AIC First XV rugby round two reports, scores, highlights
The AIC First XV schoolboy rugby premiership race is down to three after Padua College dealt with Iona College in a Davine-Oval epic. More here on how round 2 unfolded.
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Identical-twin terrors from Iona College were eye catching in the school’s tight 36-25 loss against Padua College as an enthralling second round of AIC First XV rugby took centre stage on Saturday.
Year 11 Iona front-rowers Bailey Swifte and Kalix Swifte displayed the strength of an ox against an amped-up Padua outfit which took all of its chances on Davine Oval in Wynnum to win a slugfest by 11 points.
In other matches, St Laurence’s remained undefeated by taking down St Patrick’s 48-19 under enemy lines in Shorncliffe. The power-game of their forwards was again too much to handle.
Marist Ashgrove also remained undefeated after dealing with a gritty St Peters outfit 33-7.
In Ipswich, St Edmund’s fell short against Villanova College 38-22, meaning St Laurence’s, Padua and Ashgrove were the last three teams who remain unbeaten and in premiership contention.
Indeed Padua had the scare of their life when a comfortable 19-8 lead approaching halftime turned into a 20-19 deficit in the blink of an eye after Iona wingers Luke Coffey and Oscar Colbert scored tries in each corner to flip the match on its head.
Padua opened the second half with a scoring blitz, running in 17 unanswered points to move clear 36-20 with about 15 minutes to play.
A superb angled box kick by scrumhalf Keanu Bothma set up Coffey’s 55m right-touchline special on the stroke of half. Darn good running rugby led to Colbert cashing in on the left side of the field and thrusting Padua onto the back foot entering the break.
Powerful, bulldozing hooker Swifte, a raw talent with untapped potential, had earlier opened the scoring for the hosts on a day where two charge-down tries by Padua went a long way in deciding the result.
Padua outside centre Harlem Faalafi scored first for the visitors, charging down an exit kick. He scored his second shortly after (20th) when flyhalf Damon Humphrys put it on his chest to make it 12-8 in favour of Padua.
Humphrys had his hand in another try five minutes later when inside centre Nate Clark crashed over — a result of his own breakdown brilliance up field which gave his team field position to strike.
It was 19-8 and then quickly 20-19 in favour of Iona on the stroke of half time, setting up a tense second stanza where Padua blindside flanker Tom O’Regan and loosehead prop Jack Mercer moved mountains to help their side pull away.
Doubles Daley awardee O’Regan, the younger brother of 2024 premiership-winning midfielder Oliver, was everywhere.
Three times he ripped the ball clean off his opposition and he had boundless energy more than an hour into a gruelling contest. “He was super busy, getting shoulders through, carrying well,” said Padua coach Andrew Clyne.
Mercer was also magic with his rugged carries and dogged defence a key feature of Padua’s excellent opening to the second half, which started with another charge-down try.
Padua had snatched back its lead at 24-20 and they never looked back, with lineout disrupter Will Ross owning the set-piece to starve Iona of clean lineout ball.
When razzle-dazzle right wing Jarah Chaseling carved a gorve through Iona’s left edge defence to score and make it 29-20, Padua looked primed to go on with it.
Padua were then awarded a penalty try after a Humprhys break set midfielder Clark on a beeline to the stripe. Gutsy Iona wing Coffey almost saved the day with a brilliant chase down tackle.
Earlier in the match Coffey had held up a much bigger opponent on the line and it was effort plays like that which said plenty about Iona’s brave challenge.
“From two weeks ago against St Laurence’s in our trial compared to today, the improvement is there,” said Iona coach Brendan Gabbett.
“You can see us getting better.”
Skilful No. 8 Deisel Hauff was Iona’s Doubles Daley medallist but was limited in attack due to Padua’s stifling defence, linespeed pressure and set-piece precision.
“Our set-piece was really good. We put a bit of pressure on them there,” Clyne said, referencing the work of Ross and his troops.
At St Peters Lutheran College, the home side dug deep in its local derby against western suburbs rivals Marist College Ashgrove, but it was the visitorswho won 33-7.
Saints won multiple skirmishes to draw the second half 7-all after Ashgrove had led 26-nil against a depleted St Peters outfit which was twice reduced to 14 men due to yellow cards.
Ashgrove looked set for a cricket score when it got its game going, racing in four first half tries.
The first was a very good one. It involved a set move from an attacking lineout win which saw Seb Gardiner’s lineout possession delivered in a switch of play to No. 8 Elliott Aldridge, who picked up hooker Josh Heinrich on the short side.
Heinrich, who knew what coming his way, then powered the 15m down to score.
