How the 2025 AIC First XV premiership rugby grand final unfolded; Round 7 wrap
AIC First XV rugby grand final special: How the big clash unfolded in a decider for the ages between Padua College v Marist College Ashgrove.
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Somehow Padua College produced one of the greatest defensive performances imaginable to down Marist College Ashgrove 24-19 in an extraordinary AIC First XV decider at Banyo on Saturday.
With a performance based on blood, sweat and tears on Back to Banyo Day, Padua overcame the loss of two yellow carded players late in the match against an Ashgrove side roaring strongly from the backblocks.
With heroic hooker Harry Walsh producing a performance for the ages, Padua outlasted an Ashgrove side which was coming to get their rivals after trailing 7-21 at halftime.
“Somehow we got there,‘’ said Padua coach Andrew Clyne.
“We even had 12 for a moment when Preston Patterson came off with a head knock,” coach Clyne said.
“It was awesome. It was just gutsy.
“We wanted to run a heavy-pressure defence to blunt their skills and I thought we did that.”
Ashgrove players were left crestfallen, strewn all over the ground at full time, realising their premiership dream was over.
But boy oh boy, didn’t the Blue and Gold boys play their role in an epic grand final that will be spoken about at college reunions down the years.
Every grand final day has a hero, and on this day it was Padua hooker Walsh who jumped out of the ground to produce the performance of his life.
He finished the game with a black eye, a right hand injury but a heart pounding with pride.
“He has always been really consistent,” Clyne said.
“Today he was unbelievable.”
The inspired No.2 tackled everything that moved, including fast moving Ashgrove winger Ted Clarke whom he nabbed with a classical covering tackle that bundled Clarke over the sideline near halftime.
From that change in possession, Padua were granted the field position which led to Jarah Chaseling’s super running try.
Chaseling shed two tackles to score, and with Damon Humphrys sideline conversion, Padua led 21-7.
Padua’s players will wake Sunday morning with sore shoulders, so often did they drive themselves into their ball-running rivals.
Ashgrove players also dug deep into their reserves to find the energy to prevent Padua delivering the knockout blow after a Humphry’s penalty goal had lifted his side to a 24-14 break.
Hustled and bustled by Padua’s advancing defensive line, and totally outplayed both in field possession and on the scoreboard in the opening 30 minutes, the Ashgrove players had come too far to have their campaign collapse.
Somehow, from the pits of their stomachs, they found resolve to fight on and keep backing their passing game.
With No.8 Elliott Aldridge and winger Liam Rice magnificent throughout, Ashgrove eventually escaped the Padua defensive cloak long enough to rush in two second half tries.
With Padua down to 13 men, the home side still somehow came up with enough defensive numbers, hitting hard and often against the odds.
Where did their performance come from?
“We talked about the badge,’’ coach Clyne said.
“This week we explored what that meant for them, their journey from year 5.
“We found a photo of half of these boys when they were in year 5 holding hands with the First XV players as they walked on, on this Back to Banyo Day.
“So we asked for effort on the ground, for guts and resolve.”
And they delivered, in spades.
Padua’s desperation was highlighted in the first half by a cover tackle, and a glorious try saving effort by lock Preston Patterson on a runaway Ollie Millard, Ashgrove’s fullback.
The premiership was a happy birthday celebration for fierce Padua flanker Tom O’Regan, who at the end of the game was mobbed by roaring teammates who sang happy birthday to him.
Padua inside centre Nate Clark was another special performer on the day.
He started the match by felling Ashgrove captain Seb Gardiner in the air from the kick-off, and his game only became more intense the more the match rolled onward.
Chaseling was a class finisher, and only an extraordinary try-saving tackle by Ashgrove inside centre Sean Green prevented the stylish fullback from scoring his second try late in the game.
Earlier in the match, Padua hooker Walsh also crossed from a rolling maul, after rejoining the pack following a perfect throw to towering lock and co-captain Ross.
