Aloys v Trinity
“by Pilfer”
The teams were tied for second place and chasing undefeated Knox. It was a must-win match for both sides and their title aspirations.
With 15 CAS representatives playing the game, which showcased a classy Aloys’ backline and a strong Trinity forward pack, the large, lively Willoughby crowd were no doubt expecting a great game of rugby.
First half
A physical tussle erupted between the two teams from the kick-off, but aggressive line speed, tackles – and nerves – resulted in the opening ten minutes being error prone, with neither side making much progress.
However following a physical first ten minutes Aloys began to settle down, making inroads into the Trinity defence. They shocked Trinity with a well-worked back line try by their #15 Dunlop, and followed that up with a penalty goal.
Then the game settled down again becoming a physical battle, with Trinity trying to use its big units, CAS reps #8 Harry McLennan and #3 Anthony Nguyen, to barge through the Aloys defence. Unfortunately some poor handling and hard pilfering from Trinity prevented them from benefiting from their strong ball runners and ample possession.
On the cusp of half time it appeared Aloys would be entering the sheds with seven-point lead in a low scoring but demanding match. However a late cross-field kick from Aloys #11 Diamond sat up perfectly for #14 Jack Mazarki to score a runaway try.
Half time score: Aloys 17 – Trinity 3.
Second half
Following the physical battle that was the first half, the second half was a free-flowing affair.
The turning point after the break was the sin-binning of Trinity captain #8 McLennan. This event gave Aloys prime field position in the Trinity 22 and, with Trinity a man short, Aloys #13 Peter Slaven was able to score early in the half.
Obviously buoyed by the scoreboard, Aloys started to chance their hand with off-loading and backline moves. They had the vibe and even when Trinity got their man back from the sin-bin, Aloys continued to get front foot-ball, which culminated in Slaven crossing for his double.
These two rapid tries to Aloys had them leading 26-6 and it appeared the game was heading for a blow-out in the last 15 minutes.
Not if Trinity had anything to say about it though: their forwards seemed to have had a fire lit under them now. Once again they ran strong hard lines, breaking what had previously appeared to be an impregnable Aloys’ defence. Finally gaining some good field position Trinity #15 Ryan Longville showed some dazzling footwork to score a solo try to put the scoreboard back to a more-respectable 26-12.
With little time left, the game was seemingly all but over; however Aloys increased their lead when their big winger Diamond ran strongly down the wing and scored.
Final score: Aloys 33 – Trinity 12
The players
Aloys
Their backline is clearly their strength. #15 Thomas Dunlop and #13 Peter Slaven had strong attacking games but the star of the backline and Man Of The Match was the big winger Diamond, who set up two tries and bagged one for himself.
The Aloys scrum also deserves credit for a strong game and #4 Will Halliday worked tirelessly throughout the match with strong play in both attack and defence.
Trinity
Conversely Trinity’s strength lies in its forward ball runners. #8 Harry McLennan, #3 Anthony Ngyuen and #5 Liam Rasch, regularly broke the advantage line. #15 Ryan Longville was the pick of the backs, whose fancy footwork troubled the Aloysius’ defence.
Wrap up
The strong victory to Aloysius, reinforces their second-place position and their status as being the only possible contender to Knox for a CAS premiership. It’s been a while.
Trinity was outclassed and seemed to have an off-day letting Aloys off the hook with some handling errors and poor judgement. However Trinity will know that they have played better this season and that it is still possible for them to be runners-up in the CAS competition.
All in all it was a top game of rugby, which was thoroughly enjoyed by the large and vocal Aloysius crowd.
Other scores
2nd XV – 19-12 (Aloysius)
16A’s – 35 – 26 (Trinity)
Click on page 3 below for the report on Knox v Waverley by “Tahmen”
