AIC First XV premiership decider between Laurie’s and Padua
See how the AIC XV premiership epic decider between new champs Padua College and four season premiers St Laurence’s unfolded and find out where Queensland’s best schoolboy prop will ply his trade later this decade.
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Padua College’s First XV and supporters transformed St Laurence’s Crawford Oval fortress into a heaving gold and brown celebration after a dramatic hit and run mission snared the 2024 rugby premiership.
Padua beat Laurie’s 27-22, the college’s first First XV premiership since 2016, ending St Laurence’s remarkable four season sequence of titles.
Padua’s players were mobbed on full-time, some disappearing to the ground as they were knocked off their feet by the celebrating masses.
“We did it for it each,’’ uttered Padua captain Will Tozer at the end of an unbeaten campaign which started in November on Assisi Oval, went via Ireland during a pre-season tour, and ended on a windswept winter afternoon in Runcorn.
Phew, what a journey for this group of 23 players, many of whom were inspired by last season’s near miss season when St Laurence’s pipped them to the title.
“There were eight Year 11 students from last year so I guess having a really good season, and losing at the last hurdle, was something that drove them during the off-season,’’ said Padua coach Andrew Clyne.
“Those players, with the current Year 11s as well, made a really good mix of players.’’
Clyne said a key tactic this season was to let the “bloody good footballers’’ in the side play the game and not be too constrained by structure.
“Our attack has been outstanding all year and we knew if we just hold onto the footy, we are talented and we’d score some points.
“We wanted them to back their ability, and play to space,’’ he added.
In terms of the forwards, Clyne said while his side had backline strike power, the front eight did their job well, including in the set pieces. “They just work really, really hard, and they are physical as well,’’ Clyne said.
St Laurence’s reign under coach Welmar du Plessis has been remarkable.
St Laurence’s won four successive premierships (including a tied title during the COVID-19 era) and only last week lost its first competition match since round 4, 2019.
It has been an era of domination constructed largely around the best drilled, most disciplined forward packs of the competition.
Padua’s down payment on the premiership came with about eight minutes to play when electric fullback Jayden Solien produced a subtle pass to send his inside centre Nate Clark ploughing over to score the winning try.
How appropriate those two boys combined, given how strongly the pair had played this season.
It was a wonderful grand final which saw Padua halfback Brock Dillon pull the trigger to create a try, and score one as well, sending his side spiralling to an early 12-nil advantage.
Then, as you would expect, St Laurence’s found their rhythm as five-eight Finn Mackay piloted his kicks toward the corners which brought his team back into the contest.
From line out to rolling maul to pick and drive to scrum, Laurie’s forwards rumbled and rolled their side back into the game.
A set piece scrum play, featuring a glorious inside pass, was one highlight of their recovery, as was a steal from Laurie’s flanker Liam O’Callgahan that gave his centre Lewis Blaikie a chance to run his side into try scoring territory.
At 12-all entering the second half, the match slightly favoured St Laurence’s given Mackay was kicking with the wind.
The power of the St Laurence’s scrum then busted the Padua tight five, leading to a turnover which led to Preston O’Brien scoring to take his side ahead 17-15. Mackay’s conversion made it 19-15 and Padua were playing from behind.
But what Laurie’s could do well at one end, the Padua forwards could do just as well at the other, and after a glorious run by five-eight Damon Humphrys, Padua’s forwards entered into a pick and drive assault, with prop Taavi Upchurch scoring.
Leading 20-19, Padua’s fatigued players looked for an x-factor effort to push their side ahead, and it came from Solien.
Solien, dangerous with the limited chances he received, angled a run to the midfield.
Just as the crowd edged forward on their seats and anticipated he would attack a half gap himself, Solien surprised with a short pass to charging inside centre Clark.
Clark started his run to the line carrying the weight of his teammates, coach and supporters on his back.
But he made it safe and sound, plunging over beneath the posts and although Mackay kicked a late penalty to put St Laurence’s without touch again, Clark’s try for Padua was the clincher.
The premiership was a special moment for captain and No.8 Tozer who carried a heavily strapped left thigh into the match.
He had been the lynch pin of his college’s First XI cricket team for three seasons, and now he was a coveted premiership winning rugby captain.
Tozer, the Doubles Daley Medallist, and his flankers Flynn Dalton and Joshua Forrest were strong all season, with Dalton inspired today.