Aside from his yellow card offence, Ross had a big match, while his fellow skipper, Damon Humphrys, was the perfect man at the helm during a storm.
If Humphry’s ever needs a job to get him through university, he’d make one hell of a cocktail behind the bar, so ice cool was he with his tactical kicking. His blood is worth bottling.
The grand final teams:
Padua - 1. Jack Mercer, 2. Harry Walsh, 3. Brooklyn Faalafi, 4. Preston Patterson, 5. Will Ross, 6. Tom O’Regan, 7. Jacob Grant, 8. Locklyn Ikimata-Lavea, 9. Billy Atchison, 10. Damon Humphrys, 11. Rory West, 12. Nate Clark, 13. Harlem Faalafi, 14. Harrison Vera, 15. Jarah Chaseling.
Ashgrove - 1. Archie Searle, 2. Josh Heinrich, 3. Hamish McClonan, 4. Henry Robinson, 5. Liam Farrelly, 6. James Johnston, 7. Seb Gardiner (c), 8. Elliott Aldridge, 9. Harry Graham, 10. Joseph Cervetto, 11. Liam Rice, 12. Sean Green, 13. Xavier Howard, 14. Ted Clarke, 15. Oliver Millard.
In Ipswich, Iona College finished its season on a high note beating St Edmund’s 49-27 in a try fest.
St Edmund’s led momentarily, 15-14, 30 minutes in but Iona had their opponent’s measure from the outset with Doubles Daley medallist Max Bolton just brilliant in his return.
Classy fullback Bolton had been out since round 4 when he suffered a headknock against Villanova but made up for lost time at Tivoli with the Queensland Schoolboys selection adding a touch of class to a battered-and-bruised Iona outfit.
Indeed St Edmund’s, gutsy as always, returned from an early 14-nil deficit to lead by one point but Iona were just too much to handle when they mounted phases and executed when in the Eddie’s half.
Tone-setting No.8 Jack Breuer was justly rewarded for his deeds on both sides of the ball by claiming the Doubles Daley medal for the home side.
KRACHT CARNAGE
No moment summed up Seb Kracht’s brilliance for St Edmund’s this season than his 25m blitz to score in the 51st minute of what was yet another impressive performance from the versatile forward.
Iona flyhalf Topaz Mohi and right winger Luke Coffey had just scored to turn a 19-15 arm wrestle into a comfortable 33-15 scoreline for the visitors.
But Kracht closed the gap to 13 points when his mate Pat Albion (halfback) popped a nice ball to him.
Kracht fended off one defender and beat another with speed, powering towards the line and slamming the ball down as two defenders wrestled him to ground.
It came after some nice touches from St Edmund’s backs Hallam Cooper, Albion and Max Halls.
IONA ON SONG
The visitors nailed the coffin shut at 40-20 when Iona fullback Bolton asserted himself with a stunning run to create an important try.
Eddie’s were doing a great job to stay in the fight but when the ball was kicked into touch, rather than taking a lineout from 35m out, Iona ran the ball from halfway and scored.
Impressive scrumhalf James Turner had the ball and passed to Bolton who split between two defenders like a hot knife through butter before finding support on his inside.
Flanker Hayden Kastner received the pass and with a right-to-left step he was over and the game was out of reach from Eddie’s.
In a nice moment to end the season, Iona had 14 of its Year 12 students finish the game and taste victory for the last time in their school rugby careers.
It was a victory which featured another work horse performance from lock Liam Whale, prop Sam Hodder and halfback James Turner who created multiple tries with snappy, accurate service.
On Andrew Slack Oval, Villanova scrumhalf Alex Borger was just brilliant as his side brought up its fourth win in a season of green shoots.
Villa toppled Paddies 41-26 and Borger kicked all seven of his shots at goal, two of them being penalties.
Just with his gun right boot alone Borger scored 16 points and he created another five points when a fantastic 50-22 earnt the field position for a telling rolling maul try 15 minutes from full time.
