The NSW GPS competition kicked off yesterday. This year six teams will play home and away games over ten weekends in the 1st XV and 2nd XV competitions.
In Round 1, Newington, Scots and Joeys claimed victory against Riverview, Kings and Shore, respectively, In the 1st XV competition.
Joeys 20 — Shore 15
Joeys and Shore had a ding-dong battle in the opening round of the GPS 1st XV competition but Joeys managed to break a deadlock at the end to beat a courageous Shore XV.
With six minutes to go a flying winger hared down the right hand touchline to dot the ball down.
The Scoring
Joeys found it hard at first to capitalise on the pressure they were exerting in the first quarter of the game but after a couple of switches of play in the Shore 22 lock Koim Wingti crashed over in the 13th minute.
Shore responded four minutes later. In a rare incursion in Joey’s territory up to that point, the impressive 10. Jack Clancy sidestepped several Joeys’ defenders and got the ball to his right winger Toby Cooke who scored with a few Joeys’ lads on top of him.
Both tries were converted and after penalty goals were swapped within two minutes of each other, the score was 10-10 at half time.
Five minutes into the second half the pill was pin-balling amongst players near the Joeys 22 when Shore 8. Harry Wrench picked it up near touch and saw nothing but grass in front of him and pinned his ears back. Half the Joeys’ team took after him but they couldn’t stop him — Shore 15-10.
Joeys responded at 15 minutes. They had charged down a clearing kick and although Shore grounded the ball in-goal, Joeys were in the right real estate in which to launch an attack. When the ball was dished to Joeys’ speedy left winger Latrell Robinson after a scrum move, he scored in a tackle near the corner post. 15-15.
This was when the crowd started to chew their finger nails but with six minutes to go Joey’s right winger Tim McCutcheon had too much pace when he got the ball after a Shore error and scored in the corner after a long run.
Shore battled on and were lucky not to be punished again when they dropped a wet ball trying to spin it wide. Joeys knocked the ball on, but won anyway 20-15.
Joeys
They didn’t score enough points when they were in command early in the game because they had trouble with handling the wet ball; in fact: they kept dropping it throughout the game. Their wingers, their main threats, hardly saw the pill in the first half but when they got their mitts on it after oranges they struck. Joeys have to get the ball to them more in future, whatever the conditions.
Their scrum was excellent unless they missed the hit, and their forwards were like blue heelers as they are most years, but apart from their destructive THP and captain, Matt Sandell, they lacked power runners, and dominant tacklers in the tight.
Shore
After the match Joeys’ co-coach Mr. Jeremy Ticehurst praised the young Shore side as “a very good team” and they were. With eight lads still in Year 11 they played above their weight and frequently won the race to get the hit in the rucks. On first look they seemed to lack a bit of X-factor in the back three, but to be fair: their outside backs didn’t get the ball a lot in likely situations on attack.
Watch out – like last year: Shore is going to ambush more highly rated teams.
The players
For Joeys: skipper Sandell was a powerhouse, as indicated, and was well-assisted by his gnarly LHP Oscar Sykes. Flankers O’Brien and Gallagher were noticeable for their work rate and putting out fires. Curtin served the backline well but the wet conditions compromised the performances of the other backs, except in the second half when the wingers Robinson and McCutcheon took their chances when they had to.
For Shore flyhalf Jack Clancy was outstanding in the conditions and, light on his feet, beat defenders often stepping with either foot. Brother Nic Clancy was steady at fullback handling a wet ball in several sticky situations. Year 11 opensider Jum Woodhill had a fine day making some key steals when it mattered. At outside centre Harvey Duncan had a few Joeys’ players grasping fresh air as he stepped around them.
Wrap-Up
Joeys were in command at the beginning and end of the game and Shore, for longer, in the middle; but there was often a lack of flow in the game.
Even though the teams had problems with a wet ball you could see that both have got a lot of work to do to. Some of the play was sloppy and both teams appeared to be playing with strangers, too often. In that disorder both teams should have exploited the errors of the other team more, but they didn’t.
Other games:
2nd XV — SJC 21 – Shore 17
3rd XV — SJC 17 – Shore 7
Under 16A — SJC 17 – Shore 5
Match details
Scoring
Joeys — 20
Tries: Koim Wingti, Latrell Robinson, Tim McCutcheon.
Conversion: Andrew Deegan
Penalty Goal: Deegan
Shore — 15
Tries: Toby Cooke, Henry Wrench
Conversion: Jack Clancy
Penalty Goal: Clancy
Referee: Mr S. Hardy (later replaced by Mr M. Abraham).
Click on page 2 for a report on Riverview v Newington by GPSrow and Chris Ng — and a brief “match report on the run” by gpsoldboy.
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