All rugby'd out on the weekend, never thought it could happen.
2nds;
Was always going to be an unknown as Wests had one team in the Semis, and this allowed planning and fresh reserves. Point in reference in 4th grade 6th place Souths toppled 1st place Uni, and 5th place Eats toppled 2nd place Eastwood earlier in the day.
They spent the first period of time camped in our 22, and we defended their line outs well. Then came some sharp work by Brad Meaney, putting his body on the line he dived on the loose ball for a crucial turn over – we sent the ball wide quickly, and our mobile forward pack ensured the ball was carried into the Wests half. Ball was quickly recycled after a Vance Elliot charge, and out to the left were Sammy Vaevae cut through and popped the ball to Timmy Donlan, with the Wests defence on the back foot the ball came back to the big Jonny Fakai he dazzled them with his foot work and trotted over to score under the sticks. Take the opportunities & make them count.
The game ebbed and flowed, Wests had a very strong set piece, and our mobility had them struggling when we played with width, the key to this game was going to be ball control and to run their big men around. It was off a set piece they score their first try, a scrum near the halfway had Wests players running options and we opened up in the centres with the fly half rapping around in support to score under the scoreboard and it was a tight game at the break 13 – 8.
Second half started with quick points, live it looked like a luck, but Sireli took a highball on the finger tips tracking backwards, and tipped it onto a flying Treweek who put it on the toe 40 out and chased it through to ground the ball under the Pirates nose, a great why to start the second half. But the Pirates wouldn’t lay down, they got the territory and work hard on their phases to cross for a converted try out wide to make it 20 – 15.
We responded quickly, it was territory and pressure that had us going over for 2 quick tries to extend the lead to 15 and the Pirates needed more than 2 converted tries. Both teams continued to contest hard for the full 80 and each crossed for a try providing the final score of 37 – 22, we have an appointment next Saturday down at the Village Green –
let’s do the business.
1sts
2 times in 2 weeks V Randwick. Both teams no doubt went to school on video re runs during the week to identify weaknesses.
Then the Wicks fly in Wallaby Kurtley Beale into the back line to form what I read on these pages as one of the best as it has Horwitz, Kellaway, and Roods.
We opened the scoring quickly spreading the ball wide, to send 160 minute man Sireli over in the corner.
Randwick attacked and had better time with the possession in the first half and we defended strongly, BJ shutting down plenty of raids by the Wicks with perfect reads. This is what reading the game is all about, being in the right place at the right time and BJ played all over Kellaway for the second straight week.
Reece Hodge went off after 20 minutes and on came Treweek who had just played the full 80 in 2's, Sam Lane took control of the game and always seemed to have plenty of time with the ball and controlled play beautifully, and Dennis Pili-Gaitau was a monster in D and with ball in hand - he thourished in the opportunity playing against Kurtley, and went over for our second try at around the 20 minute mark. The Wicks responded with 2 quick tries and it looked like it was going to be a one point ball game at the break (15 / 14), then one for the highlights real; Sireli charging through a gap off Lane’s shoulder, off to BJ who throws a behind that back pass that QC (Quade Cooper) would be proud of to have Zip cross for a crucial try, and then Laney cooly drops a goal before oranges.
A penalty goal just after the break stretches the lead, and another lovely worked play from Lane has Zip crossing under the posts and the lead is greater than 2 converted tries.
Wicks finish with a try in the last 30 seconds to give it a 33 / 21 game.
Huge effort by Sireli who played 2 full games, and Treweek who stepped and played 140 minutes.
Tahs should be looking at Lane, Hodge, BJ after getting the chance to see the Wicks players on back to back weekends.
