Skip scores three tries for unbeaten BSHS, BBC still in the hunt
GPS First XV rugby: BSHS captain Eli Langi scored three tries to help his team retain its unbeaten run, while BBC remained in the hunt and TGS and TSS triumphed in round 6. Full stories here.
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Brisbane State High School captain Eli Langi scored three tries to help stretch his team’s run to five matches and maintain its presence alongside unbeaten Nudgee College at the top of the GPS First XV rugby premiership table on Saturday.
BSHS beat Churchie 38-21, a nice farewell gift for departing assistant coach Toutai Kefu who leaves on Monday for a coaching appointment with Japanese club Kintetsu.
His brother Steve will continue in the head coach role.
Up on the Darling Downs, Toowoomba Grammar notched their second straight win with a 31-10 success over Gregory Terrace, Brisbane Boys’ College took care of Brisbane Grammar 31-23 and The Southport School won a close one away against Ipswich Grammar, 25-21.
It was yet another near miss for IGS who could easily have been in premiership contention with a bit of luck.
In Brisbane State High’s victory over visitors Churchie, inspiring lock Langi plunged over for three tries in a match which was stacked with moments for the highlights reel.
One such highlight was a leap to win the kick-off ball by BSHS No.8 Roman Siulepa who flew up, up and away before coming down with the ball.
From his catch of the ball, Langi went on to score one of his tries to give BSHS a golden start to the second half.
BSHS led 14-7 at halftime, but could have led 29-7 if not for three heroic tackles by Max Blanch and Tom Wood and Caleb Godfrey - all highlight reel worthy.
The tenacious Blanch, Churchie’s inside centre, prevented a certain try when he forced possession from Langi as he crossed the line.
Gutsy Tom Wood channelled a lumberjack when he somehow felled a runaway Siulepa after the towering No.8 had already beaten two while running the blindside from a scrum.
And Godfrey produced a covering tackle on a rampant BSHS hooker Cyrus Suniula after a trick play from a line out.
After Churchie had scored first, BSHS had the better of two-thirds of the first half, and went on with the job propelled by twotries in 90 seconds to start the second half.
Roman’s leap to start the second half was Superman like which led to a try for Langi, and then another dynamic restart play again gave BSHS field position just ahead of Siulepa scoring.
At 24-7 Churchie were in trouble, but the boys in blue hung tough.
Almost like magic, Churchie winger Will Bloxham appeared from the blindside wing and off a Max Blanch pass, and Bloxham raced in to score and the margin was just 24-14.
But the try of the game was just around the corner for BSHS, with fullback Angus Tagicakibau and winger Paddy McInally running their side onto attack which provided a chance for five-eight Boakes to chip kick across field into the waiting arms of Siulepa.
Down 31-14, Churchie refused to go away, with their best forward Jye Crothers powering over to return the margin to 10 points.
But then Langi closed out the match with another try and BSHS remained unbeaten.
Langi, Siulepa, Trent Picot and prop Tyerece Herniman were strong upfront, while out wide the BSHS centres defended strongly while Jackson Hill was dangerous with limited opportunities.
Churchie’s Max Blanch was enormous at inside centre and with a bit of luck he would have created another try for his winger Bloxham.
The game started well for Churchie who scored first.
But BSHS’s first try came soon after when Siulepa, Afamiliona and Latu all combined before flashing winger Jackson Hill raced over in the corner.
Langi, having been denied a try earlier, then powered over and it was 14-7 - the first of Langi’s three tries.
At Ipswich Grammar’s playing fields, TSS escaped with two points following an enthralling 25-21 success where there were six lead changes across the contest.
Not once were TSS in the clear. Home side Ipswich rammar fed off their opponent’s errors well with flashy, off the whim rugby.
TSS got home by the skin of their teeth, constructing their tries by treasuring possession and being clinical – something TSS director of rugby Mike Wallace had been eager to see.
“That was the most clinical we have been all year,” Wallace said.
TSS scored four tries to Ipswich Grammar’s three, and under wind that could “blow a dog off its chain,” exciting youngsters Dylan Terblanche (Year 10), Kingsley Uys (Year 11) and Kilarney Lavender (Year 11) shone bright for the visitors.
