Baker v Waverley
by “Anonymous Al”
Barker thrashed Waverley 46-0 the first time they met this year. Could Waverley give them a decent game in the return match even though it it was held at Barker?
On what turned out to be a pleasant afternoon (on a partially muddy field) Waverley maintained their improved form to down the gallant home team in a hard fought and close match.
First half
Even though Waverley started off strongly with a promising attacking raid by Henry Patterson and Jackson Mohi, Barker had the better of the first half through weight of possession. At one stage the penalty count was something like 7-1 in favour of Barker.
On the back of favourable possession the Barker forwards dominated with their attack to advance into Waverley’s end of the field. After some good phases of play Hamish Phipps crossed for a well-earned try which was converted by 15 David Balcomb.
As Barker continued to dominate with possession and field position 2 Jonathan Green broke tackles to cross for an unconverted try. 12-0 Barker.
Waverley was winning their fair share of ball and when they decided to stop giving the ball back to the opposition through penalties, their attack clicked into gear. 10 Tyzac Bailey added variety to the attack with a chip and regather and they threw the ball around with confidence.
The Waves’ forwards started to control the ball well to gain territory for their team. After a charging runs by Arthur McKenna and Charlie Cam, winger Drew Nuttall burrowed his way over the line for a five-pointer. 9 Cooper Murphy converted to make it 12-7 Barker.
Just before the break and after good metres were gained by Eamon Wright and Charlie Bodkin, winger Jaya Yoannidis received the ball and was unlucky not to regather his long grubber kick to score.
12-7 Barker
Second Half
Both teams upped the tempo and quality of their game after the break. Waverley continued their enterprising attack and Barker proved they can defend as well as any team in the competition.
Strong runs by the Waves forwards, especially Eamon Wright, Charlie Cam and Zac Cardassilaris earned them good field position and consistently challenged Barker’s determined defence. Henry Patterson was enjoying his best attacking game of the season with his incisive running.
Patterson scored; Barker’s Balcomb kicked a penalty goal to make it 15-12 Barker. Then it became intense.
Waverley’s excellent ball control was matched by Barker’s equally excellent defence. In the heat of the battle and after a minor melee erupted Barker had one player yellow carded as Waverley relentlessly pressured the Barker line.
It looked like Barker’s defence may have held strong until the full time whistle, but then Bailey slipped through a gap and barged his way over underneath several Red defenders to score the match winner. Murphy converted making it 19-15 Waverley’s way with only a couple of minutes to go.
During those last couple of minutes Waverley tested the nerves of their coaches and supporters by giving away two penalties within kicking distance, but three points wasn’t enough for Barker to win. They took the tap kicks with a last roll of the dice but the Double V defence passed the test.
Final score: Waverley 19 — Barker 15.
The Teams
Both teams had key players out but that didn’t detract from the entertainment value of the match.
Waverley was beaten 46-0 by Barker in the first round so they’ve improved greatly since then. Even though their biggest weakness of conceding penalties was exposed during the first half, their players proved they can play good attacking rugby if they win their fair share of ball. They showed confidence in attack to add to strong defence.
Barker looked the better team in the first half with a good percentage of possession and they defended superbly throughout the entire game. They didn’t enjoy the same possession rate in the second half but showed great courage and determination with their defensive efforts. They fell just short of Waverley in attack.
The Players
The commitment from both sets of players in defence was outstanding and enjoyable to witness.
Waverley
The whole Waverley forward pack attacked strongly with Eamon Wright and Charlie Cam standing out by making several big runs each.
The Waverley backs enjoyed their best attacking performance of the season with Henry Patterson’s running a standout feature. Tyzac Bailey impressed along with fullback Jackson Mohi and wingers Jaya Yoannidis and Drew Nuttall.
Barker
Likewise, Barker’s whole pack worked hard and didn’t take a backward step all game. 2 Jonathan Green had a strong game and was rewarded with a try. Hamish Phipps, David Smeardon, Sean Campbell, Tim Pearson and Nick Burkett all played well.
The Wrap up
Barker had the better of the possession in the first half and the Waves had the better of it in the second half. Both teams defended strongly but Waverley’s second half ball control and overall attack just shaded that of their opposition to allow them to sneak home.
The result sees Waverley go to six points and equal third place with Barker on the CAS competition table.
The Scoring
Waverley 19 (Drew Nuttall, Henry Patterson, Tyzac Bailey tries; Cooper Murphy 2 cons) def Barker 15 (Hamish Phipps, Jonathan Green tries; David Balcomb con, pen)
Photos of Barker v Waverley courtesy of: https://www.facebook.com/waverleysport
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