Shute Shield Rd 2: Patchy Eastwood Cruise To Victory In the End
Posted by Paul Cook on 31st March, 2015 in Club Rugby, Rugby News
Ordinarily, two bonus point wins, 14 tries and 115pts from the first two games of a title defence would have a head coach purring but, despite such stats, Eastwood supremo John Manenti wasn’t waxing lyrical after he watched his side see off Gordon 62-28 at Chatswood Oval on Saturday.
The scoreline belied the scratchiness of the performance; a mixture of early season rustiness from the visitors and early game doggedness on the part of the Highlanders – so much so that the score was still only 27-21 after 50 minutes. But the Woodies finally clicked, their bench contributing plenty as Gordon faded in what proved to be a lethal combination, five tries in the last half hour telling its own story.
The visitors were out of the blocks early, impressive young winger Ben Shorter backing up his opening day hat-trick with another in the first minute. But according to Woodies’ scrumhalf Mick Snowden, it had an adverse affect. “It was actually the worst thing we could have done because everyone just shuts down and thinks the game’s done,” he explained. “It’s definitely something we have to work on.”
Perhaps preying on Eastwood’s sudden complacency, the home side stuck to their game plan, flooding the breakdown, choking the Woodies behind the gain line and unafraid to run the ball when the opportunity arose. Such was the case in the 9th minute, a quickfire counter from deep finished off by Terry Preston for Henry Carmichael to convert and level proceedings.
The score imbued an increasing rustiness from Eastwood, sloppy passes to ground or behind runners were prevalent and a reluctance to build phases and hold possession kept a frustrated Manenti vocal on the sideline as he implored his charges to greater patience.
A Ben Batger penalty edged them ahead somewhat against the run of play but as the Woodies finally started to settle, find space down the flanks and create some overlaps, Gordon creaked under the pressure and one offside too many saw fullback Lachlan Mitchell go to the bin. Eastwood took the scrum option, shifted it wide and used the numbers for Shorter to bag his second.
Gordon were starting to fall off tackles and it wasn’t long before Eastwood’s deadly backs struck again, a lovely step from Tom Hill and centre partner Michael McDougall was in support for try number three. But just as the game was slipping away from them, the Highlanders cut a significant break.
Eastwood should have scored again when they had numbers on the left flank but a loose pass from flyhalf Jai Ayoub was plucked from the air by Matt McDougall, who went 70 metres to score. John Grant’s valiant chase forced him to the corner, which scuppered Carmichael’s conversion to leave the scoreboard showing 24-12.
A Batger penalty after the bell restored a healthy advantage for the visitors at the break and a good opening quarter from the Highlanders had seemingly gone to waste.
But Manenti’s half-time call for discipline seemingly fell on deaf ears as Eastwood returned to the fray and subsequently coughed up three kickable penalties in 10 minutes to gift their opponents a route back into contention.
Henry Carmichael slotted all three with aplomb and at 27-21, and with Gordon’s confidence rising, we were set fair for an interesting last half hour. Or so it seemed.
Instead, Gordon were guilty of switching off from the restart and with their next attack, Eastwood’s forwards piled on the pressure to skittle the Highlanders defence and leave the ever alert Mick Snowden to pounce for the bonus point try. Revolt suitably quelled.
It was almost game over when the Woodies forged the move of the match on 62 minutes. A terrific counter attack which went coast to coast and through several pairs of hands ended with the predatory Shorter beating the desperate lunge of a flying Highlander to dive for the corner, flag and all.
But just as he began to celebrate his second hat-trick in two weeks, the touch judge intervened to rule that he had in fact touched the line before grounding the ball. Rules is rules but it was one of those tries that you wished could have been awarded for sheer style if not its ultimate execution.
No matter, the Woodies shrugged it off, kept their foot on the throat and a few minutes later, saw Snowden take the plaudits once again for his fine opportunism to make it 41-21.
The wheels continued to fall off the Gordon chariot as both coaches went to the bench and Eastwood exhibited their greater strength in depth, kicking down the home straight at a canter with another three tries.
First up was big, bad Jared Barry, the Woodies’ enforcer returning to 1st Grade after breaking his hand in a pre-season trial, and celebrating with a trademark ‘Don’t argue’ and the swatting away of three defenders on the line to go under the posts.
With the job now done, Eastwood switched off in defence, Gordon replacement Mark Johnson rumbling home for a consolation. But a minute later the tiring hosts conceded another, Eastwood going through the hands for Michael McDougall to grab his second.
The agony was complete for the home side when the long, loping strides of John Grant took him clear for the 11th – and final – five pointer of the day a couple of minutes from time. But while the winners mentality of Manenti and Snowden rued a lacklustre performance, the warning for everyone else is in the competition is that Eastwood still won at a relative canter, despite being decidedly average, and still have several more gears in their locker.
Eastwood 62 (Ben Shorter 2, Mick Snowden 2, Michael McDougall 2, Jared Barry, John Grant tries; Ben Batger 8 cons, 2 pens) defeated Gordon 28 (Terry Preston, Matt McDougall, Mark Johnson tries; Henry Carmichael 2 cons, 3 pens)
http://www.rugbynews.net.au/shute-shield-rd-2-patchy-eastwood-cruise-to-victory-in-the-end/
