Emerging players put their hands up in Pacific Rugby Cup

The IRB Pacific Rugby Cup started on Friday in Perth when the Force A team beat the Reds A team 29-23.

In the second match Gen Blue (the NSW team) defeated ACT A 23-17 in a curtain-raiser to the NSW Waratahs v. Western Force Super Rugby game in Sydney on Sunday.

These four Australian teams are comprised of the reserve players for their Super Rugby teams plus others who have been training with them without a contract. The Aussie sides will play in a two-pool competition against teams from Fiji (the current champions), Samoa, Tonga, Japan and Argentina.  The overseas players are home-based and not earning top dollar, or euro.

The Fiji Warriors have won the Pacific Rugby Cup [PRC] in the last five years and are the only team to defend their title.

This is the first year that the Argentina team, called the Pampas XV, has been invited to the competition and it is also the first year that all the games will be played in Australia.  Despite using home-based players, the Pampas XV team has seven test players in it.

The competition is funded by the IRB, and the grunt work is done by the staff of the Aussie teams and the ARU.

Mark Egan, the IRB Head of Competitions and Performance said:

We are extremely grateful to the ARU for their cooperation and support in hosting the IRB Pacific Rugby Cup which is an important element of the IRB’s overall strategic investment competitions portfolio.

He must be a banker.

Started in 2006 , the PRC has had different formats in its short history and the ARU must be happy with the 2014 version.  Aussie teams will have full participation and its emerging  players will get a leg up.

The Super Rugby franchises involved are happy too: Michael Cheika said:

The timing is perfect as it parallels the start of our Super Rugby season and sits just before the start of our Shute Shield competition for the Sydney clubs; so all players involved are preparing in a competitive match arena as opposed to training.

That’s the boring stuff: what about the two games?

Force A 29—Reds A 23

Although the Reds scored three tries to two, their lack of discipline in the wrong parts of the field was costly and Force fullback, Jayden Hayward, kicked five penalty goals for the Force and, with two conversions, slotted seven out of eight attempts on the night.

Hayward had kicked two penalty goals and the Reds flyhalf, Sam Greene, one, when Greene dummied and flopped over the line to score.

He converted his try but two other Hayward penalty goals had the Force ahead 12-10 at oranges.

After the break, Greene kicked another penalty goal but a rampaging run by replacement Force prop Chris Heiberg enabled Hayward to score under the posts.  Later lock Phoenix Battye scored from a pick-and-go.

Hayward converted both tries for the Force to lead 26-13, but the Reds responded with two quick tries themselves. No 8, Tim Buchanan, scored from push-over scrum and skipper Curtis Browning shook off two defenders, typically, to score. Neither try was converted but it was “game-on”.

Ahead just 26-23, the Force repelled the Reds time after time for 15 minutes until Hayward settled things down with a penalty goal from near half-way for the Force to win 29-23.

Teams:

Force A — 1. Francois van Wyk, 2. Robbie Abel, 3. Salesi Manu, 4. Rory Walton, 5. Phoenix Battye, 6. Corey Thomas, 7. Kane Koteka, 8. Richard Hardwick, 9. Ryan Louwrens, 10. Dillyn Leyds, 11. Ed Stubbs, 12. Luke Burton, 13. Chris Tuatara-Morrison (c), 14. Dylan Sage, 15. Jayden Hayward. Reserves: 16. Harry Scoble, 17. Joe Savage, 18. Chris Heiberg, 19. Ross Haylett-Petty, 20. Adrian Hall, 21. Angus Taylor, 22. Dane Haylett-Petty, 23. Brad Lacey.

Reds A — 1. Pettowa Paraka, 2. Andrew Ready, 3. Albert Anae, 4. Dave McDuling, 5. Blake Enever, 6. Curtis Browning (c), 7. Michael Gunn, 8. Tim Buchanan, 9. Scott Gale, 10. Sam Greene, 11. Chris Kuridrani, 12. Sam Johnson, 13. Kimami Sitauti, 14. Rod Davies, 15. Jonah Placid. Reserves: 16. Feleti Kaitu’u, 17. Sef Fa’agase, 18. Phil Kite, 19. Adam Korczyk, 20. Lolo Fakaosilea, 21. Nigel Genia, 22. Nigel Ah Wong, 23. Tom Banks.

