AIC First XV rugby round 3: How it all unfolded
AIC First XV rugby round 3: Padua College received a big scare from Villanova while Ashgrove got up on Old Boys Day. More here.
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Padua College survived a giant scare against a gallant Villanova College, a disrupted Iona accounted for St Peters, while St Laurence’s and Marist were predictable winners during an intriguing third round of AIC First XV rugby.
Andrew Slack Oval played host to a thrilling clash between Padua and Villanova, won 17-14 by Padua in the closest match of the year so far.
The three-point margin marked the closest game through three rounds and the gutsy Villa boys had Padua head coach Andrew Clyne and his young men clinging on for dear life in a frantic finish.
Clyne joked he may have aged a few years watching the finish, so tight was it.
The loud, energetic Villa supporters also had their say in lifting the standards of a home side led well by hooker Jett Tupou, flanker Finn Staley and inside centre Hudson Bishop who defended admirably.
Padua held a slender 14-7 at the break and went ahead by three points at 17-14 with about 15 minutes to go when Harrison Vera slotted a penalty goal, the difference in the end.
Whelan was one of Padua’s best, but unfortunately the makeshift flyhalf, who played fullback last week, could not finish the game due to a shoulder dislocation.
In a tight game and on a day where Padua were without flyhalf Damon Hymphrys and centre Nate Clark — who were in Gladstone at the rugby league state championships — Whelan’s constant communication, effective kicks to corners and strength under pressure was a calming influence for the visitors.
The match was won in the forwards however where locking terror Will Ross produced the finest match of his First XV career to keep Padua’s unbeaten record intact.
His pack had their hands full against No. 8 Ryder Childs, lock Matt Linnell and blindside flanker Luca Agnola but Ross was a unanimous game-changer.
Against a Villa forward pack spearheaded by ferocious hooker Tupou, Ross spoiled a handful of lineouts, ran hard and was a point of difference across a superb 70-minute performance.
Tupou’s outstanding ball running laid a nice platform for Villa and it was that man Ross who threw the most traffic back, not with his running but with his effort, lineout disruption and presence seemingly everywhere on the field.
Padua’s scrum, headed by Jack Mercer, Brooklyn Faalafi, Harry Walsh (hooker) and then interchange hooker Leon Lane, was strong — and it yielded a few penalties in the clutch when the match swung in the balance.
Spark plug Lane entered the fray with 25 minutes to go and was an “excellent scrum presence,” complimenting Ross’ set piece work and the defensive bravery of scrumhalf Billy Atchison who tackled well for a little bloke.
Fierce Villanova inside centre Hudson Bishop continued his rise in the absence of an injured Max Rakitovszky with a defensive shutdown of the Padua midfield.
X-factor Padua fullback Jarah Chaseling made the most of limited opportunities to snare the Doubles Daley medal. He added essential spark in a somewhat clunky backline division which was forced to exercise new combinations on a soggy surface in Tingalpa.
Bishop and his flyhalf Lachie Francis were defensive terriers who made key tackles at key moments to keep the humble and hardworking Villa side at eye-level with the visitors.
Villa’s energy, intensity and determination has only gotten stronger with each match and it was reflected in the fact they had more than one chance to steal this game from the reigning premiers.
Against Laurie’s they had the chance to win in the final 10 minutes, before losing 32-21. Against St Edmund’s, they won 38-22. On Saturday, in their first home game of the year, Villa were inches away from pulling off an unforeseen upset.
Lock and captain Linnell and his team took nothing for granted, worked for each other and had Padua on the ropes plenty of times, while backing up their attack with courageous defence.
Clyne was full of praise, saying Villa were “really good, really physical and really tough,”
“They got a lot of momentum and energy from a great crowd.”
Villa coach Mannie Navorro was proud as punch for Villa, who “had a red hot crack”.
“Our boys played their hearts out … We just didn’t get the chocolates.”
Navarro said it was a top notch team effort which saw his side threaten the heavyweights, but admitted two-try hooker Tupou was simply superb.
“He had a brilliant game,” he said.
“He has had three really good games in a row.
“He is just hard working, a good ball carrier.
“He stays alive on his feet which makes him brilliant as a No.2.”
On McMahon Oval in Ashgrove, the boys in blue and gold triumphed 38-12 in front of the school’s 1965, 1975 and 1985 rugby old boys.
While the hosts won well, in six-tries-to-two fashion, the emergence of 15-year-old Paddies hooker Mitch Wallis was an overarching theme of the stop-start affair.
The second hooker to star in round 3, the big-bodied Wallis is only in Year 10 but has played every minute of every game, including the trial matches, to embed himself as an integral member of the tight five.
The 184cm, 109kg youngster scored a try on each side of the main break and had the Paddies rolling maul and scrum moving forward when the chance arose. Tighthead Lewis Bullock, who stepped up wonderfully in the absence of Denzel Savelino, and loosehead Isaac Hughes-Musu were Wallis’ partners in crime.
The Doubles Daley hooker will travel to Townsville in a few short weeks to represent the Met North under-18s and alongside the likes of Abe Huxtable, Tiakina Bateman and Cooper Lynch (all forwards), Wallis was brave to the core.
But there was no stopping Ashgrove, who looked sensational when in rhythm. The hosts raced to a 24-7 half time lead and didn’t look back.
Along the way, it was beautiful to watch Flyhalf Joseph Cervetto and fullback Ollie Millard show flashes of brilliance.
