AIC First XV rugby: grand final Kingmakers; Rd 6 Team of the Week
The AIC First XV Team of the Week for round 6 has been named ahead of Saturday’s premiership blockbuster between Padua and St Laurence’s College.
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Padua have the AIC First XV premiership - but will they have it all to themselves? The answer will be evident on Saturday when St Laurence’s College strives to share the title with them.
Reigning premiers St Laurence’s will host Padua in what shapes as a battle royale.
AIC RUGBY’S RD 5 TEAM OF THE WEEK
Ahead of the clash, we name our final Team of the Week from last weekend’s fixtures, while also peering ahead and selecting some of the key players set to impact Saturday’s match.
GRAND FINAL KINGMAKERS
Finn Mackay (St Laurence’s)
With or without wind on his side, Mackay’s kicking can go a long way in how this match plays out.
His goal kicking could also prove influential, along with his darting runs from fly half.
Damon Humphrys (Padua)
Like Mackay, Humphrys kicks the goals, kicks for touch and has a deft touch on his attacking grubber kicks.
The pair went head to head last year at Banyo, with Mackay’s side coming out on top.
Now a year older and wiser, the athletic Humphrys will have his finger on the trigger for the boys from Kedron.
Jayden Solien (Padua)
Fullback Solien brings that flair and fear factor for Padua, which in the big games is what you need sometimes to get over the line.
Padua would not trade Solien for anyone. He is the best and most dangerous to return those booming kicks Mackay is bound to put in behind.
Huw Griffiths (St Laurence’s)
Souths junior Griffiths, an abrasive hooker, has a big role come lineout time, while also being one of his team’s most damaging ball runners.
Watch for the No. 2 jersey in the wider channels running like a right edge centre.
Luka Smith (St Laurence’s)
St Laurence’s forward leader, Smith’s powerful runs, work from attacking lineouts and pick and drive authority make him the type of forward who could prove the difference in a tight match.
Callum Rooney and co (Padua)
The Padua front row was out powered but not out played in a season defining round 4 clash against Iona College, and can the Padua props Rooney and Taavi Upchurch, along with hooker George Noone, stand up again in the set piece and defensively from St Laurence’s attacking lineout ball?
ROUND SIX TEAM OF THE WEEK
15. Tom Howard (Ashgrove)
Mr Twinkle toes himself was at the peak of his powers last Saturday, rising to the occasion as a big match atmosphere engulfed the ground. His first half try, when he stepped three times off his left foot, was one of the best of the season. Howard also made numerous half breaks and then, with the match in the balance at 24-20, burst clear to put Ashgrove into a position to wrap the game up late in the match.
14. Joe Watson (Villanova)
There have been some good debuts this year. Think Xavier Howard and Lachie McCall against Villanova or Harry Vidler against St Peters in round one.
But none were as good as what Watson produced in his first start last Saturday.
He inspired an undermanned Villanova side with his effort plays, off the kick chase and in cover defence.
13. Matt Doherty (Iona)
Iona’s midfield mastermind ran riot on Davine Oval, rucking the ball up with vigour and powering through contact to get his side onto the front foot.
Doherty line running and ball playing to free up Campbell Rolfe and Lachie Smith worked wonders for Iona coming out of their half.
12. Tom Millard (Ashgrove)
He scored two tries, coming onto the ball for his second try like he had been fired out of a cannon. Receiving quality possession from his halves McCall and Roberts, Millard did not over play his hand, which enabled the ball to get into the hands of his outside backs. He also defended strongly.
11. Campbell Rolfe (Iona)
Rolfe’s accurate goal kicking flew under the radar on Saturday because of the uptempo, entertaining rugby that was being displayed by both sides.
But in a real grudge match, Rolfe’s two penalty goals and three conversions (four attempts) was almost as impressive as his masterful play making from fullback.
10. Finn Mackay (St Laurence’s)
Mackay’s tactical kicking early was poetry, and the manner in which he steered his side was first class given the pressure his side was under from the inspired Ashgrove forward pack. He did enough to make this side.
9. Lachie McCall (Ashgrove)
While the forward battle between both packs and Tom Howard’s glittering incursions for Ashgrove caught most of the spotlight, McCall deserves special mention for his delivery to five-eight Nate Roberts. The pressure was intense around the base of both packs, but McCall held his nerve and maintained a high standard through the ebbs and flows of a seesawing clash. If he had faltered with errors at the base of his pack, Ashgrove were in deep trouble - but he did not.
8. Jack Breuer (St Edmund’s)
You know you have done something right when the opposition coach takes notice.
St Patrick’s coach Jim Potts loved the energy and willingness of St Edmund’s No. 8 Breuer on Saturday.
He has been making tackles, getting back on his feet and either challenging the breakdown or making another tackle all season long and it was no surprise to see him have another stunner in round six.
7. Ben Caughley (Ashgrove)
With apologies to his fellow flanker Sebastian Gardner (chosen as a reserve), Caughley inches his way into our Team of the Week. There have been some mighty fine flankers wear the Blue and Gold First XV breakaway jumpers over the seasons, but few would have played better in a big match than both Caughley and Gardner. The boys shoould take a bow.
