GPS First XV rugby round 5: See-sawing premiership swings around
GPS First XV rugby round 5: A Nudgee son of a gun ran in four tries in his First XV debut, TSS remained unbeaten while Toowoomba Grammar secured a huge win.
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The Southport School were now unbeaten while Toowoomba Grammar School re-entered the race in what is turning out to be a seesawing GPS First XV competition.
TSS won a “genuine prize fight” today 38-26 against Brisbane Boys College, with the brutal, physical exchanges at the breakdown and strong defence not reflected in the 64 points scored.
And TGS bounced back to account for Churchie at Churchie, 27-19, after stealing a shock 12-nil lead at the start of the game. A comprehensive report of that story further down.
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In other matches Brisbane State High defeated Ipswich grammar 26-19 and Nudgee College ran over Brisbane Grammar 75-0 - including a four try debut boy. More later.
POINTS TABLE
TSS 10
TGS 8
CHURCHIE 6
NUDGEE 6
BBC 4
BSHS 4
GT 2
IGS 0
BGS 0
At Southport, TSS kept defying the pundits - of which we were one - by sweeping to the outright competition lead after five rounds.
BBC came to play, and what unfolded was an “unbelievable’’ game of schoolboy rugby according to TSS assistant coach Mike Wallace.
The defence, the execution of skills, the executing of game plans - it had “everything you want’’, Wallace said.
“The big one for us was our defence and playing off the back off our defence.’’ Wallace said.
BBC director of rugby Todd Dammers agreed with Wallace. “It was a very physical game and both teams went at each other,’’ Dammers said.
“The breakdown was fiercely contested and TSS worked hard in that space. They did a good job.’’
TSS fullback Charlie Dwyer was immense with his kick-returns, counter attack and general play. He was brave under the high ball, set up a try and scored a try while BBC outside centre Xavier Rubens was classy.
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At Northgate, Nudgee College bounced back just as planned today with a 75-0 running over of Brisbane Grammar.
Nudgee rocketed to a 34-0 half time lead and in that first 35 minutes, debutants Finlay King (hooker) and Nicholas Conway (wing) each scored two tries.
King burrowed his way over at the back of a mighty rolling maul spearheaded by locks Ed Kasprowicz and Eamon Mahoney and props Macarius Pereira and Oliver Barrett.
Meanwhile, fleet-a-foot Conway, son of former Nudgee First XV gun and Bronco Bob, used his speed and light footwork to finish with four tries.
When asked if there were any nerves last night, four try hero Conway said he did not sleep.
“It was the most nervous I have ever been in my life. I was shaking, my ears were burning, I woke up like three or four times.
“I didn’t eat anything before this. I just wanted to make the jersey proud. I was watching highlights of the boys that came before me in the same jersey and it was just such a high expectation and I thought I needed to pull it off.”
He outdid himself.
“It feels awesome. The best feeling ever,” he said.
“I couldn’t even imagine (scoring four tries in his debut). I was just thinking about getting through the game, the warm up, staying as calm as I could which was hard.
Conway said it was a family dream.
“My dad played two years of First XV and he was edging me on the whole time. He said it was a privilege to wear this jersey.”
Nudgee’s onslaught started with a Jacob Johnson try and continued on the back of some precise kicking from Maddox Maclean.
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Indeed fly half Maclean used his boot wonderfully, not only to slot sideline conversions but to give Nudgee prime field position to attack.
Slicing through the Brisbane Grammar defences initially was sidestepping breakaway Noah Rauluni, and then after King, scrumhalf Sam Watson and Conway crossed, the home side’s defence began to crumble.
The tight five in Tristan Knudsen, Kody Perry, Rowan Tong-Law, Oliver Akhavan and Will Pascoe defended bravely but Nudgee played expansive and with fullback Johnson having his best game of the season, they stood no chance.
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To Grammar’s credit, they had some of their best passages of attacking footy when down 63-0.
Nudgee were clearly on a mission to avenge last week’s loss and that was most evident when repelling close-range raids from the Brisbane Grammar forwards deep into the second half.