Gen Blue 23—ACT A 17

This was a scrappy affair for both teams playing their first game together.  There were only three tries in the match  but there were a few left by both teams on the field because of poor combinations and rusty skills.

The best feature was the defence of both teams which often created loose ball.

First half—The Gen Blue looked impressive early as fullback Ben Volavola slid through tackles and soon afterwards Balmain subbies’ player 6. Loma Kaveinga scored unopposed, six minutes in, when the ball was swung wide from a maul.

The ACT responded ten minutes later with a goal to impressive flyhalf, Rodney Iona, from a scrum penalty: 7-3.

At 23 minutes Volavola saved a try with a timely interception but the Gen Blues were penalised at the next breakdown and Iona reduced the home team’s lead to 7-6 at 25 minutes.

When Gen Blue scrumhalf Matt Lucas was yellow carded the ACT kicked for the line and THP Allan Ala’alatoa scored from a lineout drive. The conversion missed.

At 36 minutes Volavola kicked a penalty goal for Gen Blue after his flyhalf, David Horwitz had kicked through cleverly, but the ACT team were ahead 11-10 at oranges.

Second half—Penalty goals were swapped after the break, then Usaia O’Sullivan got over the line at 56 minutes, but was held up.  From the ensuing scrum Lucas ambled over the line to score near touch.  He converted his own try and Gen Blue led 20-14 at 58 minutes.

ACT A had their best period of play in the fourth quarter of the game but errors from lineouts, poor passing and other gaffes spoiled several chances to score tries.

After penalty goals were swapped in the last ten minutes the final score was: Gen Blue 23—ACT A 17.

Both teams will be better for that game, but you could see the class of the players that had played Super Rugby: 7. Patrick McCutcheon, 9. Matt Lucas, and fullback Ben Volavola sometimes.  Lock Greg Peterson played a hard game and  moved a lot of ACT bodies around up front.

The Gen Blue team will have to do a bit of scrum work as they were shaky early, and the ACT team will have to work on lineouts at crunch times.

For the ACT A team flyhalf Rodney Iona was their best player and fullback Robbie Coleman was impressive until he was subbed early in the second half.

One point of interest was when Gen Blue loosehead prop Mike Ala’alatoa packed down in the scrum against brother Allan who was the tighthead prop of the ACT A scrum,  It was an even contest on that side of the scrum and Mike is getting a good long bind these days .

Teams:

Gen Blue — 1. Mike Ala’alatoa, 2. Hugh Roach, 3. Tim Metcher, 4. Steve Cummins, 5. Greg Peterson, 6. Loma Kaveinga, 7. Pat McCutcheon (c), 8. Jed Holloway, 9. Matt Lucas, 10. David Horwitz, 11. Joel Brooks, 12. Usaia O’Sullivan, 13. Mali Hingano, 14. Cam Crawford, 15. Ben Volavola. Reserves:  16. Ryan Dalziel, 17. Rory O’Connor, 18. Sam Talakai, 19. Seilala Lam, 20. Mark Baldwin, 21. James Cunningham, 22. Auvasa Faleali’i, 23. Jonny Vaux.

ACT A — 1. JP Smith, 2. Josh Mann-Rea, 3. Allan Ala’alatoa, 4. Dave McKern, 5. Jack Whetton, 6. Jordan Smiler, 7. Michael Smith, 8. Tim Cree, 9. Edan Campbell-O’Brien, 10. Rodney Iona, 11. Ben Johnson, 12. Matt Hawke, 13. Mitch Connolly, 14.Stephen van der Walt, 15. Robbie Coleman. Reserves: 16. Carl Elliott, 17. JP Pradaud, 18. Les Makin, 19. Ben McGee, 20. Xavier Duffy, 21. Pedro Rolando, 22. Issac Thompson, 23. Jerome Niumata.

 See below for gallery of pics from the Gen Blue v, ACT A match

Click on right arrow for NSW Under 20s v. Pampas XV