Live stream: Mount Ridley v Victoria University Secondary College, Storm Cup, Round 3
A brave Mt Ridley threatened a major Storm Cup upset until Vic Uni Secondary hit their stride in the final 17 minutes to overwhelm their opponents. Relive all the action.
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Victoria University has held off a spirited performance from Mount Ridley to keep their top-two chances alive in the Storm Cup.
The reigning champions, down at halftime and 18-14 in the early stages of the second half, scored the last three tries of the contest to run out 30-18 winners.
While the scoreline looked comfortable in the end, it was anything but as Mount Ridley created plenty of headaches.
The game started well for Vic Uni, who scored the first two tries of the match against the breeze as Elijah Po Ching and fullback Jethro Scanlon touched down to give them a 10-0 lead.
It followed both teams holding each other out early as the forward packs went to work.
Mt Ridley would not be deterred though, responding immediately through Nathaniel Tiavo, who fooled the Victoria Uni defence from dummy half to score.
They then took a 12-10 lead into halftime when Zarius Matavao, who turned in a a man of the match performance for his side, made a barnstorming run through the defence on the left hand side to score.
When he added his second, in the early stages of the half, Mount Ridley looked to be on track for an upset, leading 18-14.
But Vic Uni would respond with the breeze to score three unanswered tries to secure victory.
Winger Cueston Galuega scored a double while Harvey Savage scoring the last try of the match to hand the team a second win this season.
Despite struggling with their goalkicking again, Vic Uni have done enough to move to second on the table.
Mount Ridley are currently fourth and face a must-win match next week against Manor Lakes to keep their chances of finals alive.
SCOREBOARD
Vic Uni 30
Tries – E. Po Ching 2, C. Galuega 2, J. Scanlon, H. Savage
Goals – J. Scanlon 2/4, L. Foliola 1/2
Mount Ridley 18
Tries – Z. Matavao 2, N. Tiavo
Goals -– I. Fiaui 3/3
PREVIEW
Mount Ridley is hoping the experience of a Melbourne Storm junior, as their coach, can help them reach lofty heights in the Storm Cup.
The school takes on reigning Cup champions, Victoria University Secondary College, still looking for their first win since competing for the first time last year.
The clash will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV on Wednesday.
Melbourne Storm Jersey Flegg backrower Hudson Brown, who joined the club this season after growing up in regional NSW, has taken the reins as coach of the Mount Ridley side.
Brown has been joined by school teach Aaron Neal in the coaching room, as he aims to impart what he has learnt as part of the junior representative programs onto the next generation.
“He’s come in this term and done a lot of work with the boys,” Neal said.
“For him it’s getting the basics right and the fundamentals of the Melbourne Storm (into the team).
“(If you) get the basics right you go from there. But there has to be a want to get the basics right and to enjoy it.
“You want to enjoy what you are doing and enjoy the training and the grind.”
It worked in the opening game against The Grange, with Mount Ridley matching it with their more experienced rivals for the first half.
While the side gave up 30-unanswered points in the second half last week, Neal said the match had provided enough building blocks to work off leading into their clash with Victoria University Secondary.
“We held it with Grange in the first half and we really thought if we score the first try (after half time) we’d win the game,” Neal said.
“It felt like one of those games.
“For us it’s about the confidence and the conditioning side of things doesn’t help. But we’ve got some good coaches now to build on that.”
It’s a big couple of weeks for the side with Victoria University first and then Manor Lakes next week.
It’s likely the winner of the Manor Lakes/Mount Ridley contest will play finals with the other team missing out.
Neal said Mount Ridley had one eye on the next game, but remained confident the team could match Victoria University.
They are not afraid of the opposition, especially forward Denzo Atileo who has been instrumental for Vic Uni through the middle.
“Our strength is through the middle as well,” Neal said.
“It’s not a concern for us, we play our best football there.
“We’re looking at getting the basics right, the fundamentals. It’s going to be a big test. they are all good players.
“We don’t want to give them space and hopefully for us we can capitalise when we get the ball.”
Mount Ridley is expected to be without captain Shalom Uatisone for the contest.
Uatisone, who was part of the Storm SG Ball squad this season, is battling a medial cruciate ligament injury, but has been given until the morning of the game to prove his fitness.
Originally published as Live stream: Mount Ridley v Victoria University Secondary College, Storm Cup, Round 3
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