Padua super sub stole victory while St Laurence’s got their confidence up for round 6
AIC First XV rugby: Padua super sub Jayden Solien sparked a sensational victory to keep his side on premiership track while St Laurence’s College primed themselves for Ashgrove.
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Padua super sub Jayden Solien stole victory from beneath the noses of the Villanova College players in a sensational championship bout on Wednesday night.
Padua maintained its unbeaten record with a 17-13 win, and remain on track to play off with St Laurence’s College for the title. Padua last claimed the premiership in 2016.
Padua five-eight Damon Humphry’s was man of the match for the second week in a row, but his inside centre Mitch Rogers would not have been far behind him.
Villa’s Doubles Daly man of the match award went to gutsy flanker Ben Addley.
AIC FIRST XV RUGBY TEAM OF THE WEEK
In round 5 AIC First XV action, on Tuesday, Iona front rower Hopa Leota spearheaded his side’s emphatic 38-17 Indigenous round victory over St Peters.
Then on Wednesday afternoon a two try effort from Ashgrove’s Jasper Barry led the way in a 39-24 win over St Patrick’s.
And on Saturday, St Laurence’s primed themselves for their next challenge in Marist Ashgrove with a 59-15 win over St Edmund’s at Runcorn.
Laurie’s head coach Welmar du Plessis said his boys dominated up front and in the collisions, with his forwards clinical come lineout and scrum time.
“We dominated the scrum and our attack was really good, a great improvement from last week.”
Lock Tom Nadenic and prop Byron Murphy both scored two tries for the home side, who will be back home in round 6 against rivals Ashgrove.
“The connection between the forwards and backs was really good, and when we went wide we were good, finishing some fantastic tries.
“It was a balanced performance.”
Flyhalf Finn Mackay won Man of the Match for the third game in a row, but Byron Murphy also had a case for best on ground with his ball carrying giving Laurie’s the edge - the backs firing off the back of his hard work.
Du Plessis said: “Ashgrove are our arch rivals and we know they will be ready for us. We will take great confidence out of this game. We know it won’t be easy.
“It’s going to be really exciting.”
In Wednesday’s game between Padua and Villa, Padua’s defence supported a man of the match kicking game from No.10 Damon Humphrys to help their side come from behind to beat a brave Villa.
The game came down to a rolling maul effort centimetres from the line by Villa, but the dogged Padua forwards held on.
Padua had hit the front about 10 minutes earlier when super sub Solien burst through from outside centre to score the winner.
With his star teammate Mitch Rogers drawing defensive heat on the outside, Soilen dummied and cut back on the inside, racing 25m to score next to the posts.
It was a stunning moment.
In the pre-season match against St Peters Solien did a similar thing, but time Padua were playing for sheep stations and his heroic act may prove to be a premiership winning move.
Padua led 10-7 despite Villanova dominating territory in the first half.
Indeed it took until five minutes before the break for Padua to enjoy attacking ball on attack.
The only other time they breached the 40m zone was when Padua five eight Damon Humphrys swept down field after plucking an interception off Villa attack ball.
Over the 70m, 60m, 5Om he ran, and when hemmed in by three chasing cover defenders, Humphrys sliced a left foot centre kick toward the posts.
Padua winger Kyran Mitchell came onto the ball like he had been fired out of a cannon, scoring under the posts.
That try was reward for Padua’s stoic defence.
But despite being down 10-nil, Villa were in the match up to their eyebrows - they just needed to polish their execution under pressure from the Padua defence.
With Villas crowd roaring their support, Villanova swarmed to form a postcard rolling maul
The Villa forwards huffed and puffed and then blew the Padua house down, rolling over next to the posts to score.
Villa were on the board and it was 10-7 following Daniel Taylor’s successful conversion.
Into the second half the match rolled, with Villa levelling 10-all and then drawing clear for the first time 13-10 courtesy of Daniel Taylor’s two penalty goals.
