Alex goes back to his roots in FNC rugby

Sevens star turns out for junior club in the Pioneers in big win over Ballina

AUSTRALIAN sevens player and former Queensland Reds winger Alex Gibbon helped Wollongbar- Alstonville to a 52-34 win over Ballina in Far North Coast rugby union on Saturday.

He came off the bench late in the second half and scored two tries as the Pioneers sealed the minor premiership and a home semi-final at Lyle Park, Wollongbar.

Gibbon played juniors at the Pioneers but had not turned out for the club since 2009, when he moved to Sydney.

He was able to play after finishing the Shute Shield (Sydney first grade) season with Southern Districts the previous weekend while the National Rugby Championship doesn't start until next month.

Gibbon started the day scoring two tries in reserve grade before an injury to five-eighth Reece Brown paved the way for him to come on first grade.

"He didn't get a lot of game time (in first grade) but it was wonderful for a player of his calibre to come back and play with his local club,” Wollongbar- Alstonville coach John Jenkins said.

"I wouldn't say he was the difference, I think we would have won (by the time he came on) and I'm not bothered by it at all.

"He actually made a mistake where he didn't pass the ball and we could have scored off it.

"He scored a good try from backing up but if it wasn't him there would have been someone else in the same spot.

"I thought today was the best game of rugby I've seen in all my time coaching here.

"We defended well and I thought Grant Knight had a terrific game for Ballina.

"I actually really like watching him play.”

Knight had a hand in most tries from five-eighth as the lead chopped and changed throughout the top-of-the-table clash.

A penalty try for a deliberate knock-down led to winger Mitchell Knight being yellow-carded and the Pioneers jumped out to a 19-7 lead in the first half.

Ballina winger Ben Robinson scored a try just before the break then the second half became an arm-wrestle that the Pioneers eventually won.

Ballina front-rower Isaac Pratten and second-rower Aidan Edwards were yellow-carded for separate incidents while Pioneers centre Nathaniel Regueira also had a spell off the field.

"We played with 14 men for 50 minutes which is never easy but there were some positive signs when we had the ball,” Ballina assistant coach Andrew Fraser said.

"Credit to Wollongbar for scoring a few tries at the end and we'll look forward to having another crack next week.”

In other games:

Byron Bay beat Lismore City 50-13 at the Byron Bay Recreation Ground.

Lennox Head piled on the points in the second half in a 46-12 win over Casino at Albert Park, Casino.

Southern Cross University finished its season on a high with a 22-0 win over Bangalow at Maurie Ryan Oval, Lismore.