Rolls Royce of centres Tim Ryan helps set up AIC premiership decider against St Laurence’s
AIC Rugby’s Rolls Royce of centres Tim Ryan purred into action to save his side from an ambush and set up a premiership show down next Saturday against St Laurence’s.
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For tonight only, the St Patrick’s College community would be entitled to grab the family dictionary, scratch out the word class and in its place put in the name Tim Ryan.
Late this afternoon the Paddies’ outside centre saved his side from an ambush of gigantic proportions against a gallant St Peters Lutheran College to set up an AIC First XV premiership decider against St Laurence’s College next Saturday.
St Patrick’s wheels were spinning, bogged down on St Peters No.1 oval until Ryan, the competition’s Rolls Royce of centres, purred into action.
Down 3-nil 56 minutes into the clash, and with his side going absolutely nowhere, Ryan burst onto a Sasha Rees pass 30m out following a scrum and set sail toward the right hand corner.
With explosive speed, and with his ample head of hair blowing in the breeze behind him, Ryan then cut back to his left.
As he approached the tryline Ryan was stalked by St Peters winger Dom Morton who no doubt was trying desperately to get near enough to try and knock the ball from Ryan’s grasp.
But Ryan scored, sparking celebrations among the small but boisterous cheer squad.
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Having broken the shackles, Ryan then made a second run from inside his half, and his infectious form rubbed off on his centre partner Josh Smith whose break gave St Peters field position for the matchwinning try six minutes from full-time by Spencer Drinkall.
Then, right on full time, halfback Jackson Dows scampered over and the scoreline was inflated to 19-3.
But, hand on heart, if it had stayed 7-3 to Paddies, that scoreline would have reflected the closeness of the game.
In a go-slow match with lots of penalties, St Peters forwards led by the back five, worked and then worked some more.
With halfback Eashen Raju fuelling them with chat, Harvey Lewis, Noah Duncan, Jim Roberts, Dec McCarron and Lachlan Reid hustled and bustled, and frustrated St Patrick’s to such an extent, Paddies’ were in serious danger of defeat.
St Peters centre Kadin Pritchard also tried to spark his side, but the midfield defence of Ryan and Smith held firm.
At one stage the match was gripped in such a deadlock, that one wondered if it was going to be a nil-all draw.
Pritchard at least ensured the game would have more points than the local soccer clash down the road at Taringa Rivers when he kicked one of two penalty attempts in the 54th minute.
But cometh the hour and cometh the man as St Patrick’s No.13 Ryan glided over to ensure his team’s AIC premiership dream lasted for at least another week ahead of confronting unbeaten Lauries.
St Patrick’s hooker Malakai Davis Raeli again had a fine match for his side, with one storming blindside run late in the clash helping his side seize valuable momentum.
Scores: St Patrick’s College 19 (T Ryan, S Drinkall, J Dows tries; J Dows 2 conv) def St Peters Lutheran College 3 (K Pritchard pen).
It was a fractured round of AIC games which saw two midweek matches - won by an unbeaten St Laurence’s over Villanova and by Padua over St Edmunds.
Nick Tucker reports Marist College Ashgrove’s Mr. Reliable Will Valentine has helped his team win their fourth match in a row with a gutsy 36-19 win over Iona College at home on Saturday.
It was a must-win game for Ashgrove to keep their AIC First XV Rugby premiership hopes alive, with rivals St Laurence’s College perched at the top of the ladder with a 5-0 record.
Only Lauries tripping up in a tricky clash against St Patrick’s College next Saturday will open up the premiership race.
Ashgrove had a promising start to the match with winger Tasman Barry scoring following slick hands by headgeared centre Lochie Dudgeon and fullback Pat Tierney.
It was a try that put a smile on the faces of the 1951, 1961, 1971 and 1981 Ashgrove old boys who were watching on from their reunion function at the Cyprian Pavilion.
Marist College Ashgrove Assistant coach Jon Fitzgerald said: “Barry may be out for the rest of the season with a (leg) strain,” but he is hoping it will not sideline him for longer than a week.
Ashgrove quickly piled on two more tries to give them a handy 17-0 lead at McMahon Oval.
Flanker and captain Jack Condon scored in the 15 th minute thanks to a beautiful offload by three-year-winger Dwayne Ludwick.
Blindside flanker Will Andreas threw a nice pop ball to Condon who beat one would-be tackler and then offloaded to flyhalf Tate Cole. An evasive in-and-away step from Cole beat his defender and he ran 20m for Ashgrove’s third try in the 31 st minute.
