GPS rugby round 2: St Joseph’s Nudgee College versus Ipswich Grammar School
If St Joseph’s Nudgee College go on to win the GPS First XV premiership this season, the group will look back on today’s win over IGS at Ross Oval as a milestone moment.
Local sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A great blue and white wall was erected by 14 St Joseph’s Nudgee College Firsts’ rugby players this afternoon to repel Ipswich Grammar School and set-up a 21-nil win.
Playing a man down for the entire second half after the send-off of winger Sione Tapuosi, and then with 13 men when centre Robert Toia was sin-binned, Nudgee’s defensive line proved impenetrable.
So good was it, that IGS director of sport Nigel Greive said it was one of the finest defensive efforts he had seen in schoolboy rugby.
RELATED LINKS
GPS rugby: Players to watch in 2020
Nudgee director of rugby Sean Graham was awash with pride having witnessed Nudgee keep IGS scoreless, particularly in the second half when Ipswich Grammar dominated territory.
“It was against a very good side with strike power and lots of points in them as well,’’ added Graham.
“It is very hard to keep a team scoreless, particularly for that period when we only had 13 players on the field.
“It was an awesome effort. I am very proud of them.’’
Fielding a massive forward pack, IGS threw the kitchen sink – and then some – at Nudgee, but to no avail.
Twice at scrum time, with IGS deep in attack, the Nudgee forwards somehow found traction to send the IGS set piece reeling.
Those two moments surely energised the tiring Nudgee defenders.
One of the defensive scrums disrupted IGS’s efforts to get possession to No. 8 Xavier Stowers who was lined up on a wide blindside, just itching for the ball.
Gallantly Nudgee halfback Oscar Varricchoi and fullback Byron Smith saved tries, with Varricchoi sweeping across in cover defence to tackle IGS winger Malique Douthat-Sjoberg, and Smith putting his body on the line to halt runaway replacement prop Winiata Heemi.
The Nudgee scrum also provided Nudgee with their third try scored in the final minute after an eight man shove forced an error from IGS resulting in possession rebounding into the arms of Nudgee skipper Lastus Auakai.
Auakai and teammates were joyous, having spent so much time at the other end of the ground in defending.
When Nudgee No. 10 Benn Dalle Cort was lining up the conversion attempt, his teammates were standing behind him, arm in arm, in a show a spirit and unity.
It was some win against a well drilled opposition featuring a massive pack.
IGS were fearsome in defence in the first half. No. 8 Stowes hit a rival so hard, noise of the contact echoed off the college buildings and back across the field of play.
IGS were unlucky not to score early in the first half, but a pass was correctly ruled to have gone marginally forward.
Amid all the thunderous body contact, brains won out over brawn when Nudgee scored through centre Toia.
Nudgee then made it 14-nil when No. 6 Jack Garrod speared his way over the line after sustained rucking and mauling by Nudgee.
At Southport, TSS registered a 52-17 win, but coach Adrian Blundell stressed the scoreline did not reflect how competitive Toowoomba Grammar were.
He said he was delighted with TSS’s ability to “deal with a really tough opposition’’ because “not everything worked to perfection’’.
Read Nic Darveniza’s full report on the TSS-TGS clash here.
At Carina, Brisbane State High School defeated St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace 17-7, with BSHS director of rugby Matt Thornton full of praise for the manner in which his outfit bounced back from a loss the previous week.
“It was a great response from the boys after what looked like a heavy loss (a week earlier),’’ Thornton said.
“I was really impressed with the team’s attitude, especially in defence.’’
He praised coaches George Smith and Pat Byron for adjusting the team’s defensive systems and attack during the week.
“All around it was a good day for State High rugby,’’ he said.
At Churchie, Anglican Church Grammar scored a 25-15 win over Brisbane Grammar School.
Churchie director of sport Sean Tasker said the side dug in in what were greasy conditions after the scores were 10-8 at halftime.
“It was a terrific day,’’ Tasker said.
BGS director of rugby Phil Mooney said it was a close match.
“We got a lot of rain and that had an impact on proceedings. It was 10-8 at halftime, so pretty even. I suspect Churchie were a little better at securing opportunities.’’
NEXT WEEKEND
ROUND 3
BGS v TSS
TGS v Nudgee
IGS v BBC
Terrace v Churchie
Bye: BSHS