Oakhill College 1st XV vs St Pius X College 1st XV
38 - 17
By Oscar Nowak Allcorn, Oakhill Y8 Student & Waratah’s Junior Reporter
The faces on the Oakhill men said it all when the full-time whistle was blown by referee Harry Pepper. They came back from being down 12 points at half time to win their first game of the 2019 ISA competition convincingly by 38 to 17.
Pius’s number 10, Greenland started the game with a short kick into Oakhill’s half. The ball was chased down by his teammates who regained possession with a high catch.
Pius pushed Oakhill’s defense to the limits. Their backs wanted the ball to go wide and have a chance to score. Pius’s winger Dingley saw space right in front of him and shouted for the ball. After receiving the ball he sprinted for his life, however, one meter from the try line Oakhill’s Fullback Dylan Madden made a try-saving tackle pushing D. Dinley into touch.
A few phases later, Oakhill lost the ball in a tackle. Providing Pius with the opportunity to get the first points on the scoreboard. The breakdown in play was in the middle of the halfway line giving Pius options to go either right or left. They chose to go to the right where a number of their backs were keen to get the ball. The ball found its way into the safe hands of winger D. Dingley. He broke away from Jordan Lee-Bacon’s tackle and scored a try on the corner.
Oakhill kicked the ball to Pius to restart the game. Pius’s fullback Bragg jumped up to grab the ball, he juggled the ball in the air before catching it only to be tackled by an Oakhill player in the chase.
Twelve minutes into the game, Oakhill won their scrum on the half-way point. Flynn Angles-Corke received the ball from scrum-half Lachlan James. The backs passed it to speedster Dylan Madden who made a 10-meter run before passing it to winger Jordan-Lee Bacon. His opposite number, Dingley was just about to tackle him before Bacon grubber kicked the ball 30 meters. Dylan Madden sprinted after the ball. He caught the ball on a magic bounce just before Pius’s fullback Bragg tackled him 10 meters from the try line.
Two minutes later Oakhill fed a scrum 10 meters in Pius’s half. Pius’s number 10 and captain Greenland read Oakhill’s backline move and intercepted the ball. He ran 20 meters before passing the ball to winger D Dingley. Oakhill’s scrum-half Lachlan James chased after him. LJ grabbed Dingley’s jersey but momentum carried him across the line for a try.
With half time approaching D Dingley made a breakthrough. Oakhill’s outside center Tom Watson and Dylan Madden tackled him right on the try line. During the tackle, Dingley put the ball down on the try line. Referee Harry Pepper referred to his touch judge to discuss whether Watson’s tackle was high. Harry Pepper gave Pius a penalty try and a warning to Tom Watson.
Oakhill was now desperate to score before half-time to have a chance of winning the game. Oakhill restarted the game with a high kick into Pius’s half. However, in catching the ball, Pius knocked on. Winning their scum Oakhill’s number 10 and captain Flynn Angles-Corke found space and scored under the post with little resistance from Pius.
With five minutes remaining before half time, Oakhill’s Joshua Cavallo broke his ankle in a tackle. Unfortunately, the injury is season-ending for Cavallo and we wish him all the best for his recovery.
The ref blew half time with the score at 5-17 to Pius.
Six minutes into the second half, Oakhill was in attack mode but Pius’s defense was very good. Phase after phase, tackle after tackle, Oakhill was struggling to score. Oakhill’s lock Bailey Liddicoat called for the ball. Scrum-half Lachlan James heard the call and flicked the ball to Liddicoat who was in full flight. Liddicoat crossed the line.
For the rest of the game, Oakhill kept up their momentum, scoring three more tries.
Fourteen minutes in the second half inside center Zachary Fitzhenry scored from a pass from Flynn Angles-Corke.
Eighteen minutes in, prop Brandon Moore intercepted the ball. He made a run before passing it to flanker Sam Pickard, who sprinted his heart out but was tackled just before the try line. The ball was quickly passed wide to Zachary Fitzhenry who scored untouched.
Twenty four minutes into the second half, Oakhill’s winger Brock Wells found space out wide. Just about to get tackled, he booted the ball to the try line. Two Oakhill players were sprinting after it with 3 Pius players in full chase behind them. Flynn Angles-Corke jumped up in the air to catch the ball with one hand scoring a spectacular try. After the game, in the sheds, he let slip that he used to practice that move in his backyard as a young lad.
In the final minutes, Pius conceded a penalty to Oakhill 20 meters out from the try line. Flynn Angles-Corke and the rest of his Oakhill 1st XV team decided to go for the penalty goal however, the attempt was unuseful.
The full-time score was 38-17 giving Oakhill a well-deserved morale-boosting win.
In the Oakhill changing room, Zachary Fitzhenry was voted as the players’ player. Congratulations Zachary.
At the after-match function, Oakhill awarded Prius their best forward to B Mendell and back to D Dingley. Pius, in turn, gave Oakhill their best forward to Samuel Pickard and back to Zachary Fitzhenry.