6. Liam O’Callaghan (St Laurence’s)
O’Callaghan was elite for Laurie’s with his defensive work at the breakdown and deserved to be in the winning side. He was everywhere for St Laurence’s and earned the respect of his peers when the Ashgrove players awarded him his team’s Doubles Daley Medal winner.
5. Adam Burnell (Ashgrove)
Adam Burnell and his second row partner Christian Kurylewski continued their strong finish to the season, with Burnell’s performance one of the finest by a forward in the competition this season. Having played a full match in the Second XV, he came on for the injured Pat Anderson after around 10 minutes and played himself to a stand still before cramp forced him from the field.
4. Will Ross (Padua)
Padua’s Australian Under-16s selection has risen to the plate this season which is a big reason why they have secured at least the joint premiership - with an outright premiership in their sights. Against St Peters, Ross scored two tries and was hard to contain around his ball winning.
3 Sam Binney (Villanova)
Against a front row of Sam Hodder, Fononga Tuitahi and Hopo Leota, Binney had a blinder.
The Doubles Daley medallist, Binney continued his blistering form with a top notch scrimmaging showcase which also featured plenty of defensive highlights on his goal line.
2 Manaaki Bateman (St Patrick’s)
There is no one more clinical than St Patrick’s representative hooker Bateman near the goal line.
On Saturday Bateman turned a 14-0 deficit after five minutes into a convincing win with a hat-trick of rolling maul tries in front of a passionate old boys day crowd.
1 Hopo Leota (Iona)
The Iona prime mover played tight-head prop and had his best game of the year.
In an enthralling bayside derby against Villanova, Leota’s thumping defence, soft hands and try scoring prowess close to the line helped Iona overcome a two-man disadvantage for 10 minutes of the game to win.
RESERVES
Luka Smith (St Laurence’s)
It took a man of the match performance by Villa’s Sam Binney and Hopa Leota’s season best performance to move Smith from the starting line up, but he was the first reserve chosen. Smith was one of the top forwards on the ground with his thunderous runs, work off the lineout and pick and drive expertis.
Sebastian Gardner (Ashgrove)
There will be a roit in Gardner household this morning when they learn he wasn’t in the First XV Team of the Week - but two does not go into three despite him being as good as teammate Ben Caughley and Laurie’s Doubles Daley Medal winner Liam O’Callaghan. Gardner and Caughley reached into the depths of their energy reserves to help ensure Ashgrove maintained the intensity against the champion St Laurence’s pack. Oh, how Gardner deserved that late try after supporting a run by Tom Howard.
Alex Brown (St Peters)
The Saints lock has been first class all season long and on Saturday he had another strong showing at the breakdown.
Even against quality opposition like Flynn Dalton, Will Tozer and Josh Forrest, Brown had plenty of success, jacking the ball twice to earn turnovers.
Huw Griffiths (St Laurence’s)
In general play Griffiths answered the call to arms with an inspired second half performance around the ground. Although Ashgrove disrupted the Laurie’s line out, Griffiths lifted on both sides of the ball as Laurie’s fought to come from behind.
Jackson Connor (Villanova)
While at times he overplayed his hand, there wouldn’t have been many who worked as hard and for as long as inspirational Villanova captain and No. 8 Jackson Connor.
The big man kicked goals for his side, ran like an outside back, trucked it up close to the line like a tight forward and was a defensive monster.
Josh Forrest (Padua)
Nimble flanker Forrest produced a superb 70 minutes, culminating in him receiving the Doubles Daley medal.
The No. 6 jersey will haunt the St Peters boys before their final game against Villanova this Saturday following Forrest’s titanic performance where he made big play after big play.
Ben Davis (St Laurence’s)
It was on for young and old upfront and the battle hardened loose forward lapped up the confrontation. It was like he had a force field around him, the way he deflected the challenge coming at him from the Ashgrove forwards and continued to play at his authoritative best.
Riley Horn (St Patrick’s)
The classy St Patrick’s conjurer played fly half but we moved him into inside centre because Finn Mackay was brilliant at Ashgrove.
Horn’s kicking game was first class in the second half of Saturday’s game against St Edmund’s, albeit he had the wind in his favour.
But his running game and passing game also allowed St Patrick’s to make inroads through sharp outside backs Matt Condon and Jhye Leis.
Joel Drew (Ashgrove)
Ashgrove’s Doubles Daley Medal winner, the athletic left winger was effectively used coming into the backline from the blindside wing. Few other finishers in the competition would have scored the try Drew did, with the Australian 400m hurdles bronze medallist kicking away from the St Laurence’s defence to score a stunning 95m team try set up by his centre Xavier Howard.
Special mentions
Connor Gane (Ashgrove)
On a day when the Ash front three of Gane, Heinrich and Downes just had to stand up and keep the scrum square and defend Laurie’s feared rolling maul, Gane led the way.
Tom Nadenic (St Laurence’s)
The St Laurence’s captain and lock, Nadenic was Mr Stability, more reliable than BHP used to be.
Christian Kurylewski (Ashgrove)
Not for the first time this season did this rising young lock impressed. Watch this space.
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