QRU colts club rugby 2020: Brothers versus GPS at Ashgrove
In QRU colts club rugby today, Brothers finished over the top of a brave GPS. It took Brothers until the last five minutes to wriggle free of their opponents despite the scoreline of 24-5. Coverage, pictures here.
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The best side won in the end, but boy it was a fight to the death as Brothers wriggled its way over GPS in colts one rugby this season.
Brothers took the chocolates in the premiership competition opener 24-5, but not before an arm wrestle that went on and on, long into the second half.
Later in the afternoon, GPS turned the table on Brothers in Premier rugby, with the Galloping Greens winning 26-13.
In Colts, Angus Lovelock and George Tarabay scored late Brothers to inflate the scoreline after the match sat at 5-0, 5-all and then 12-5 for long periods.
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Brothers had an edge all game but the team’s execution was not there, largely due to the persistent GPS defensive line.
Brothers coach Kelevi Tuicolo acknowledged it was a tough afternoon.
“We try to work a lot on our detail, with our carries and tackles, but all credit to GPS. They worked that breakdown really hard and our boys could not get a rhythm,’’ he said.
But in the end the dam wall broke and Brothers scored two late tries to rise to safety.
“I think it came down in the end to resilience,’’ Tuicolo said.
GPS coach Drew Vautin was proud of his team’s spirited performance.
“We had a lot of injuries coming into this week,’’ Vautin said.
“We speak about our D and N and our D and N is getting into fights and staying in fights.’’
Brothers opened the scoring when fly-half Jake Pappin cannoned a cut-out pass wide to his winger Dan Muller who scurried over.
But then GPS got into the slog and although Brothers had a better scrum and threatened more with the ball, GPS refused to go away.
The further the half went on, the more threatening GPS became and they carried that form into the second half where Brad Altman rewarded his team with a try, chasing after a Harry Wright grubber kick.
Then from the restart Brothers put GPS under pressure, forcing a turnover which Pappin seized upon to pass left where fullback Waia and Muller combined for Muller to score again.
GPS, with fly-half Bas Ward probing, winger Harry Barker running with gusto and the forwards rallying, then pushed Brothers to the brink. But Brothers’ defence held up.
A surging forward pack was key to Souths keeping Sunnybank scoreless in a game marred by heavy rain in the second half.
Souths coach Rama Chand was “pretty happy” with the boys’ efforts in the 26-nil win over Sunnybank and said a strong scrum game by the forwards was key to their success today.
The coach was especially enthused by the sides halves and inside centre.
Chand named No. 12 Lukas Ripley as the day’s standout player and said with tough games against University, Bond and Easts on the horizon there were some improvements to be made.
Although pleased with the overall performance Chand would have liked to see more disciplined decision making and a better tackle focus.
Souths next have a bye affording them some time to further fine tune tactics.
In other matches University beat Easts 34-19 and Bond beat Norths 52-5.