Colts 1 club rugby round 12 latest: Wests, Bond flex, GPS and Souths swoop
Wests, Souths and Bond University flexed muscle in round 12 of Colts 1 club rugby while GPS toppled Brothers. More here on how the matches unfolded.
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On David Wilson Field at Bottomley Park, Bond University flanker Fergus Gillan gave Easts a healthy reality check in a stunning two-try performance that propelled his side past the winner’s post.
The Bull Sharks bit hard and often to down the Tigers 42-36 in the wet. Gillan, wearing jersey No. 6 and winning lineouts, was enormous before being granted an early mark with about 20 minutes to go.
It took a great team effort from Bond to beat Easts but it simply would not have been done had Gillan not been there.
The tradesman always does his job very well, with authority, and on Saturday he made his presence on the field felt even more than usual.
MOANA MAULS THE TIGERS
Prolific Bond hooker Blaze Moana scored two rolling maul tries in a first half marred by the concussion of Jackson Jury.
Jury, Bond’s inside centre, has been top notch over the past month but he will miss the next few weeks after putting his head in the wrong place coming through to make a tackle.
Jury put on an impressive kick chase and stopped his opponent in their tracks, but was stretchered off after coming off second best.
He will be happy to know his Bull Sharks brought their best for him.
Moana was one of those to step up in his absence, the young veteran scoring his team’s first try after Easts hooker Jakeb Horne had made it 7-nil.
Easts midfielder Ilan Cloete, who was hard to handle all game, then scored for a 14-7 lead before Bond hit back through towering left wing Josh Salisbury.
Moana landed his second just shy of half time to make it 21-all after prop Byron Murphy muscled over for Easts.
GILLAN THE GAZELLE
Easts led for the last time when ahead, 24-21, at the break.
The bounding Gillan made sure of that when he scored two quick tries to hand Bond a 35-24 lead.
Gillan resembled a nimble outside back when he caught the ball 25m out and evaded Easts’ last line of defence with nothing but mobility and speed.
He showed his strength and precision scoring a pick-and-drive try shortly after.
Gillan’s flanker Will Carter was also immense, a wholehearted 70-minute performer that worked hard on both sides of the ball.
NAIL IN THE COFFIN
Easts had a sniff when Easts’ best forward on the day, flanker Noah Rauluni, scored to make it 35-29.
Cloete and flyhalf Sam McGahan were key in the build up to Rauluni’s try but Bond put to bed the hopes of a successful late heave by Easts when lock Charles McCauley broke the line and charged downfield.
The field position gained from McCauley’s break and the subsequent run by flyhalf Callum Simpson created a telling try by fullback Ryan Wildman.
It meant Easts trailed by two converted tries and had just 10 minutes to conjure a miracle.
Byron Murphy’s try on full time and the conversion by fullback Tom Lambo was too little too late. However that was important because it ensured two bonus points for Easts and kept them in fourth place (34pts), one point ahead of Wests.
The Wests Bulldogs rolling maul was the arrowhead which most penetrated University and drove the visitors to a must-win local derby victory at St Lucia.
Wests won 31-19 on the strength of a precision-plus performance by the team’s rolling maul formation, and also desperate first half defence which denied University progress on the scoreboard even though The Students were dominating field position and winning the scrum battle.
With Wests lock Will Pascoe leading his forwards, two of the Bulldogs first three tries — both by hooker Harry Solofa — came from rampant rolling mauls efforts off attacking lineouts.
A third, scored by flanker Ezalle Matautia, also came from a forceful pick and drive assault.
The fact Wests led 14-5 at halftime would have frustrated the living daylights out of the University bench, because the Red Heavies had by far the better of the territory battle across the first half.
University’s only first half try was a beauty, with lock Michael Waldron combining alongside prop Kingbenjamin Swerling whose super pass gave fullback Tom Howard a run to the line to score.
But from a five-nil advantage, University found themselves down 14-5 at halftime, and then 19-5 early into the second half when Bulldogs’ hooker Solofa spun off a rolling maul to score.
Then, a complete and utter calamity at the back of the field result in Wests turning defence into attack, raising the visitors to a 26-7 break.
University looked like they were setting up to score after prop Paul Aiolupotea had broken the line, but Wests flyhalf Will Nason intervened with a try saving tackle.
In the blink of an eye, a turnover of possession and a kick ahead, supported by a willing chase and then a fumble or two, saw Wests take play 90m upfield where centre Ryan Shaw was the man on the spot to scoop up the ball on the ground and score.
