The match of the day was between unbeaten teams Knox and Waverley at Warrawee; but Cranbook and Trinity with one win each wanted to keep in touch, and win-less Barker and Aloys were itching to break their duck.
Cranbrook v Barker
by “Snort”
Cranbrook produced its best performance of the season to defeat Barker 36-15 at Rose Bay.
The home side was polished, committed and confident whereas Barker’s young side was courageous but short on both size and skill.
First half
All afternoon, Cranbrook 11 Darcy Searl tormented Barker by raking long kicks behind the defensive line. On his first roost, Barker watched the ball bounce around until it was reclaimed by the chasing winger. A couple of phases later, 14 Harrison Stuart scored in the opposite corner. Cranbrook 5-0.
Searl was involved in the next try as well – looping around his centre for a run-around, he fed the ball to 15 Finbar Stenmark, who ran more than 30 metres to score untouched. Searl’s conversion made it 12-0.
Cranbrook 7 Josh Kemeny, who ran hard all day, then stood out between the centres. He dummied his way past two backs and galloped 45 metres downfield to score without a single defender touching him.
Half-time score: Cranbrook 17 – Barker 0.
Second half
Barker hit back when play resumed following a good stepping run by Van Woerkom. He lacked support but a rare Cranbrook error turned the ball over, and after they kept play tight Barstow crashed over for the first Barker try. Cranbrook 17-5.
Cranbrook responded through Stenmark, who fed replacement winger Ed Renton, and then backed up for the inside pass to dot down for the Brook: 22-5.
Barstow scored his double for Barker: 22-10; but now the teams were swapping tries and moments later a deft short pass from Kemeny gave Cranbrook 8 Mack Matters a clear run to score under the posts. Cranbrook 29-10 with Searl’s goal
Cranbrook looked out of reach now and it became worse when Kemeney added his second try with a typically powerful, straight charge after a series of pick and drives. Searl converted: 36-10.
On the final play, Barker 13 Falito van Woerkom chased his own kick, regathered after a fumble from Cranbrook and scored.
Final score: Cranbrook 36 – Barker15.
The teams
Cranbrook should be pleased. Their forwards are mobile and efficient at the breakdown. The backs are slick in attack and they have a swarming defence which was effective at important moments.
Barker has problems. It won almost no line out ball, usually losing its own throw. The scrum was solid and there was plenty of willing tackling.
But the team was short on ideas in attack. Too many passes seemed to be made for the sake of disposing of the ball rather than improving its position and there was too much aimless kicking.
Still, no-one could fault their effort and they matched their hosts with three tries each in the second half.
The players
Cranbrook didn’t have a bad player but 7 Josh Kemeney was the best – perhaps the only player on the field assured of a CAS Ones’ jersey. He ran and tackled furiously and was a nuisance at the breakdown.
Apart from one unforced error, 9 Harry Doyle played well, passing crisply and making a couple of sniping runs. He gave 10 Darcy Searl time and space to control the game with neat passing and some excellent tactical kicking.
Both centres, 12 Tom Lamens and 13 Mitch Dickins ran hard and defended well. 15 Finnbar Stenmark scored twice and was reliable at the back.
Barker – 15 Will Lloyd defended heroically in the first half and showed some nice speed in attack, though he kicked ahead too often when holding possession may have been the better option.
8 Luke Reimer made good ground with the ball in hand and 2 Matt Coghill also worked tirelessly. 10 Jayden Kitchener had a busy game and make a couple of good, clean breaks.
Scoring
Cranbrook 36 (F. Stenmark 2, J. Kemeny 2, H. Matters, H. Stuart tries; D. Searle 3 goals) def. Barker 15 (C. Barstow 2, F. Van Woerkom tries)
Photos of Cranbrook v Barker by Rod Skellet – thank you
Knox v Waverley
by “Tahmen”
This contest between two of the stronger sides in the CAS competition is always fierce.
As the boys lined up across from each other, it appeared that Waverley had the weight on Knox, while Knox had the height.
First half
Waverley applied pressure consistently through their forwards who worked hard and fast to push Knox off the ball and allow their dangerous backs some quick ball and space. Knox went missing in defence allowing the Waverley forwards to make easy metres and their backs to create line breaks at will.
Waverley scored the first try following a damaging run down the side and good ball skills from O’Sullivan (8) and Carr (14). 7 – 0 to Waverley.
Knox hit back immediately after a well-placed kick by their flyhalf Woodcock. They drove a lineout maul from five metres out to make the score 7-5 to the visitors.
The Waverley forwards were doing themselves proud: more than holding their own against the more-favoured Knox pack.
When Waverley scrumhalf Jordan tap-kicked a penalty quickly, big man Finn Wright (5) was able to plough over for a try. 12 – 5 to Waverley.
The physicality at this point in the game was impressive with every tackler and runner giving everything to the contact.
The Waves’ forwards showed their pluck by forcing another turnover that led to a try after their backs kept making ground. 17 – 5 to Waverley.
They kept on applying the pressure and had the Knox scrum buckling, earning a penalty in front. The goal was easily slotted. The visiting Waverley crowd was ecstatic from the first half display of their side.
Half-time score: Waverley 20 – Knox 5.
Second half
It felt like Knox put a different team on for the second half, they were faster, clinical and more focussed. Everything started to click.