Uys made a mistake or two, but onlookers saw him at his destructive best, the hulking loosehead prop a real menace with the ball in hand.
Fullback Terblanche, 15, was exceptional for TSS.
His speed, stepping and high rugby IQ was to be admired.
Terblanche, who is of South African heritage, fronted up in defence well and in attack, he found the perfect balance using his aggressiveness, physicality and raw speed.
TAKING ADVANTAGE
Ipswich Grammar had its back against the wall for the majority of the first 15 minutes and finally when they had possession in TSS’s half, it took just a couple of phases before they crashed over through Tyson Walker.
TSS were closing in five minutes into the contest but an epic front on tackle by winger Marlon Frost and the subsequent pilfer from centre James Gray gave their side an out.
Then, in the 15th minute, Ipswich Grammar showed how exciting they can be with the ball in hand when a break engineered by Brock Coombes and Amaziah Murgha laid a platform for a side stepping Walker to score the first try.
Scrumhalf Joseph Post’s 15m right to left spiral pass that gave Walker his chance was something special.
MURGHA MAGIC
In an epic response to Blaze Moana’s go-ahead rolling maul try 20 minutes in, Ipswich Grammar flyer Amaziah Murgha caught the ball just shy of the 50m line and dashed away to score a magnificent try.
The walking highlight reel evaded five defenders on his way to the line, Murgha not bumping them off but bursting past them with pure pace.
It earnt a 14-8 lead, but before Ipswich Grammar could blink TSS were back in front 15-14 after fullback Dylan Terblanche turned on the jets.
Three minutes into the second half, Murgha struck again with a telling dash in TSS’s 22m to put Marlon Frost over for a try with an impressive cut out pass.
KILLER KILARNEY
Are we looking at the best outside centre in the GPS First XV competition?
TSS supporters would certainly think so and finding another midfielder as damaging as Lavender this season would be almost impossible.
Lavender’s first half performance in this game was out of this world and what makes him so special is that it’s a recurring theme. He is Mr Consistent and Ipswich Grammar had to really man up on defence and get in his way.
It is a daunting task.
Around Lavender’s metre eating carries, he had a hand in a superb try scored by Dallas Ingram and sparked by the quicksilver Terblanche who caught the ball on the halfway line and bolted to the 22m before finding Lavender on his inside.
POST PRECISION
In a game where TSS had the running with possession, Ipswich Grammar’s scheming scrumhalf Joseph Post was impressive.
With forwards Harry Scheibel, Jean-Paul Sia and Mostyn Bowen doing the heavy lifting, Post’s precise passing was first rate for his pile driving forwards and pacy backs.
Post came away with a try assist, that superb cut out pass to Walker, and almost had a second when a switch play at the ruck base set free a rampaging Brock Coombes who ran 50m before a grubber kick of his was only just reeled in by TSS.
On Miskin Oval, BBC ticked off another obstacle to keep their premiership hopes alive but it was not easy.
BBC won 31-23 over a game Brisbane Grammar side that looked like a different team with Elijah Breen at flyhalf and Zac Reader at fullback.
Reader had played flyhalf and Breen fullback previously but on Saturday the pair both played brilliantly in their new positions.
Breen and Reader were the masterminds behind all three tries scored by their side, tries set in motion by tireless forwards Lincoln Dalton, Lincoln Manuel and Dyer Akauola as well as tireless halfback Flynn Horton.
“He always looks to attack,” Brisbane Grammar director of rugby Tom Christie said of Breen.
“He is not very conservative... He will kick to try get the ball back.
“He will back himself... as a ball player you want to have that confidence... Guys around him just feed off it.
“He is a natural ball player.”
Brisbane Grammar winger Xander Bourke also relished his first start in the No.11 jersey by scoring a hattrick in the left corner.
“To bounce back after a disappointing two weeks... and be in the fight the whole time that was really pleasing to see,” said Christie.
But Bourke’s triple treat wasn’t the most influential hattrick on the day.
That was produced by BBC hooker Lucas Bakker, a kid from Coffs Harbour who has “bunkered down this year and been excellent” according to BBC director of rugby Todd Dammers.