St Laurence’s hooker Huw Griffiths was presented with Laurie’s Doubles Dales Medal.
Griffiths, along with his prop Luka Smith, breakaway Liam O’Callaghan and No.8 Ben Davis were outstanding today for St Luarence’s, while Padua’s front three of Rooney, Noone and Upchurch did their jobs under extreme pressure.
On Davine Oval, Iona College finished its season on a high note after responding courageously to a two-man disadvantage midway through the second half when Fononga Tuitahi and Blaze Mohi were yellow carded in quick succession.
Iona won 43-27 and led 24-22 when lowered to 13 men. While under armed, Iona managed to go blow for blow with St Patrick’s, Iona winning that trying period 7-5.
Gutsy St Patrick’s left winger Henry Armstrong struck with a superb finish in contact to take a 27-24 lead, before Iona scored two unanswered tries as their fly half and hooker returned to the field.
With St Patrick’s applying plenty of pressure, Iona’s breakdown brilliance won back possession on three occasions as the home side raced away to a crucial nine-point-buffer, ahead 36-27.
Iona’s line speed then forced an error as St Patrick’s dangerously attacked left field, before a thumping Campbell Rolfe tackle and subsequent pilfer win by his teammate ensured Iona would finish with five wins in the season and on 10 points alongside Ashgrove and St Laurence’s.
In a seesawing affair where there were five lead changes, Iona’s big guns Hopo Leota and Campbell Rolfe stood tall, with Rolfe putting the icing on the cake when he strode over for the last try of the season, which was converted by lineout weapon Ned Dore.
Leota, the 130kg tighthead, will move to Paris in November after graduating where he will join French Top 14 club Racing 92.
The highly touted 18-year-old Kiwi has been signed by the club for three and a half years.
Leota has been away from his family before, like when he went to boarding school in New Zealand while his Mum was in Brisbane.
But Leota is excited for the challenge that comes with moving to Paris as an 18-year-old and said the opportunity to get better in the elite Top 14 competition was impossible to pass up.
Leota said his dream was still to represent the Queensland Reds and Wallabies, but when an opportunity such as this came calling it was a no-brainer.
He said he was incredibly grateful and thankful for what he learnt in the Reds Academy.
He will move into the club’s Under-23s setup with aspirations of making the top team in the near future.
TRIPLE TREAT
St Patrick’s College may not have got the results this season but everyone can see they are a good side with plenty of points in them.
After Iona snuck out promptly to a 14-0 lead, the Paddies battalion rallied to pile on 15 points with three unanswered tries.
While the side’s dangerous left edge attack of Riley Horn, Jake Maynard, Matt Condon and fullback Ryan Smallhorne saw success, it was the lead up work by their forwards which made it all possible.
With soft hands and great patience, big boys Manaaki Bateman, Denzel Savelino and Keiahn Nukunuku worked away near the Iona goal line to break down the dam wall.
With Cohen Taylor, flanker Cooper Sutherland and scheming scrumhalf Jesse Daly also offering plenty, the boys from Shorncliffe marched in and crossed for three wonderfully worked five-pointers to take a 15-14 lead.
NOT FOR LONG
St Patrick’s backline was singing and their forwards destructive, but Iona hit back with two cracking tries saw them retake a 24-14 lead heading into half time.
With Campbell Rolfe a class act and Hopo Leota a left edge wonder, the home side went bang to score a try in each corner in the space of five minutes.
Vocal right winger Connor Quinn scored a superb try right on the whistle, not his first fantastic finish on that side of the field this season.
WOW!
Manaaki Bateman’s incredible try scoring ability near the line is common knowledge by now. But did you know he is a slick link man who has the finesse of an outside back?
For St Patrick’s fourth try, Bateman raised eyebrows with a superb flick pass in contact, setting pacy right wing Jhye Leis on a path towards the tryline.
Leis, with plenty to do, joked two defenders with a wonderful right to left step before striding over under the sticks to draw within two points, 22-24.
In other matches, Villanova won 52-13 over St Peters and in Ipswich, Ashgrove turned a 21-9 halftime lead into a stirring 73-9 win.
In Ipswich, St Edmund’s rallied well to trail 14-9 heading into the break before Ashgrove landed a converted try on the cusp of halftime.
In the second stanza, Tom Howard, Joel Drew, Lachie McCall pacy debutant flyhalf Lachy Manning and physical loosehead Reuben Downes spearheaded an unanswered 52 point scoring surge.
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