Colts 1 club rugby: Norths game-winner, Uni, Wests, Souths in wins
Colts 1 club rugby: Rugby was the winner in round 12 of the season as Norths jumped into the top four. Read the reports from all four games here as well as the Premier Womens game between UQ and GPS.
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Charlie Cooke and Finlay King were last-gasp heroes as Wests somehow fended off an amped up Bond University in a showcase Colts 1 clash against the Bullsharks.
In a round which also saw three other rip-roaring matches - the grand final replay won 24-21 by Souths against Brothers, Uni beating GPS and Norths escaping Sunnybank’s clutches - the Bulldogs got the chocolates 24-19 over Bond.
But rugby was the winner in the Wests-Bond clash as both teams put on a wonderful exhibition at The Kennel.
It all came down to one final surge by Bond University’s muscle bound pack when the Bullsharks launched a relentless pick and drive attack in search of a try which would have levelled the scores.
But remarkable Wests flanker Cooke and gutsy hooker King clung to the Bond forwards like leeches in the rainforest, preventing a try which would have given Bond a chance to kick the winning conversions.
Phew. What a match it was as the Bulldogs barked in the second half to recover from a 7-14 deficit to win a match which changed lead three times in the second half.
“One of the things I like about this team is that they find a way,’’ Wests coach Mooney said.
“Bond played really well in the first half - scrum, field position - but we hung in.
“We didn’t seem to get much ball in the first half, so in the second half we had a little bit more possession come our way and each time we got down there we came away with points.’’
Bond’s scrum was mountainous, with the front three of Nikotimo Mateiwai, Oliver Barrett and Harry Bell spearheading Bond’s first half domination of territory.
Fergus Gillan was also outstanding at lock, while No.8 Nick Hilton looked a man among young men.
Yet Wests won, scraping and struggling and finding a way to turn Bond’s territorial dominance into a victory.
The best scrapper on the day was Wests’ flanker Cooke who disrupted line out ball, stole possession and made one or two vital tackles. He also scored a 40m try against the run of play in the first half, breaking free of two defenders on the way to scoring.
Pound for pound, you won’t find too many better colts players this season than Cooke.
Cooke’s try brought Wests alongside their rivals, 7-all, but it would have been an injustice had Bond not gone to oranges leading - and they did when winger Hunter Robinson finished off a fluent backline movement.
Just as Bond had threatened with its rolling mauls from attacking lineouts in the first half, Wests also struck gold with its execution of the set piece to start the second half leading to Finlay King scoring.
Finlay’s brother, Campbell, then kicked a penalty goal to put his side ahead for the first time before Bond struck back hard through hooker Barrett, the 2023 Nudgee premiership winner who scored after his forwards had rolled a maul ahead off another Gillan line out win.
Leading 19-17, Bond could taste victory, but the never-say-die Wests were thrust onto the front foot by a long run from captain and inside centre Campbell King.
From the breakdown, Wests’ forwards formed a lethal rolling maul which carved a path to the try line for hooker Finlay King.
Campell King’s sideline conversion then made it 24-19 and set up the match for a grandstand finish.
Wests almost wrapped up the match when halfback Jamie Alexander, one of Wests top four players, skipped down the blindside, only to be prevented from scoring by a desperate Nick Hilton.
Hilton’s tackle for Bond said everything about the desperate nature of a wonderful game which no side deserved to lose.
In the other match of the round, Brothers produced its best performance of the season - but lost 24-21 to Souths.
Brothers had its chances late, but Souths held on for a win which simply raises the bar and hypes up anticipation for finals later in the season.
“We had two penalties against us and we held on, held on and then forced a dropped ball,’’ explained Souths coach Cian O’Connor following a hectic final few minutes.
“Brothers were camped there for two or three minutes and ended up on the tryline and we did well to hang on.”
O’Connor said his team was pleased to finish a demanding seven week stint intact with a win over the premiers.
He was most pleased with his team’s defence which forced turnovers, while also noting excellent support play which led to crucial tries.
Brothers coach Greg Beaver also said his team executed well, including in defence when they put pressure on the Magpies scrum and line out.
“It was our best performance all year. The boys dug in and executed what we wanted to do,’’ Beaver praised.
The match featured some outstanding performances, including by Souths No.8 Cadell Rees, the exciting Dre-Dyn Laban at fullback, lock Samuel Hanna and prop Nick Sturdy who led a first half scrum onslaught before being injured.
Scrum momentum then shifted toward Brothers in the second half where Australian schoolboys prop Hopo Leota moved the dial of the set piece.
Leota was good, but arguably Brothers best two forwards were back rowers Cooper Cameron and Paddy Dallimore, while lock Charlie Stack also shone for Brothers.
Brothers’ Archie Condon and fullback Ellis Davies also had their moments in a high class game.
At Sunnybank, The Norths Eagles escaped defeat for the second week in a row by scoring a match winning try on the cusp of full time.
After last week’s game winning interception by Will Balke against University, the Eagles claimed another important victory at Sunnybank after tighthead prop Jovid Aveau crashed over in the 69th minute.
Sunnybank, after playing out a great performance, led 26-21 with time dwindling down but Norths forwards Macarius Pereira, Sean Noone, Aveau and Ben Kluck grinded away before Aveau landed the killer blow which broke the hearts of the ‘Bank playing and coaching group who are far better than their 1-10 record suggests.