Villa led 27-19 when Borger snapped up a kick, sprinted forward and belted the ball towards the right corner.
Villa then scored, making it 34-19 and ultimately taking the wind out of a game Paddies outfit which challenged until the very end when prop Izaak Hughes-Muso scored on the stroke of time.
BACKLINE MAGIC
Villanova were slick in the backline and despite the closeness of the match and evenness of the forward packs, Villa always looked like they’d finish on top because when they spread the ball it was enterprising.
Outside centre Angus Meredith, No.12 Darcy Kerr and flyhalf Lachie Francis were all first class.
First XI cricketer Borger, a Year 11 student, was not bad himself.
Villa have been one of the smaller outfits in this competition but they showed how it works in their favour on Saturday with the elusive Meredith, gutsy Francis and makeshift No.12 Kerr all important.
Kerr had carved up as a fullback all season but showed his versatility running the ball and defending well in the midfield.
HOOKER DUEL
Paddies again got plenty from Year 10 rookie sensation Mitch Wallis, who continued to show why he will be a driving force for the Shorncliffe side in years to come.
He scored a rolling maul try and looked a man among boys, despite being one of the youngest on the park.
Villanova hooker Jett Tupou had his measure however.
The Doubles Daley medallist warmed his engines in the Second XV after only getting his clearance to play on Thursday, also his first training session in weeks.
When he came on early in the match, Tupou was a tank in close quarter battle and his superb performance capped off an even better campaign from the hard to handle No.2.
PADDIES BRAVE TO THE CORE
It was a tough task trying to contain the likes of wiry flanker Finn Staley, the pacy Villa backs and its group of hard working forwards for a full 70 minutes.
But Paddies did a brilliant job.
They were neck-and-neck at 7-all and then down just 14-12 approaching half time.
When flanker Tiakana Bateman scored early in the second half, Paddies trailed 20-19 and were hot on the heels of Villa.
After Villa No.10 Francis burrowed over to score and make it 27-19, the home side finished the stronger of the two and scored twice more to put the game to bed.
Hot-stepping Paddies fullback Ryan Smallhorne was excellent with his carries and was twice held up over the line, which showed just how determined Villa had to be with its defence.
Inside centre Riley Blake was brilliant in his own right. He scored twice with one of his tries a result of sheer urgency scooping up and scoring a dropped ball.
The Paddies pack also had their moments with flanker Harry Blake, prop Denzel Savelino, lock Max Hillard, No.8 Abe Huxtable and flyhalf Onosai Cvetko-Lueger all top notch.
Cvetko-Lueger’s bursts from flyhalf got his team moving forward while the captaincy and toughness of Savelino was superb across the whole match.
The 195cm Hillard, a flyhalf turned lock this season, was impressive in just his second game playing in the second row.
At St Peters, St Laurence’s took its tally over the last fortnight into triple figures by defeating the Saints 53-5.
Last week the black and golds beat Iona 61-28 but they were even more comprehensive on Saturday.
Loose-head prop Luka Smith, in his 21st and final First XV game, even slotted a near sideline conversion to go out with a bang.
Smith again headed a dominant forwards display which was well received and reinforced by the Laurie’s backs who were blistering at their best.
Fullback Harry Taylor, blockbusting centre Gio Koopu and gutsy No.10 Tom Ahern had their hands in plenty as the visitors put their opponents to the sword with some expansive play.
It all started with the superb service of scrumhalf Henry Edwards.
But even with his forwards on song, no one could stop St Peters flanker James Kenny from getting his hands over the ball.
The elite open side was responsible for a handful of turnovers again, taking his tally well into double digits for the season.
But Kenny’s timely breakdown plays did little to in the grand scheme to prevent Laurie’s from hitting their stride across the 70 minutes.
The visitors were abrasive and brave in forward play and both daring and dashing out the back.
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