It was a match featuring fierce defence, particularly from Padua centre Mitch Rogers.
A driving tackle by Villa prop Riki Taylor staked a territory peg in the turf, a marker declaring Padua “thou shall not pass’’.
Humphrys killer kicking game kept Padua within sight of the try line as Villa absorbed pressure.
Then came the match winning try by Solien, an amazing solo effort after defenders had been drawn to the outside to cover the dangerous Rogers. Humphrys conversion made it 17-13 with about eight minutes to go.
Villa have now lost narrowly to both Laurie’s and Padua - and could so easily themselves have been front runners. They are a very good side.
At Ashgrove this afternoon, Jasper Barry, with plenty of involvement from centres Cody O’May and Tom Howard, bringing up Ashgrove’s third win in a row as they continue to build for their next challenge in St Laurence’s.
On McMann Oval, Ashgrove ran away 39-24 winners over St Patrick’s College, scoring their third consecutive win in front of a chokkas John Eales Grandstand crowd.
Ashgrove war cries echoed around the ground and down Frasers road as the boys in blue and gold dug their heels in after finding themselves down 10-3 early.
And they would’ve loved to put away tries that on a good day, are their bread and butter, tries they’ll need to make sure of if they want to challenge long time rivals St Laurence’s on June 3.
Ashgrove head coach Richard Graham was happy his side made it three wins a row, but noted the lack of polish could’ve been because of the short turn around after Saturday’s game.
“It was good to see Riley Canavan come back … he came on as a backrower, the vice-captain of the team he got hurt seven minutes into the season.
“He had that real energy and enthusiasm today,” Graham praised.
When asked about two try hero Jasper Barry, Graham said he had been really good so far this season,” he’s getting better and better and he’s learning.”
“Cody O’May is getting better too, he’s a really mature kid … he’s composed and really important for us.”
St Paddies wing sniper Noah James slotted four-from-four, and Ashgrove’s goalkicking flanker Atticus Armstrong also had his radar working, kicking six-from-seven off the tee.
Like last Saturday against St Peters (39-13 score), Ashgrove found the most success spreading the ball to their outside backs – Cody O’May and Tom Howard in the centres and Jude Knapp at fullback.
Twice in the first half all it took was a simple hot potato shift of the ball to undo the Paddies defence and storm down field.
Both tries went begging though, with Barry and Howard making uncharacteristic mistakes as the final link just shy of the try line.
Had Ashgrove finished off these two beauty’s then they could have been 36-10 up at the half (given the extras were added).
Earlier, a penalty goal from Armstrong and James saw both side’s get on the board early before a splendid pop pass from fly half Sam Condon saw No. 8 Sasha Adam find tryscorer Liam Fuggs with an offload.
Paddies, notching an early 10-3 lead.
Not long after, Ashgrove’s Howard was bursting through a hole and diving over under the sticks, O’May pop pass magic making it happen.
The home side then scored twice before the half, both courtesy of No. 8 powerhouse Barry.
Barry had been carrying the ball fearlessly all afternoon, with every run looking to get his left arm free for the offload.
On both occasions he struck with powerful, low body height pick and drives, props Nick Gullo and Bailey Caplick bruising the line in advance thanks to the speedy service of halfback Harry Condon.
Great resistance was shown from Paddies’ front rowers Max Whitbourne, Manaaki Bateman and Kiahn Nukunuku but the pressure from Ashgrove was relentless.
In the second half, Armstrong kicked another penalty goal before a try on the right wing by Jack Forrester moved Ashgrove ahead 32-10, Ashgrove hooker Oliver Clements connecting with Barry to put him over.
The bullocking Caplick exchanged a five-pointer with imposing Paddies’ winger James Boland to settle the scores at 39-24, lock Eli Avci, No. 8 Adam and flanker Dean Laws tireless in the second half as they tried sparking a late comeback.