After arriving from Fiji two months ago and beginning in Colts 2 and 3, emerging Colts 1 outside centre Asalusi Nagicu shone in just his third Colts 1 start under coach Rex Tapuai.
The strongly built Fijian midfielder has only managed words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to coach Tapuai, but that was enough for Tapuai to throw him into the deep end and see what he can produce - based off of his untapped talent.
In three games, Nagicu’s immense counter attacking has been on show for all to see and Reds Talent ID Paul Carozza was quick to notice, selecting him in Queensland’s extended 45 man Under-19s squad.
Against Norths, Nagicu opened up the Eagles defences alongside fullback Daniel Malum, Junior Sitia Malupo and winger Fati Fala who scored two tries.
In the forwards, hooker Andre Loughlin and captain Mattias Agent, playing at No.8, were excellent for the home side.
Visitors Norths, who have snuck into fourth on the ladder after Souths defeated Brothers, were led by their vicious front row trio of Pereira, Noone and Aveau who were scrum time kings.
Blindside flanker Kluck and captain Callum Reidy, the smart scrumhalf, were big time players for Norths, who have scored two all-important wins over the last fortnight to put them in the finals picture.
At University, GPS scored the first two tries of the match before a second half ambush by the Red Heavies got them home.
University scored four unanswered tries after big Moe Koroi bounded over and from there, down 27-12, GPS worked overtime to retake their early 12-3 lead.
But University’s defensive effort was at its best, cover tackles, big hits, last line defence of dreams - you name it, University produced it to hold out a GPS side with Spencer Alock, Joe Doljanin, Chris Jansen and Jackson Munn closing in.
Left wing Munn and right wing Matt Ribot-de-Bresac were dangerous, but University’s scramble defence was the stuff that wins you big matches.
With Siliva Leofa, Tom Robinson, Koroi and flanker Jack Henry advancing forward, the Red Heavies gained ascendancy and thwarted all of GPS’ enterprising attacking play.
Less experienced Colts 1 campaigners Dougal McLoed (flyhalf), right wing Mitchel Waldon and outside centre Kye Porter were mistake-free in an inspired performance by the home side.
KING KAROI
University got plenty out of their hooker Moe Koroi, who was an absolute machine.
With Tom Robinson and Jack Henry his accomplices, hooker Koroi moved mountains for his side, close to the line and in the scrum.
The powerful front rower out of St Peters scored one try and made extra metres in University’s rolling maul.
NO.8 SPEARHEAD
The visitors were excellent in the first half and it all started with mobile No.8 Stuart Tualima, one of two GPS players in their third and final year of Colts 1 rugby.
The other is outside centre Joe Doljanin who played with Tualima in 2022, and on Saturday the headgear wearing No.8 was full of energy in the first half.
University had all the ball in the second half but in the first stanza, Tualima was used like Harry Wilson – bringing the ball back with force, linking forwards with backs and lurking in the wider channels where twice he broke free of tackles.
Tualima, link man Ewald Kruger, whose lineout throwing was outstanding, defensive hardman Pat Gavin and Nick Harper were top notch for the Gallopers, in the first half especially.
In The Premier Women clash between University and GPS, the Red Heavies celebrated 50 appearances for their hooker Ronnie Setu with a 64-0 shutout win over GPS.
The home side had a wealth of possession and in the first half GPS did not enter UQ’s 22 once.
University’s left edge was humming, with halfback Nat Wright providing wonderful service to her Wallaroos flyhalf Lori Cramer.
But it was pocket rocket Chanelle Kohika-Skipper who was most potent at the outside centre position.
With the threat of Tess Littleton looming on her left, Malia Tova on her right and eyes up fullback Lillian Kolb lurking, Kohika-Skipper took full advantage of retreating defence to run in two first half tries.
Tova and Littleton also scored tries in the first half, which UQ dominated to lead 38-0 at oranges.
PLAY OF THE GAME
University’s best pick up of the season, outside back Tess Littleton, scored the try of the game with a stunning individual effort early in the second half.
To begin proceedings in the second stanza, Western Clydesdales BMD Premiership squad member Littleton, who has played for the Red Heavies the entire season, caught the ball on the 40m line and evaded three defenders on her way to scoring.
Her scrumhalf Wright knew to get the ball in her hands promptly off a Marlugu Dixon clearance kick and Littleton repaid the favour, tearing down the left edge and striding over under the sticks to push the lead out to 45-0.
SHINING LIGHT
On a day of defence, the GPS girls did their best work at scrum time, where props Mana’ia Fotu and Alsyha Lockrey stood tall.
The Gallopers were dominant when packing down, winning a penalty midway through the second half and powering forward on other occasions.
Tireless hooker Vira Kite was brilliant in the set piece and in open space, joining offload specialist Sereima Leweniqila on her mission for metres.
MILESTONE MOMENT
50 cap stalwart Ronnie Setu barged over for a cracking try with 10 minutes to go, the Red Heavies tenth try of the contest to lead 64-0.
Setu’s strong ballrunning was to the fore all game and she deserved this one after chasing a massive down field clearance kick by Wright.
Wright kicked ahead inside her 22 and it went all the way into GPS’ 22 where Greta Gowen swooped with a thumping hit to dislodge the ball, which was scooped up by Setu and scored in the right corner.
The hardworking hooker was one of the first there, chasing the kick 60 minutes in.
Originally published as Colts 1 club rugby: Norths game-winner, Uni, Wests, Souths in wins
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