It was a tremendous effort from players one through 23 for the visitors, who ran in a 13 tries.
Blindside flanker Hugo Hart speared off the rolling maul for a beauty, centre Prestyn Laine-Sietu ran hard and straight for one of his own, winger James Duggan (two tries) and prop Oliver Barrett crashed over as well in a rousing win for the College.
But it was the four-try Conway special which stole the show.
In Ipswich, Brisbane State High fly half Tauave Leofa was a crunch-time king, steering his side to a 26-19 victory over Ipswich Grammar.
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It was a tight, gruelling contest which was anyone’s game heading into the final five minutes.
But in that final stages, Leofa had ice in his veins and guided his deserving State High side past the winners post.
“He was the difference” praised Ipswich Grammar head of sport Nigel Greive.
“Leofa was outstanding all game, but in the last five minutes especially.
“He stepped with both feet all game … He troubled us.
“His territorial kicking game was spot on.”
But Grieve said despite strong efforts from Brisbane State High’s tight forwards (Siale Mahina, Jakeb Horne, Moses Manu), his side had a much improved showing and played very well.
Fly half Nathan Fraser was elite, getting the best out of his centre Dajuan Manase and Finn Kendall.
Manase had his best game all season and Kendall the same with “beautiful lines for a couple of tries.
Fullback Tyson Walker was crafty and skipper Raife McKenzie a work horse.
“He was a work horse all day and he was very good in the lineout,” said Greive in praise of McKenzie.
Oscar Affleck was exceptional as well.
At Churchie, while they scored 27 points to defeat the home side, Toowoomba Grammar School would have left East Brisbane most pleased with the group’s defence.
Against a Churchie side which was simply off with its handling and execution, TGS were calm and calculated, and even when Churchie closed a 15-nil gap to just 15-14, there was no sign of panic.
For a sustained period leading up to halftime, and again into the second half the TGS players put their shoulders to the wheelhouse and defended a rejuvenated Churchie.
The kicking game of fullback Richard Dean, the work of backrowers Bailey, Gray and White, and the performance of outside centre Harry Newham opposite an imposing Frankie Goldsbrough impressed.
While the Churchie scrum fired, their mistake rate was too high.
Still, it was Churchie’s first loss and they remain as good a chance as any of winning the competition.
Early on, TGS not so much mugged Churchie, but we’re more like pick pockets with sleight of hand.
While Churchie struggled to put its expansive game together, TGS were clinical and composed at the attacking end resulting in two early tries.
A rolling maul try was secured by TGS flanker Tom Bailey, and when Churchie fumbled another pass along its line, it resulted in cattle dog breakaway Joe Gray of TGS snaring possession and burrowing over.
Churchie were just off for the first 15 minutes, with wayward passing or turnovers which gifted TGS possession.
Down 15-nil after a Chace Oates penalty, Churchie did become more sure of hand and better in contact which led to sustained pressure.
Finally the resolute TGS defence was breached with a lovely try on the fringe of the midfield and it was 15-7 and Churchie were back in the hunt.
Into the second half and Churchie five-eight Charlie Johnstone, who in the first half saved a try with a classic covering tackle, blasted Churchie to the brink of the lead with stunning stepping and acceleration.
Churchie’s skipper Joseph Stoddart stormed down the middle of the field in support, accepting Johnstone’s pass and it was 15-14.
TGS were not perturbed, steadily manoeuvring play upfield and minutes after seeing their lead stripped back to one point, they were out by six points again when five eight Baravitata dashed over out wide.
Churchie nearly scored again when Frankie Goldsbrough charged into a gap, but TGS winger Clancy McCosker came from the other wing to produce a try-saver.
There was more for the TGS travelling supporter contingent to cheer about when the right winger Will Holley crossed 10 minutes from time, and with Oates’ booming conversion it was 27-14.
TGS had been guided into attack ball courtesy of another long kick from fullback Richard Dean.
Churchie’s hopes of a comeback we’re hampered further when halfback Hugh Rylance was marched to a lifting tackle as the clock wound down.
Originally published as GPS First XV rugby round 5: See-sawing premiership swings around
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