“Every time he has come on he has added value,” Dammers said of big improver Bakker who played Third XV rugby last season.
Team captain Maybery was, as he seemingly always is, elite, this time as a flanker.
BBC’s set-piece assault started with him and headgear wearing blindside flanker Gray O’Neill reeling in lineout ball.
Bakker produced his team’s first, third and fifth try before impressive utility forward Maybery moved into hooker.
“I think he has so much in him,” Dammers said in praise of captain Maybery.
“When he plays well it is usually bloody well. He is a tough rooster... He leaves everything on the field.
“He loves playing for the school. Every game matters. He will make a mistake, but it is an effort mistake,” said Dammers.
“He gives the coaches good flexibility.”
In between Bakker’s five pointers, Toby Kennedy and winger Lananai Moramoro scored to ensure Brisbane Grammar always trailed.
Moramoro, faultless in his debut, scored his try after Frank Howarth, O’Neill and Stanley Keats had left their mark with the ball in hand earlier in the attacking raid.
DJ DAZZLES
BBC right wing DJ Colaivalu continued to go from strength to strength after influencing another match for his team out wide.
The light footed Fijian pounced on his opportunities with the ball by making little halfbreaks that got BBC rolling and Brisbane Grammar back-pedaling.
Colaivalu’s magic moment came with 23 minutes left when he retrieved the ball on his 40m line and beat three defenders before offloading to flyhalf Toby Kennedy who dotted it down to take a 24-11 lead.
DEBUT TO REMEMBER
Brisbane Grammar blooded young Xander Bourke on the left wing and what an impression he made on Miskin Oval.
His good positioning and support lines earnt him not one, not two, but three tries in a brave effort by the visitors.
He did not touch the ball much, but when he did it mattered.
His first try came 27 minutes into the contest when Elijah Breen, Zac Reader and Lincoln Manuel had touches in a backline shift.
Then, approaching full-time, Bourke scored the final two tries of the match to finish on a high note with a 12-nil scoring spurt.
His final try began in flyhalf Breen’s hands who shaped back on his inside and played out left to Seth Kennedy who did well to unload to Bourke.
Bourke was not the first debutant to score three tries on debut for Brisbane Grammar this season.
In a close round one encounter with Churchie, Year 10 hooker Tim Allport was magnificent scoring three tries.
Up the range at TGS Old Boys’ Memorial Oval, Toowoomba Grammar School picked up its second win in a row with a triumphant 31-10 victory over St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace.
With gail force winds sweeping through the Garden City, it was vital for TGS to start strongly.
Start strongly they did, the home side crossing three times in the first half to snatch a solid but far from unassailable 17-0 lead at halftime.
It was a stirring home performance from TGS with excitement machine Myles Rosemond putting on a show at fullback.
He kickstarted proceedings for the hosts when he set up the first of two Jonah Allen tries inside the opening15 minutes.
Allen would cross over for a third try late in the clash to complete a hattrick, the second three try effort by a lock this weekend.
After somewhat of a 15 minute onslaught coming out of the gates by TGS, Terrace The Brave scrambled well to calm the storm.
However, with huge gusts of wind having a say, the visitors struggled to maintain any field position and eventually conceded a third try just before oranges.
Terrace fullback Joe McGahan received a yellow card seven minutes before the break and TGS were clinical, the prolific Adam Davis pouncing just moments later to snatch a 17-nil lead.
However, as expected, Terrace came out firing in the second half with livewire scrumhalf George Hales putting in an inspired performance to bring his side back into the contest.
The halfback was workmanlike in defence and helped set up his side’s first try scored by Saia Poese.
Hales then crossed the stripe himself shortly after to make it a seven point game with plenty of time left.
The diamonds within the TGS team were formed in the frantic 20 minutes approaching full time, TGS fighting valiantly against the breeze to deny Terrace another try.
TGS flyhalf Ili Baravilala dictated play well throughout, but saved his best for when it mattered most.
Baravilala produced a sensational dummy before bolting through a gap in the Terrace defence to score a try right under the posts.
This gave the home side the breathing space they needed before Allen put the icing on the cake in the dying stages to seal victory.
Originally published as Skip scores three tries for unbeaten BSHS, BBC still in the hunt
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