At that moment Wests looked certain to win, and win well, but University had other ideas.
Almost from the kick-off, University applied the blow torch and within 90 seconds of Shaw’s try, University were celebrating their own converted try.
The University scrum then ramped up its assault on the Wests pack, winning the set piece battle hands down.
With prop Swerling and hooker Moe Koroi the centrepiece, Uni won a tighthead, and then a scrum penalty and all of a sudden Wests were under siege.
But in a typically gritty manner, Wests defended with boots and all.
Although University did score later courtesy of hooker Koroi via some rolling maul precision, time had run out for a miracle recovery win.
On Hugh Courtney at Norths, the Magpies swooped to beat the Eagles 28-12 and consolidate second place on the ladder.
The fast feet of outside backs Viliame Lacudru and Gideon Lasaqa caused plenty of havoc but it was their team’s ability to score points at key moments that proved the decisive difference.
Inside centre Darcy Rowan scored just shy of half time and blindside flanker Huw Griffiths the same, just after the break, to put a canyon between the sides.
This was after Norths had landed the first try through aggressive hooker Manaaki Bateman, a prolific tryscorer if ever there was one.
But Manaaki’s try was one of few positives the home side produced in a dominant first half performance by Souths. In the second half, Norths rallied and went down fighting.
JEEZ GIDEON!
Souths flyer Gideon Lasaqa has been a man on a mission in 2025 and on the Norths turf his twinkle toes were at their potent best.
Lasaqa ran in two tries within the first 20 minutes to affirm his position as one of the competition’s best wingers.
It was a by-product of great territorial kicking by flyhalf Finn Mackay and his game-management to ensure his backs Rowan, Harry Newnham, Viliame Lacudru, Pat Brackenrig and Lasaqa could warm into the game.
Around his 100 per cent goalkicking, Mackay also ensured the visitors enjoyed the glut of possession in a 21-7 first half.
“They took full advantage,” said Norths coach Bart Ritchie.
EAGLES HIT BACK
After Rowan’s try took the wind out of them, Norths were determined to hit back and despite losing the second half 7-5, they finished the better of the two.
Dylan Roost deservedly crossed for the hosts’ second try after the busy St Brendan’s old boy had busted a handful of tackles and showed his defensive intent from the outset.
Roost also made sure he chased every kick and was pressurising with his line speed.
Flanker Ben Kluck also did everything right, the brilliant breakaway just “outstanding”.
Ritchie had missed Kluck’s grit, high work rate and energy while the forward leader missed most of the first round rehabilitating a torn ligament in his ankle.
He continued to make up for lost time against Souths.
Lock Jack Corby did the same in his return to Colts 1, the Padua old boy getting his hands dirty and repaying the faith of Ritchie who had seen more than enough in the last fortnight to promote him from Colts 2s.
At Yoku Road, GPS hooker Reuben Downes flexed considerable muscle in 1 seesawing 21-12 success over Brothers.
Downes scored the decisive try deep into the second half that turned a two-point lead into a telling nine-point buffer.
Spearheaded by forward leader George Griffiths, tireless flanker Riley Canavan and scrumhalf supremo James Prole, the Gallopers adapted to the wet conditions to score three tries to Brothers two.
Prop powerhouse Harry Gould, hooker Downes and Xavier Tabuteau, a constantly improving winger, all scored for the home side while crash-running midfielder Sam Condon and young hooker Liam Robinson scored tries for the visitors.
CAPTAINS ARE KEY
With the weather having its say yet again in a rain-soaked season, the respective captains were key in leading their sides.
It was a battle of whose set piece was going to come out on top and gutsy GPS No.8 Griffiths did his best to lead from the front.
Brothers halfback and captain Zach Lewis was also impressive with his game management, direction and organisation of his troops one off the ruck.
Griffiths has been the glue of GPS’ lineout over the past two seasons and he was at his best on Saturday while proving a physical and dominant ball-carrier when in attack.
“He was instrumental,” praised GPS assistant coach Matt Mafi.
Mafi was once again pleased with the box-kicking of his flame-haired scrumhalf Prole, an elite tactical kicking No. 9 who provided snappy service to Spencer Alock who assumed his starting No. 10 role in winning fashion.
Alcock’s inclusion meant Jude Knapp shifted back to No. 15 where his constant communication and big right boot played its part in the wet-weather skirmish.
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