For Cash & Co...
Riverview vs Scots
A 'game played in two halves', if ever there was one. A 12-try "Festival of the Boot", 7 tries to 5.
T'was a scratchy start from both sides, with "dropsies" and offside penalties killing early momentum.
View settled first, and off early dominant displays in the set pieces, View scored twice including half Josh Noonan (9) going all 'Cool Hand Luke', using the Ref as a shield on a scrum base dart to the try line. (More clearly seen from the endzone rather than side-on, but Max Girdler should keep a copy of Sidesteppa's video of Noonan's try at Post#2545 on Page 128 to replay any time he needs to get himself fiiiiiired up!) 14-0 View lead, early.
Scots' dam-buster OC James Hawkins (13), crossed 20' in, and Scots had finally stirred up the scoreboard attendants.
View steadied again, and hooker Alex Hamilton (2), working in concert with locks Nicholas Tracy (4) and Michael Fenn (5), had the View lineout fairly 'humming' along. View were backing their set piece, declining kickable penalty shots, taking attacking lineouts deep in Scots' red zone, and setting up rolling-mauls to the line. View's blindside flanker Chris Scott (6) went in off one, and with only 4' to oranges, View repeated the dose with rake Hamilton (2) scoring.
View were up 26-7, Newington's spotters were busily texting across to Northbridge that the action at Lane Cove was not going according to script, and oddly, despite their team's healthy lead, the home crowd was pretty quiet. Even the Riverview bass drum was eerily silent. No-one willing to dare the upset to actually be 'on'?
On the stroke of halftime, Scots spread the Gilbert to John Eales-mimic, McCauley (5), who crossed wide out in heavy traffic, and Scots were still in this at oranges, down 26-12.
Scots have had a theme going most of this year of very strong 2nd halves, having been down at the half in recent weeks against top-shelf Newington and Joeys, but it was View that sprang from the blocks after the break, hammering Scots' line. Penalty shots declined; attacking lineouts; rolling mauls set up; pick and drives; a "held up" decision; and yet another 5m scrum, but View's first half dominant scrum had waned noticeably.
Scots clung on. Grimly and stoically. A sage nearby me observed "If Scots do win this, they can look back at their defensive effort right here on their line..." And he was not wrong.
Having wriggled out of their 22, the late great Wallabies Coach David Brockhoff would've enthused, "...like a shark through a school of mullet!", as OC Hawkins (13), Gilbert tucked under his wing, went in for his second.
Scots now had a sniff. Dylan Woods (2) and Charlie Smith (7) were everywhere, and with big Max Girdler (6) redeemed, running straight and hard, building platforms for more raiding.
In short order, Scots went from just having a sniff to cleaning house. In a devastating 10' spell, Scots scored in a thrice. Dan England (12) spinning like a whirling dervish on his way to the line. A clever Theo Strang (9) ball worked inside to flyhalf Dylan McLachlan (10) to go in, then Smith (7) popping another to ol' mate Girdler (6), who scored careening into the upright. Three quick tries, all converted by Nic Shannon (15), and Scots led 40-26, Coach Smith imploring his charges to "Stay on it!"
Indeed, they did. McLachlan's (10) toe ahead for Shannon (15) to fingertip regather at speed, like part of some Holden Precision Driving Team, smack between converging View defenders to score, and Scots went to safety, ahead 47-26. Still with 10' left, but this one was effectively 'dusted'.
View's replacement winger Malu Nona (16) (misspell that one and am sure you'll somehow get 'Jonah Lomu') ended the try-fest with a solo cameo down the left flank, converted, to give Scots a final scoreline, 47-33.
Full Time: Scots 47 def. Riverview 33
My 3, 2 and 1's will get posted later in Uncle Lee Grant's Schoolboy Rugby Blog, but this one was a tale of the two halves. Riverview living off their quality set pieces early, starving Scots of possession. But Scots never folding, digging in; the tide finally turning with their gutsy 5 minute long goal-line stand early in the second stanza, to then get clear air and run a bit amok on the scoreboard...
80 pts total in 70'... A Festival of the Boot, indeed.
Cheers to all the lads boys for putting on such a show.
(Am looking forward to watching Steppa's vid posted above. Will show me all the bits I missed!!)
