal this year to go undefeated but when we lost we bounced back and after that we stayed hungry.
“We knew we had enough control to win the premiership outright and I’m just so proud of the boys for getting it done.
“I felt like I let the boys down in that 10 minutes but credit to the boys they dug deep and didn’t let any points go through. Credit to my team and the courage they showed today I’m so proud.”
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Electric winger Nicholas Conway produced the dagger before the final two tries when he stepped back on his inside and burst away for a stunning try 20 minutes from full time.
Nudgee led 20-7 but this try was the moment Nudgee gripped both hands on the premiership trophy. And then when Pereira and Duggan steamrolled over it was a done deal.
Fly half Maddox Maclean kicked five-from-six on the day, made the right decisions, kicked to corners well and had a touch of class.
TSS fought hard but the turning point was how Nudgee responded to the loss of their outstanding flanker Hugo Hart, who suffered a leg injury in the first half and their skipper Pereira who was yellow carded.
While Pereira was off, Nudgee won that 10 minutes 3-0.
“I’m lost for words,” Nudgee rugby director Sean Graham said.
“I think we were confident coming into the game and I’m proud the boys put in a complete performance. I think we were really accurate and disciplined on both sides of the footy.
“We didn’t give TSS any opportunities. They are a really good side and they’ve had a really good season but today showed the boys deserve the premiership.”
Nudgee found the scoreboard first with fleet-a-foot centre Prestyn Laine-Sietu reaching out for one of his trademark tries.
The visitors dealt their second blow soon after to lead 14-0 when prop Cruz Lemming burrowed over in the 14th minute.
The fast, up-tempo opening passages of rugby were riveting however play was halted when an ambulance promptly arrived for Nudgee flanker Hugo Hart, whose leg was caught awkwardly in a Laine-Sietu tackle.
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Up until then, Hart had played all seven games for Nudgee and had been so important to the team’s success this season. “Our thoughts are with him,” Graham said.
When play resumed after the break for injury, TSS No.8 Amare Milford was still on a thumping mission to seat his rivals. And when he did, TSS turned defence into offence and got their first points through outside centre Mason King.
Quick hands from Billy Tonkin did the trick and quickly TSS had the momentum.
Then when Nudgee skipper Macarius Pereira was given a yellow card and TSS winger Killarney Lavender exercised his right shoulder twice with rib crunching tackles, the home looked in hot pursuit.
But it was Nudgee who added to their score while down a man, with fly half Maddox Maclean slotting a penalty goal which was not easy.
Nudgee led 17-7 with eight minutes left in the half and scrambled well while disadvantaged.
For example, Laine-Sietu’s line speed once forced a TSS turnover and before TSS could blink, Pereira was back on the field.
Nudgee held a 10-point lead at the break.
A few things that stood out in the first half were:
+ Lock Sebastian Smith-Power’s breakdown brilliance for TSS
+ Scrumhalf Tom Goldie’s accurate passing and kicking for TSS
+Pereira’s powerful crash running for Nudgee
+ Laine-Sietu and Ryan Heaton (Nudgee centres) and how active they were to begin the game. The pair had the ball more in this half than any other half all season.
“It’s a great feeling. The boys worked
hard after the loss against State High,” Laine-Sietu said after the game.
“It was a hard grind from there so we put our heads down.
“Calm heads is what we said. We all just wanted to play to our potential. We know what we can do.
“I’ve loved every minute with these boys. The culture. Just never giving up.”
Into the second half, Nudgee’s Maclean made a burst through the line and dotted over a penalty goal to extend his team’s lead to 13.
Then with tries to Conway, Pereira and Duggan, Nudgee surged home to be crowned outright premiers.
“The fact we were still in the hunt in round 9 is massive,” TSS assistant coach Mike Wallace said after a successful season for his side.
“Our trial form didn’t suggest we would be there and yet here they are. That says a lot about the character of these boys.
“There were some things we trained hard on we didn’t execute as well as we would’ve liked to but you put it down to a quality opposition. You are playing the best team in town. They challenged us… our guys were courageous through to the end.”
High praise to seniors Billy Wellard, Spencer Alcock, Fergus Gillan, Mason King, Amare Milford who were the core of last year’s side and are graduating this season.
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In Ipswich, TGS hit the finishing line strongly to beat IGS 41-21 after skipping to a 21-nil lead late in the first half.
“We are thrilled with our rugby season across the whole program,’’ said TGS Director of Sport Steve Fryer. “The Firsts have played really well and we have tremendous momentum in our rugby program which is a credit to our rugby staff led by David Enfantie and Scott Gale.
TGS then finished in style, with a thrilling counter attack by Oates appropriately giving tireless flanker Joe Gray a run to the line.
But first Gray had to dummy his way past the last line before crossing for a much deserved five pointer.
Down 21-7 at the break, IGS were unrecognisable early in the second hand.
It was as if the First XV had replaced the Second XV, such was the transformation.
Mistakes dried up and with ball in hand play challenging both sides of the field, IGS gave the many past students celebrating Old Boys Day a reason to edge forward on their seats.
IGS flanker Domanic Mason then turned pressure into points to score off a quick tap and remarkably IGS had closed the gap to 21-14 after TGS had dominated the first half.
But TGS restored order soon when quick ball along the line gave winger Will Holley a chance to finish in the corner.
Holley’s efforts then triggered a war cry in his honour from the assembled TGS supporters and at 26-14, TGS were heading in the right direction again.
A scrum against the head then opened up an unexpected attacking chance for the TGS and quick hands saw Chace Oates drive over.
His kick made it 33-14 and TGS and the visitors were well on the way to finishing the season on a high.Pile driving forward play enabled TGS to start the match camped in IGS territory.
A thumping scrum and rolling maul perfection off line outs were the bricks and mortar behind fullback Richard Dean’s incursion off a Chace Oates wide ball that landed the opening try.
Dean has had a whale of a season and his explosive pace through the IGS midfield would have shocked no one from his camp.
TGS’s trademark mauling off attacking line out ball showed no signs of wavering, with textbook forward cohesion resulting in the second try of the afternoon and a 14-nil advantage.
TGS may have had another try from counter attack after quick hands from flanker Joe Gray off a fumbled IGS ball had opened up the prospect of a 90m try, but captain George Griffiths uncharacteristically mishandled a pass after the ball had been run 50m up the field.
Down 14-nil, IGS just couldn’t get into the game, with handling errors and the conceding of penalties their undoing.
TGS on the other hand had a thirst for possession, and more forward pressure again created a leak on the fringe where a glorious popped pass saw No.8 Jimmy White power to the line.
Oate
s’ side conversion made it 21-nil.
TGS we’re building for yet another try, but a catch and pass from the reliable Harry Newnham missed its mark and IGS winger Amaziah Murgha sprinted 95m to score from the stolen ball. 21-7 to TGS st halftime.
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