The Knox scrum, which had been faltering during the first half, showed some power and dragged a penalty out of Waverley, producing a Knox try in the corner. A difficult conversion by Bosch (9) ticked the scoreboard over further – Waverley 20 – 12.
The tall timber in the Knox second row in the form of Frost (5) and Ireland (4) was used to full effect allowing the home team to win restart kicks and get clean lineout ball consistently. The Knox forwards were clinical driving lineout mauls and they pushed over for their second such try. 20 – 19 to Waverley – only one point behind now.
The visitors converted a penalty slightly out to the right to give them some much-needed breathing space. 23 – 19 Waverley.
For the next ten minutes the pace of the game stepped up a notch: it was frenetic with both sides playing their hearts out. It is here that Knox’s superior fitness started to reap its rewards, enabling them to apply more pressure than Waverley was.
Knox’s captain Basson (8) eventually crossed over for a much-deserved try and his team took the lead for the first time in the match: Knox 26 – 23.
Waverley wasn’t able to claw their way back after this point whereas Knox had their tails up.
Armstrong (13) sliced through the Waverley defence to score a 50 metre try and Knox scored again just before the end giving Knox an ultimately comfortable win.
Final score: Knox 38 – Waverley 23.
The teams and players
Knox
The result was ultimately convincing but Knox are clearly not invincible; however they seem the team to beat again this year.
Basson (8) was my pick of the Knox players. He was was always putting pressure on the breakdown—an area where he could have had more help from the other backrowers in the first 30 minutes.
Armstrong (13) had a dominant game and has definitely improved on his distribution of the ball.
Waverley
Waverley gave it a good shot but ultimately lacked the fitness to put Knox to the sword when they needed too.
The much less-favoured Waverley forwards dominated the star Knox pack for the first half-hour and had they kept it up for the whole game the result would have been different.
Moretti (6) and Clifton (4) were everywhere. The Waverley backs were unstoppable with ball in hand but needed better decision-making and kicking for position.
The scoring
Knox 38 (C. Grindal, N. Frost, M. Basson, J. Armstrong, J. Kane, H. Stock tries; L. Bosch 4 cons) def. Waverley 23 ( F. Wright, J. Mohi, J. Yohannidis tries; K. Mood 2 pens, con).
Images of Knox v Waverley and on Home Page by https://www.facebook.com
Aloys v Trinity
by “Rugby Addict”
It was another magnificent autumn afternoon at College Oval for the Round 3 clash between St Aloysius and Trinity.
Two significant late withdrawals for Aloys were Peter Slaven and Simon Rahme.
The first ten minutes were played between the quarters but significantly the Trinity scrum was dominant on due to big props James Wayland and Kristian Souvaliotis.
At the ten-minute mark Matt Dainton ran on to good front foot ball and dummied his way through from 40 metres before stepping the last line of defence to score under the posts. Dainton converted it himself for Aloys to lead 7-0.
A scuffle broke out and a player from each team was carded for foul play.
For the next 15 minutes both sides had their moments but neither could finish off their good play.
Jordan Morris and Ryan Longville were looking dangerous with every touch for Trinity, as was Aloys’ champ Dainton, who was held up over the line, though some thought he had scored after charging in from 25 metres out.
The bigger Trinity forwards were starting to gain control and it was no surprise that they converted their pressure into points when Josh Weston held onto a pass well behind him to score in the corner.
There were no extras, and for the third time this year Aloys went to the half time break ahead 7-5.
But Aloys’ players Dainton, Iwan Freed and Nick Hrdina left the field injured.
Second half
Early in the second half Morris broke a few tackles and scored near the posts then converted his own try to take Trinity to the lead for the first time by 12 points to 7.
After 15 minutes the powerful Wayland scored for Trinity when he received a cracking inside ball from half back Cooper Chambers. The Morris conversion extended the Trinity lead to 19-7.
Five minutes later Aloys got back into the game when Andrew Garnon scored after some slick handling from the back like. After the Peter Slieman extras Trinity still led, but by only 19-14 now.
But Trinity returned served immediately with the best team try of the game thanks to Morris making a slashing break before grubbing ahead. Speedster Byron Hollingworth-Dessent won the race to the ball and ran around near the posts so Morris could convert easily. Trinity 26-14.
Aloys lost three more players and their depth was about to be tested with only seven of their starting players on the field now.
As feared the floodgates opened and Trinity laid on four more tries.
A simple switch between the centres enabled 13 Matthew Langham to run 70 metres to score in the corner.
Wayland replicated his earlier barging try following an inside ball from Cooper Chambers, and the conversion made it 38-14.
Morris was the next to score and the final try was scored by replacement Kordell Payne.
Final score: Trinity 50 – Aloys 14
The players
A very close game in the first half had been blown apart in the second from excellent individual tries from the Trinity team against a Aloys’ defence lacking several regular starting players.
Trinity
The best player, Jordan Morris, was unstoppable in the second half. Ryan Longville got into open spaces several times with his left foot step and James Wayland was too powerful from close range.
Aloys – Matt Dainton was excellent before leaving the field and Jack Mazaraki also played very well as did hooker Todd Gillman.
Scoring
Trinity 50 (J. Morris 2, J. Wayland 2, J. Weston, B. Hollingworth-Dessent, M. Langham, K. Payne tries; J. Morris 4 cons, L. Ilias con) def. Aloys 14 (M. Dainton, A. Garnon tries; M. Dainton, P. Slieman cons)
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