Colts 1 club rugby’s team of the week as Uni, Wests separate themselves
The Colts 1 club rugby round 5 team of the week includes a Sunnybank terror, a Wests forward Marvel, an Easts powerhouse and a dynamic duo from Bond Uni. All you need to know here.
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University of Queensland sit atop the Colts 1 club rugby table at the completion of five rounds after a stunning 34-32 victory over Easts on Saturday.
The match played at Bottomley Park between the Tigers and Red Heavies was the game of the round, a frantic duel between two sides with premiership aspirations.
University led 17-7 at oranges after tries to halfback Tom Simpson and No.8 Angus Kelly, as well as a penalty goal from McAuliffe, had Easts plotting a second-half response.
The Red Heavies protected their lead twice when fullback Tom Howard and Kelly came up with timely breakdown penalties to bring ominous Easts momentum to a halt.
The game had a finals feel to it.
Easts scored 10 points within the opening five minutes of the second stanza to turn a 17-7 deficit into a 17-all score line.
Byron Murphy’s cheeky try off of a line out play was a highlight, as was Tom Lambo’s goal kicking. Lambo, the Tigers fullback, slotted the sideline conversion following Murphy’s masterpiece and then followed it up with a clean penalty strike at goal about 20m in from touch.
Easts led for a brief moment, 20-17 with 25 to go, before Uni prop Kingbenjamin Swirling pulled a PJ Su’a on Easts and rumbled over from a line out play.
Su’a had earlier scored a cracking try sweeping from the back of a lineout.
Swirling’s try saw Uni recapture its lead at 24-20. When PJ Su’a scored his second try with 13 minutes left, the Tigers went ahead 27-24.
The visitors then hit back to lead 31-27 when flyhalf McAuliffe wriggled over with 8 minutes left. But wait, there’ more.
Easts interchange hooker Cooper Hoare looked to have landed the match winner when he crashed over at the back of a rolling maul with about five minutes to play.
Easts defended University bravely for the minutes that followed. On one occasion centre Larry Clarke and Su’a held a Uni player up over the try line.
On the cusp of full time, following the drop out which followed Easts’ trysaver, talented prop Murphy was called off side after he had latched onto breakdown ball and looked to have earned a penalty which would have sealed the game.
McAuliffe, after a shaky match with his right boot, sent the ball over the black dot to see Uni escape Easts 34-32 winners.
At Brothers, Wests won 45-12. Down the coast, Bond University showed they are premiership contenders by beating Souths 45-17 and at Sunnybank, the Dragons tamed Norths 27-24.
COLTS 1 ROUND 5 TEAM OF THE WEEK
15. Tom Howard (University)
The University fullback had a touch of class again and it was all-important in a thrilling back-and-forth bout against the Tigers.
Howard’s opportunities in attack were limited so instead he got his hands dirty in defence.
His communication on that side of the ball was grand and when Easts were less than 5m from the Uni tryline, Howard latched onto breakdown ball and won a crucial penalty.
He was top notch alongside his sound back three combatants Mitch Moss and Ruston Taylor (both wingers).
14. Kiyan Gunewardene (University)
After barely touching the ball as a starter last weekend against GPS, Gunewardene was named off the bench for round 5. When he came on, a flip switched for Sunnybank.
The Dragons trailed 24-15 with 15 minutes left and outside back Gunewardene was outstanding late to help deliver a 27-24 victory.
He set up a stunning try to prop Cyrus Suniala and was dangerous in open space where he could lean on his speed and footwork as a point of difference.
13. Mason King (Bond University)
Outside centre Mason King took a different route to most in his first year out of school and it is paying dividends for Bond Uni’s Colts 1 team.
After graduating The Southport School in 2023, King thrust himself into Gold Coast first grade footy with the Bond Pirates.
His performance against Souths featured plenty of strong carries and he dealt the most of his damage in broken play where the hulking midfielder got his team rumbling forward.
King has been one of the best early season finds for the Bull Sharks.
12. Darcy Rowan (Souths)
A mighty talent, Rowan was stready at inside centre against a firing Bond outfit.
He wasn’t afforded too many chances but he treasured the Ballymore ball when it swung his way.
About an hour after Rowan’s courageous display in the midfield, his younger brother Billy, a lock, scored two tries in a frantic 32-21 win by St Laurence’s over Villanova in round 1 of the AIC rugby season.
11. Junior Sitia Malupo (Sunnybank)
One of Sunnybank’s secret weapons, Malupo made Norths pay twice with important tries at the weekend.