Ashgrove then entered a purple patch. New five-eighth Daniel Londema twice delivered peaches of passes to create tries, once unloading to Gardiner who put Joey Cervetto over, and on another occasion putting winger Liam Rice into the clear — a break which led to a sweeping backline movement that saw Ted Clarke score the first of two tries.
Inside centre Cervetto then delivered a don’t argue palm to race 35m and score, giving his side a 26-nil advantage at halftime.
But the St Peters players bit down hard on their mouth guards and fought bravely.
In defence they committed one or two players to the tackle and breakdown, leaving the rest to swarm across the field and place a blanket around the Ash attack.
St Peters flankers Peter Cronwall and James Kenny were magnificent, not only in this period, but across the match.
Hard working second rower Zane Smith also overheated his engines with effort plays and St Peters should feel well pleased with their tenacious afternoon’s work.
How the Saints deserved the points when second rower Harry Muir converted a pick and drive attack into his team’s only try.
The match finished on a high, with Ashgrove outside centre Xavier Howard brilliantly putting his winger Clarke over to score.
St Peters prop Shaye Batty was awarded the Doubles Daley Medal for best player from his side, while Ashgrove centre Xavier Howard was presented with the Daley Medal for Ashgrove.
The flankers from both sides, James Kenny (St Peters), James Johnston (Ashgrove), Seb Gardiner (Ashgrove) and Peter Gronwall (St Peters) played strongly for their respective sides.
Scores: Ashgrove 33 (T Clarke 2, J Cervetto 2, J Heinrich tries; Heinrick 4 conversions) defeated St Peters 7 (H Muir try, W Lovegrove conv).
At Curlew Park in Shorncliffe, visitors St Laurence’s ran rampant just shy of half time to turn a 5-0 deficit into a 28-5 scoreline entering the second half.
A stunning 48-19 victory ensued over a courageous Paddies outfit, who scored the first try and applied plenty of presure — only for errors to invite St Laurence’s in.
A good side like St Laurence’s were quick to make them pay.
With prop powerhouse Luka Smith at his abraisive best and midfield aggressor Gio Koopu not once taking no for an answer, the visitors muscled up and moved in.
Smith spearheaded an effective scrum effort and St Laurence’s rolling maul wasn’t bad either.
Lock and captain Billy Rowan scored and the likes of Liam O’Callaghan, Justin Wilson and Nic Nadenic had their hand in St Laurence’s forwards domination.
In wet, windy conditions on the bay, flyhalf Tom Ahern was also a class act for the boys in black and gold.
He ran with purpose and passed wonderfully across both sides of his body to play his part in the success of Koopu and fullback Harry Taylor.
St Laurence’s got a huge boost in the second half from interchange energiser Henry Edwards, who came on at scrumhalf and took control.
He was very sharp in 35 minutes of football.
Matching motors with Koopu in the midfield was Paddies utility Harrison Blake.
Blake was elite at flanker last week and impressive again on Saturday in the backline where himself and younger brother Ryley were dangerous.
Few were more dangerous than fullback Ryan Smallhorne. He made an impression at the back again with his exhaustive effort and footwork.
In the forwards, Tiakana Bateman — the younger brother of Paddies’ 2024 forward marvel Manaaki — was a work horse in the flanks.
However it came down to being clinical and St Laurence’s won that battle fair and square.
At Tivoli, Villanova turned a 17-all halftime scoreline into 38-22 victory over St Edmund’s in a tremendous game of schoolboy rugby.
Victory was a rich reward for the spirited Villa group who last weekend weathered a red card to almost topple St Laurence’s.
It was anyone’s game at halftime after Eddies’ halfback Pat Albion had steered his side expertly around the park.
It is little surprise seeing Albion aim up. The skillful cricketer made his First XV debut as a Year 10 student and has maintained a strong No.9 tradition at the school after livewire Tafito Ah-Ki (University Colts 1) set pitches alight earlier this decade.
But the boys from Villanova College rallied at the break, learning on the run before breaking down the St Edmund’s side to win the second stanza 21-5.
“It was a good team effort,’’ said Villa coach Mannie Navarro.
“They adapted and made sure they learned from what Eddies had thrown against us (in the first half).
“We adjusted, started strongly in the second half and got in front through really good football.
I am proud of them.’’
The set piece was particularly pleasing for coach Navarro, who said the scrum “improved out of sight’’ after round one against Laurie’s.
Leading the way in Ipswich was fleet-footed fullback Darcy Kerr. Rookie second rower Luca Agnola also performed splendidly in the forwards.
Originally published as AIC First XV rugby round two reports, scores, highlights
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