Watch the replay of the Coombabah State High School and Wavell Langer Trophy game

Wavell SHS were too good for Coombabah SHS in Round 1 of the Langer Trophy. WATCH THE REPLAYS HERE!

COOMBABAH have let an early second half lead slip through their grasp, going down to Wavell State High School 28-16.

With coach Sam Meskell fielding a younger side than inast year’s Langer Trophy campaign, the Gold Coast outfit was always going to come out with plenty of energy and an eagerness to impress.

However ill-discipline after snatching the lead at the start of the second stanza proved costly.

Down 14-10 at the break, a quick try under the posts got Coombabah in front, as a huge set coming out of their own end led to a penalty within striking distance.

The forward power of the Coombabah pack proved too much for Wavell to hold out, as coach Sam Meskell’s young men responded to their half time deficit with aplomb.

A risky offload from the following set however put them on the back foot, with the ball going to ground and gifting the visitors with the chance to bounce back.

The Wavell lock screamed through the defensive line to steal the lead again, however the conversion struck the posts to keep the scores at 18-16.

Wavell were quick to attack down the right hand side again, but the Coombabah five-eighth was up to task with a brilliant covering tackle, forcing his rival into touch.

Wavell threatened again shortly after, a brilliant passage through the hands of their backline putting the left winger down the stretch. Only more desperate defence kept them out and Coombabah in the contest.

But a contentious decision on a two-man strip gave the away side another chance, crossing down the left to extend the margin to six, with another conversion attempt to hit the posts.

Another try in quick time after a penalty early in the following set ended any chance of a Coombabah fightback, with the young side sure to access their discipline heading into Round 2.

EARLIER:

COOMBABAH coach Sam Meskell is bracing for a “different challenge” for the Langer Trophy campaign ahead, with his team undergoing a shake up from last year.

In what was their first campaign in the elite Southeast Queensland schoolboys rugby league competition, the young men of Coombabah had a chance to advance to the tournament’s knock out stages heading into the final round, only for a Covid-19 outbreak to call off their match.

WATCH: Forest Lake v Wavell (Walters Cup) from 3.30pm

While Meskill said it was disappointing to say the least, he had been galvanised by what he saw from his young talents.

It was not so much the star power of certain individuals, he said, but rather the way in which they sought to prioritise the “effort areas” over the flashy plays.

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Now, however, Meskill said he had a very different task ahead when the competition began on Wednesday — with half his team remaining from the year before.

“I was happy with it (last year), it was a shame it cut short so we missed that last round and need a win to go through to finals,” he said.

“But I was happy with last years, we’re definitely younger this year — half Year 12 and half Year 11 — so it’ll be a different challenge

“That’s what we try to do at Coombabah; instil those effort areas. It’s not all about the big plays and scoring tries and putting big hits on.

“The guys who pick that up it’s impressive and it puts them in good stead moving up the grades.”

For the defending Phil Hall Cup state champions, Palm Beach Currumbin coach Tim Maccan said they were not feeling the heat of expectation.

With a vastly different squad to take the field, he said his group had responded brilliantly to the disruptions the wet weather to hit the Gold Coast had caused.

“In the restricted time we’ve had this year with a later start to school due to Covid and all the rain we’ve had, we’ve been really tough here," Maccan said.

“But the boys responded really well and made sure we’ve made the most of the opportunities we’ve had on the field – whether that’s in the gym, extra cardio sessions, and making sure we’re understanding our game plan.”

Check out the livestream schedule for the Langer and Walters Trophies below.