Both five-pointers were a reward for his support play and positioning in the right places at the right times. Outside of when he scored, Malupo regularly made life hard for Norths defenders.
The fast-improving outside centre is a quiet achiever who coach Rex Tapuai has been able to depend on since elevating him into Colts 1 from the junior Colts under-18s outfit last year.
10. Jamie Alexander (Wests)
Alexander’s presence was felt in Wests’ wonderful 33-point trumping of The Brethren on Saturday.
Alexander missed the round 4 clash against Souths resting nursing an ankle sprain and his reintroduction into the team was superb.
A scrumhalf thriving at flyhalf, Alexander was clinical in the face of rushing defence.
9. Harry Condon (Easts)
The scrumhalf position was hotly contested but there was just something about Condon’s crisp passing and kicking game in a tight tussle with University.
Sam Howarth (Bond) and Stan Keats (Wests) were also quality performers, but Condon’s effective box kicking cannot be under estimated in such a frantic match at Bottomley park.
Condon did not make a mistake, kicked deep into opposition territory and offered pinpoint service to Tigers flyhalf Sam McGahan.
8. PJ Su’a (Easts)
Easts No.8 powerhouse PJ Su’a was influential to say the least.
He scored a wonderful try off a cheeky lineout play in the first half to equalise the scores at 7-all before landing his second five-pointer with 13 minutes left to lead 27-24.
Su’a was a point of difference for Easts with his power and patience but in the end, an Isaac McAuliffe penalty goal ruined what looked to be a Cooper Hoare match-winning try (65th) which had made it 32-31.
7. Trent Picot (Souths)
The bane of Picot’s fledgling career is that he is, at times, too quick to the breakdown. So often his work jackling the ball goes unrewarded — but not unseen.
A tireless performer against Bond Uni, Picot earned a few turnovers and threatened to steal more turnover ball.
Picot has been a difference-maker since coming off the bench in round 2 when Souths won 38-26 win against GPS.
6. Jesse Maugatai (Sunnybank)
In an underhwleming loss against GPS the week prior it was lock Emmanuel Mara who stood out.
This weekend, big No.8 Jesse Maugatai stepped up to deliver a stunning forwards knock, spurred on by his running ability and ability to find an offload.
The young man from Brisbane State High was hard to contain in the middle of the field and it got the ‘Bank rumbling forward and the backs playing with more freedom and time.
5. Tom Doe (Wests)
Doe is saving his best for last in colts footy.
A third-year colt, Doe dug deep to regularly deliver lineout ball for scrumhalf Stan Keats.
In attack, he was full of energy and it caused a ripple effect across the barking Bulldogs.
4. Fergus Gillan (Bond University)
A lineout neusance, Gillan continued to apply pressure on opposition lineouts jumpers and his presence in that department culminated in a comprehensive 28-point win.
The towering Gillan, one half of a potent second row combination also featuring Charles McCauley, gave his all on both sides of the ball to win the forwards battle and help create success for hooker Blaze Moana (two tries).
3. Ta’ialalolei’aasasaumani Faalogo (Norths)
Tighthead prop Faalago was impressive in a productive 50-minute stint which helped open up a 17-10 lead entering the second half.
Faalago’s scrummaging, which yielded a penalty, his safe hands and powerful running were features of his game.
Faalogo has been somewhat of a surprise packet for Eagles coach Dan Ritchie. The Wavell State High old boy entered the season behind representative prop Jovid Aveau.
When Aveau cruelly suffered an ACL injury in a trial match, Faalogo’s opportunity presented itself.
He has taken his chance with both hands and was one of Norths’ better players in a disappointing round 5 result.
2. Harry Solofa (Wests)
The competition’s form hooker right now, Solofa continued to enhance his reputation with an outstanding performance at Crosby Park.
Arguably the best on the paddock, hooker Solofa adds a different dimension to the Bulldogs attack when he runs the ball.
The skilful, mobile hooker grew up playing as a centre but is pressing his case for a Queensland under-19s call up as a No.2, the position he played for as a Churchie schoolboy.
He was back on the scorers sheet after nabbing a try in Wests’ round 4 win over Souths.
1. Thomas Duddy (Brothers)
A loosehead prtop from Tamworth, Duddy again proved his reliability in one of the most demanding positions on the field.
Wests restricted Brothers to just two tries and across the match Duddy matched motors at scrum time against Wests’ front-row trio of Hamish Ward, Solofa and Archie Smith.
Originally published as Colts 1 club rugby’s team of the week as Uni, Wests separate themselves
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