BBC’s coach of ’54 watches historic premiership push after victory over Nudgee College
Brisbane Boys’ College’s premiership winning coach from 66 years ago watched College’s First XV storm to within one match of a maiden outright premiership after victory against Nudgee College on Saturday.
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Brisbane Boys’ College’s premiership winning coach from 66 years ago watched College’s First XV storm to within one match of a maiden outright premiership after victory against Nudgee College on Saturday.
BBC cannot lose the title after beating St Joseph’s Nudgee College 33-22, but need to win their last match against BSHS to ensure they claim the premiership outright.
Graham Thomson was mentor of the 1954 outfit which claimed a joint GPS First XV title.
This afternoon Thomson, immaculate in a dark suit, posed for photos with BBC captain Mason Gordon whose kicking prowess was on show from the first minute until the last.
Then, ushered into the winning team photo, Thomson addressed the team and such was the First XV’s respect for his utterings, you could have heard a pin drop while celebrations rained down around them from supporters.
“I am so pleased this team has broken the drought,’’ Thomson said on Saturday.
“Sixty-six years ago was the last time, and I thought their performance today was the far superior to what my team was.’’
BBC could do it all this season.
The 2020 team had pace, a wide passing game, attacking maul and aggression at the breakdown and also a No. 10 in Sunshine Coast border Mason Gordon who could kick the leather off the ball if needed.
And the side needed all of that on Saturday to defeat a gallant Nudgee College.
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“We spoke a lot about that during the week, that it is going to be a game won all around the park,” said head coach Shane Drahm.
“We have the strike out wide, we have the maul, so really we just left it to the decision makers, particularly Mason who played a beautiful game.’’
Drahm had played in some big games in his career, but even he got caught up in the emotion, the unbridled scenes of joy, which were unfurled when the referee blew his full-time whistle.
With COVID-19 restricting spectators at the ground to parents, officials and the like, crowds watched from outside in Miskin St where a BBC old boy army chanted and screamed.
Then high up on the cliff, BBC war cries would carry across the playing field as the BBC school students hit top note.
It was indeed a win for the ages.
But Drahm said there was one more win needed next week against BSHS
“I am not going to put the hoodoo on it.
“We have set it up now to win the premiership next week.
“We will let them (the players) enjoy this, we can’t lose the premiership now, but hopefully next week we finish it off.’’
Nudgee College director of rugby Sean Graham said his side played well, they just did not have enough ball in the second half.
He also praised BBC’s outstanding “scramble defence’’ which he said kept them in the game in the first half.
“We started really well but I felt like we needed to put another try on in the early stages when we had all that momentum,’’ Graham said.
“Halftime leading 12-7 just was not enough. If there had been more scoreboard pressure, it might have just helped our cause.’’
Graham said once BBC got a roll out, they kicked really well and it was hard to peg them back.
“We just unfortunately struggled to get our hands back on the ball.
“I was happy with how we played, we just needed the ball. When we had the ball our attack was effective.’’
BBC Captain Mason Gordon, who was the best on the field alongside flanker Zac Hough and Jack Howarth, was honoured to be a part of the potentially drought breaking team.
“It’s pretty astonishing to be a part of this team, they’re a great bunch of blokes and there is a good brotherhood between us and it’s obviously been a big drought but we have got the team to do it and as we did today we showed up,” Gordon said after the match.
“They came out firing 12 points early and then our star players came together and played down their end and capitalised on the opportunities.”
Gordon said they still have to prepare for next weekend’s match against Brisbane State High but he has the best coach to do it.
“He (Shane Drahm) has been amazing he is very specific with his coaching and that’s exactly what we need for this team, great knowledge and the best coach I have had so far in my Rugby lifetime,”
“It’s going to be good, we have to refocus and try and bring it home with both hands.
THE MATCH
The desperation of Nudgee College was evident early when winger Robert Mapa amazingly tackled BBC winger Jarrod Homan into touch centimetres before the tryline.
From there Nudgee used the wind behind their back and dominated the first half-hour of the match.
Benn Dalle Cort was fantastic with the ball and with his boot and set up a fantastic break finding Tapuosi on the inside.
The athletic winger drew in the defence before a brilliant right-hand offload to Mapa who scored in the corner.
It wasn’t long until Nudgee scored again.
A quick tap from a penalty on half way from scrum half Oscar Varricchio offloaded to Dalle-Cort who beat several players to score a magnificent try.
It would take something major from BBC to shift the momentum against the breeze and it came through some fantastic breakdown work from the forwards, forcing a penalty.
BBC had minutes to score before the half and Nudgee weren’t giving in, but not many can hold out Jack Howarth.
The competitions most dangerous ball runner streamed over to score a crucial try before half time.
Nudgee led BBC 12-7 at the half.
The second half was a completely different game.
BBC were unstoppable.
The forwards laid a platform giving the backs room to play, especially skipper Mason Gordon.
He was nothing short of spectacular during the contest, making crucial tackles, deadly with the ball and controlled field position with his kicking game.
But it was a smart grubber from inside centre Harry McLaughlin-Phillips who had two of the competitions best backs fighting for the ball, with Howarth winning the race.
Two more tries to Homan and hooker Uhila Senituli stretched the lead as the BBC forwards dominated the breakdown.
Nudgee were never going to go away and despite losing Tapuosi to a serious leg injury, they picked up the pieces.
They piled the pressure on the BBC line and went over from close range through Oahu Davey-Phillips with 15 minutes left.
But arguably the best BBC side in the school’s history were just to good.
The side kept the pressure on and scored through prop Harvey Guest with 10 minutes left.
BBC’s first outright premiership was at the tip of their fingers.
Nudgee substitute Hubert Elu had a blistering run and got them in the position to go over again through outside centre Robert Toia.
But it wasn’t to be.
BBC had done it, their first premiership in 66 years. Now they just have to beat BSHS to make sure it is an outright premiership win.
SCORE
BBC 33 (J Howarth 2, J Homan, U Senituli, H Guest conversions H Mclaughlin-Phillips 4/5) Nudgee 22 (R Mapa, B Dalle Cort, O Davey-Phillips, R Toia, conversions B Dalle Cort 1/4)
In other matches, The Southport School worked hard to beat Ipswich Grammar School 25-19.
In what was a very entertaining game, both teams played positive rugby.
TSS scored first after applying consistent pressure at the set piece and went into the break 12-0 up after IGS unable to capitalise on some very good attacking opportunities.
The second half saw IGS come out with a positive mindset o score two good tries in quick succession.
TSS steadied with strong defensive efforts to secure the win.
The best for IGS were Nic Mitchell, Luke Dixon and Jed Bignell.
In other GPS news, Churchie defeated Toowoomba Grammar 32-21 in Toowoomba and Brisbane State High defeated Brisbane Grammar 48-17 at Northgate
Originally published as BBC’s coach of ’54 watches historic premiership push after victory over Nudgee College
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