Two teams had thrashed opponents in Round 1 and would meet at Death Valley. Two other teams were looking to open their account at Barker, and St. Aloysius wanted a repeat win when they travelled to Trinity.
Knox v Waverley
by “Elfster”
The two dominant sides from Round 1 of the CAS competition met at Waverley for a game that many thought would reveal the winner of the 2015 Plume Shield. Waverley always provide stiff competition at Queen’s Park and Knox would remember the same game last year in which Waverley pulled off a surprising and memorable victory over Knox that cruelled any chance of Knox winning the CAS in 2014.
The game would match two different sides: the power of Knox forwards versus the flair of the Waverley backs. This was seen partially in the Seconds, when Waverley scored some good long distance tries displaying the skill in their backs, whereas Knox used the strength in their forwards to grind out a good victory.
It was a perfect day for watching Rugby and though patches of the ground were a little worse than wear from the big wet, the conditions allowed for free flowing Rugby. The crowd may have been a little below expectations for such an anticipated game, but it was played in good spirit and for the start of the Firsts there was a good atmosphere present.
First half
The game started off at a high tempo. Unlike the previous week Knox were switched on from the start and counted on using their forwards to build momentum, territory and possession. Waverley’s forwards were tenacious and showed, much like Barker did last week, that the larger Knox pack could be contained at times.
Knox play revolves around getting field position and using their forwards as battering rams and getting quick ball. Early in first half Knox breached the first line of defence like this and quickly moved the ball to Stenning (11) who showed blistering pace to run down the line, beat the fullback and score under the posts. He converted his own try and Knox were up 7 nil.
From the kick-off Waverley recommitted and made good use of their backs and loose forwards to attack the Knox line; but it wasn’t breached. The Waves were held up over the line; sometimes they kept the ball in the forwards when they should have passed—yet at other times they moved the ball out when one more pick and drive might have worked. Knox soon had the ball and rumbled up field again.
The running of 7 and 8 (Chapman and Basson) gave them some good position and their forwards combined well with their centres. The 12 Williams made some good breaks and the 13 Armstrong more than matched his larger opposite number. From a ruck close to the Waverley line the rampaging 5 Begg crashed over for another try. Knox soon regained the ball and inexorably moved the ball up into Waverley territory and a good backline move had 12 Wiliams score in the corner.
The score was 19 – 0 and it remained so until half-time. By the end of the first half Knox were showing a surprising dominance. I was expecting Waverley to be more in the game, but Waverley being Waverley can always surprise. A 19 point lead might not be enough and the second half could be an intriguingly competitive affair.
Second half
Knox retained their dominant style of play in the second half. Though their strength was upfront, their backs also started to put on a display and were making inroads. Basson scored for Knox after a good run from their own territory got them into an attacking position; but they lost Stenning to injury. Soon after that the Knox hooker strolled over following some exceptional work by the outside backs.
The second half was no way a rout, but Knox controlled the game to great effect. Their backs and forwards combined to make ground and their defence was stinging and miserly. Waverley tried hard—they won some Knox lineouts, but that didn’t stop their opponents scoring two more tries. Both were started in Knox territory, though one of them was from lucky kick. The final score was 41 – 0. Waverley tried hard enough to deserve a try, but the Knox defence was just too good on the day.
The teams
Waverley – At times they played as though they were the dominant side because they looked good and could move the ball around effectively. However at the end of each stage they hadn’t scored and Knox regained the initiative. Their line out was effective; so they will be happy about that, as they should be about the spirit they showed.
Knox always seemed to have options in attack as runners invariably had a couple of supports backing up. They don’t have the star players of last year, but it is a complete team—well-drilled, fit, strong and patient. They are a good attacking side, with a complementary punishing defence. The Knox display made for a good spectacle for Rugby followers; however it is only Round 2, so there is a long way long way to go yet in the competition.
The Players
Waverley The number 8 Cooper competed all day. The centres were good, but struggled with the tight defence and lacked support at times. The 9 Murphy got the ball away quickly and marshalled the forwards well.
Knox They play as a single unit, so it can be hard to pick individuals. Stenning looks to be a good winger. Their centres played above their weight and their back row has the ability to start and finish opportunities. The two second rowers are big and surprisingly mobile, though the replacement lock was even bigger
The details
Knox 41 ( M Basson 2, D Stenning, J Williams, N Rowell, L Bosch, L. Begg tries: D Stenning 2, L Bosch cons,) def. Waverley 0
Injuries: Waverly – 10 Jordan Knox – 11 Stenning
Yellow cards:
Waverley: Cardassilaris, Wright
Knox: Basson
Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com
Video highlights – Waverley v Knox