Millard had his hand in the first two tries before scoring the third. Cervetto, who scored on the cusp of half time, had his hand in Millard’s try off a sweeping backline shift and scored a superb try midway through the first half himself.
An opportunistic Millard offload and pass from the ruck base further up field saw the ball find the capable hands of Xavier Howard. Howard’s precise chip infield bounced up for Cervetto who crashed over for the best try of the game.
Around that magic moment, right wing Ted Clark scored a great try. On the left touchline, pocket rocket Liam Rice ran rampant here and there to zip his side upfield and into striking position.
The little livewire was responsible for a few oohs and ahs with his quick feet, speed and refusal of going to ground.
There was also plenty to live from halves combination Harry Graham and Cervetto, with Graham’s fast and accurate service giving the headgear-wearing Cervetto a platform to run or pass to bulldozing centre Sean Green and outside centre Xavier Howard.
Instrumental Ashgrove lock Henry Robinson and busy prop Archie Searle regularly caught the eye with their high work rate and involvement in attack.
At a waterlogged Runcorn, the St Laurence’s forwards literally got down and dirty, churning through a mud pen to pile drive their side to an eight-try performance against St Edmund’s College.
Laurie’s won 49-17 in New Zealand-type conditions, with the St Laurence’s front eight hauling their sodden bodies and heavy legs from one play to the next on the way to a convincing win.
But beating Eddies’ at home was only chapters one, two and three in a 15 page book.
The big story was the St Laurence’s forwards finding their groove and rhythm ahead of a block of three matches which will determine if Laurie’s can recapture its championship title lost to Padua last year.
St Laurence’s play Marist (home), Padua (away) and (Iona) away, and if the black and golds were to progress through those games unblemished, it will be off the back of a stirling tight five and an exhaustive back row.
Five of Laurie’s tries came from patient pick and drive efforts, attacking formations which were executed with precision and power.
Elite prop Luka Smith pick and drove his way to the line, as did his prop-forward mate Vin Rix as St Laurence’s established a 28-nil lead at halftime.
Down and out after starting so well, St Edmund’s did rally as Double’s Daley Medal winner Seb Kracht spearheaded an improved second half performance.
Eddies’ scored three tries in the second half, with second rower Kracht thundering over after his light weight No. 8 Charles Parkes had put his body on the line at the breakdown.
Kracht also scored another try, forcing an error, then chasing a kick ahead by his centre Cooper to be on the spot and score.
Cooper then scored his team’s third try, chasing a kick by flyhalf Josh Polkinghorne.
But it was Laurie’s day, and front a centre was flanker Henry Page who deservedly was awarded his team’s Daley Medal despite playing only half a match.
Openside flanker Page was here, there and everywhere during his spurt, helping St Laurence’s establish its winning advantage of 28-nil by halftime.
The Laurie’s front three of Smith, Brad Smith and Rix engineered a dominating scrum, while mobile second rowers Nic Nadenic and Tom Gainer were tremendous.
Props Smith and Rix dynamic runners, with Rix bursting through to put Nadenic over, while a line out trick play between Smith and Rix also resulted in second rower Gainer going 10m to score.
There was also a nice moment when replacement forward Samuel Diakos scored a pick and drive try.
Caelan Mackay’s 100 per cent goal kicking record also helped propel the scoreboard along.
At Iona College, a battered and bruised home side established a winning 26-nil halftime advantage before St Peters rallied to plug the dam wall.
Iona eventually won 31-7, punishing St Peters errors with points as the home team’s captain Diesel Hauff played a true captain’s knock under duress.
Iona lost players during the week, on game day and again when the match started, but through it all Hauff led the way. “It was a great captain’s knock because we were a battered team,’’ said Iona coach Brendan Gabbett.
“We needed a captain to stand up today and be a captain and Diesel was that man.’’
Around him, fullback Max Bolton was also a calming influence, while lock Liam Whale produced a performance worthy of the Doubles Daley Medal.
“As leaders they did what they needed to do,’’ Gabbett said.
Ushered into the Iona side for their debut performances were halfback Alex Harrison, winger Cohen Hamilton, hooker Taye Corten, Jordan Doherty and halfback Brodie Stefanski — one of three halfbacks used by coach Gabbett.
Doherty was called into the side on the morning of the match, while Stefanski was used as a replacement.
Indeed two weeks ago scrumhalf Stefanski was on the bench for third grade, but he was on the field in an Iona side deservant of a win after a baptism of fire to start the year with games against Ashgrove and Padua.
“It was a real credit to the kids that went on,’’ Gabbett said.
Gabbett also had high praise for St Peters’ second half resistance.
“They were very spirited today,’’ Gabbett said.
Indeed St Peters dug so deep after trailing 26-nil, they won the second half 7-5.
It was a mirror image of the round two clash against Ashgrove when, trailing 28-nil, St Peters drew the second half.
With the tight forwards and loose forwards good in contact and improved in defence, St Peters showed plenty of substance.
Halfback Tristian Barclay, flanker James Kenny, prop Paul Deeb, hooker Nomis Fidow and second rower Zane Smith all rose to restore order for the Saints in the second half.
SATURDAY, ROUND 4:
St Patrick’s v St Edmund’s
St Laurence’s v Marist
Villanova v Iona
Padua v St Peters
Originally published as AIC First XV rugby round 3: How it all unfolded
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