And at Iona on Tuesday, the Iona boys returned to the scene of the crime, as prop Hopa Leota helped sweep the side to an emphatic victory over St Peters.
Just four days after somehow losing a game that seemed in the bag against Padua, Iona left Davine Oval 38-17 winners in the indigenous round clash.
But it was a victory far more comprehensive than the scoreline suggests, despite St Peters second half rally to out score their rivals 17-5 in the final third of the game.
It was a grand performance by Iona who started like the gap between the Padua clash last Saturday and today’s encounter was five minutes, not 72 hours.
Iona swept to a 24-nil halftime lead, and then 31-nil after the break with prop Riley Marlborough scored a rollicking try.
He was one third of a suplerative front row of Alex Manteit and Riley Marlborough that laid foundations, while lock Will Lane, flanker Adam Kelly and blindside breakaway Andi Iki also doned their tool belts.
“It was a win for the boys who were hurting after Saturday’s loss,’’ said Iona coach Paul Davey.
“When Topaz Mohl chased down the intercept midway through the second half, it made a statement that this team has a lot of character.’’
Iona started well and got better as the half progressed.
Iona lock Will Lane, who had a huge match, had a lot to do with his teams first try, chasing a clearing kick hard and helping force a turnover which gifted fullback Levi Hawea the simplistic try. It was 5-nil.
Iona’s scrum was making an early statement and with Iona flanker Adam Kelly chasing his third man of the match award in a row, the home side had started well.
Iona inside centre Campbell Rolfe also forced a turnover with thumping defence, and when a rolling maul carried play 25m and then secured a penalty, Iona were on top.
This was despite a try saving tackle from St Peter’s lock Joseph Greaney who stormed across on gallant cover defence after Iona went sniping forward from an attacking line out.
But it was a short lived reprieve, with prop Hope Leota surging onto possession won close to the line and barrelling over.
Not even an elephant gun would have halted the rampaging Leota who twisted over to score.
More defensive pressure by Iona led to another turnover and another set play from the restart, this time a wider pass again finding Leota who came into the ball with such gusto, one could have sworn he was running down hill.
Leota’s second try, and another Rolfe conversion made it 19-nil.
Greaney was brave again in saving another try as Saints manned the pumps in defence.
More pressure came and this time it was Iona halfback Darcy Pratten who found a channel to the try line. The score was 24-nil by halftime.
You could see if St Peters maintained some pressure they had a back division to trouble teams, but they simply could not control possession.
St Peters simply had to be the next side to score but Iona prop Riley Marlborough crashed toward the defence.
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Onward he ploughed toward the line, school mates roaring as he went, before plunging the ball over the line.
It was a fabulous charge by the big bloke.
St Peters did hit back when hooker Connor Chalmers burrowed his way over from close quarter combat after Saints captain Vice Latu had wrestled his side into the front foot.
Just minutes earlier Iona five eight Topaz Mohl produced the tackle of the match, somehow stopping Saints winger Grayson Gibson who plucked down an intercept and looked certain to score.
From 31-5 Iona found the try line again and for St Peters it was a matter of salvaging what they could from the final 10 minutes.
To St Peters credit they scored again, with No. 10 Charlie Wallace easing over after inside centre Kunanon Dickman had found space down the flank.
Fullback Morton then engineered a late try as St Peters found 17 points - enough to challenge for victory in most games.
Well done to Saints for their late rally because they could easily have caved in 50-nil.
Round 5
Wednesday: Villanova College v Padua College
Saturday: St Laurence’s College v St Edmund’s
Marist College v St Patrick’s
Round 6
Villanova v Iona College
Padua v St Peters
St Edmund’s v St Patrick’s
St Laurence’s v Marist
Round 7
St Peters v Villanova
St Patrick’s v Iona
Padua v St Laurence’s
Marist v St Edmund’s
Footnote: Replays and live coverage of match will be available courtesy of the QRU and available via the website: https://qld.rugby/aic
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