Iona bounced back before half-time through big front-rower Saxon Warwick to make it a 10-point game going into the break.
None other than trusty No.8 Valentine sealed a great pilfer to give Ashgrove possession moments into the second half.
After winning his team this penalty off the kick-off, Valentine scored a minute later with a nice inside step to put Ashgrove in front 24-7.
Fullback Jeremy Trappett, centre Callum Stoker and flanker Joey Thornton were solid all afternoon for Iona, keeping them in the fight until the very end.
Valentine, however, had different ideas, halting Iona’s momentum in the second half with David Pocock-like pilfers, getting Ashgrove out of trouble in their own 22 multiple times.
Thornton scored off a pick and drive following consistent pressure mounted on Ashgrove’s try line.
Dudgeon threw a nice overhead pass to lock Matt Osborne in the 56 th minute to set him up close to the line for Ashgrove’s 5 th try of the day, making it 29-14.
Iona No.8 Aiden Sutherland scored from another pick and drive in the 60 th minute to put them within 10 points, after Ashgrove captain, Condon was given a yellow card.
Centre Ky Rashleigh put the final nail in the coffin in the 66 th minute with an amazing try. Ludwick passed him a good pill and Rashleigh goose-stepped the Iona defender to run away for a 35m try.
Iona Head of Sport Keith Harron said, “Ashgrove started better, and the Iona boys played catch up for most of the game.
It got to 29-19 at one stage and it was game on but then they scored to seal
the game.”
“It was a pretty open game, but the Ashgrove backrow played very strongly to set up their win. We scored three tries off the back of our lineout which was a strong point for Iona.”
Marist College Ashgrove 36 (T Barry, J Condon, T Cole, W Valentine, M Osborne, K Rashleigh tries; D Ludwick 3 con) beat Iona College 19 (S Warwick, J Thornton, A Sutherland tries; C Pereira 2 con)
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ROUND 2: PADDIES PULL MATCH OUT OF THE FIRE
ROUND 3: THE DAY THE SAINTS MARCHED IN
After a scare against Villanova, Laurie’s moved a step closer to the premiership by scoring four tries in the last 20 minutes.
It was a tight match for an hour, with St Laurence’s showing Villa due respect by kicking two penalty goals instead of scrumming and keeping the ball in hand.
St Laurence’s had batted the Villanova line for long periods in the first half, but brave Villa refused to yield.
Six-nil to Laurie’s became 9-nil just after the break, but a converted try to Villanova reduced the margin to 9-7 as the Villanova supporters found their voice.
But the pending champions St Laurence’s responded.
“In the last 20 minutes we scored four tries to put the game to bed,’’ said St Laurence’s College coach Wilmar du Plessis.
“We were better in the key moments and took our opportunities when they came after an arm wrestle in the first half. We came through in the critical moments.’’
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He said when Villa closed within two points, St Laurence’s reverted “back to basics and everything stuck and we played some good attacking rugby’’.
Villanova’s defiant effort was led by lock and captain Tom Twaddell who cut an inspiring figure, while jack-in-the-box fullback Gus Godwin and centre Cam Bukowski were also outstanding.
In the other midweek game, Padua College also had a battle on its hands before rising to a 44-12 win over the much improved St Edmund’s College on the hallowed grounds at Padua College, Kedron.
There was only a 12 point margin between the teams at halftime, but Padua won the second half 20-nil to push away from Eddies.
Inside centre Will McCulloch scored two tries while the defence of blindside flanker Mitch Ross and the strong carries from No. 8 Andrew De Jager were highlights.
Padua coach Shane Buckley liked his team’s patience in attack. “We built phases and used eyes up footy to exploit their numbers which led to tries,’’ Buckley said.
There was a huge moment for three families at Padua, with Josh Linklater, Denzel Chio and George Kelsall making their First XV debuts.
“All performed well, especially given minimal preparation time,’’ Buckley said.
Chio had the distinction of scoring in his first match while also offering up a try assist, while Kelsall capped a memorable year after earlier playing in Padua’s First XI.
“We had a few defensive lapses in the first half, but we kept our opponents to nil in the second half, which was very pleasing,’’ Buckley said.
Eddies’ coach Andrew Kirk said Daniel Mavunda and Regan Payne were his best.
Round 6, June 5: St Edmund’s v Villanova College, St Peters Lutheran College v Marist College Ashgrove, Iona College v Padua College, St Patrick’s College v St Laurence’s College.
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