Kings v Joeys
“by Lee Grant”
JS White Oval had dried up during the week and the boys from both sides tried to make the ball sing.
First half
It looked ominous for the home side after Joeys kicked off and a poor exit kick by Kings didn’t go out. After the pill was switched to the other side with some cracking handling, Blaise Barnes scored when he followed play from the other wing.
When scrummie Will Wennerbom converted the try Joeys led 7-0.
The bad start for Kings got worse when flyhalf Jack Mann was injured and had to retire. Winger Chris Orpen had to go off also after hobbling around bravely for a while.
That didn’t stop Kings playing a lot of rugby in Joeys’ half of the field and forcing indiscretions from the visitors, including at scrum time.
But Joeys dismembered Kings after 13 Tom Wright took a tap kick to get deep into Kings’ territory. Although turning down three points to get five did not work, THP Tom Horton hared up the tram tracks soon afterwards with hooker William Anderson in support outside. Wennerbom, supporting inside, got the ball instead but he passed out to Anderson when challenged, and the rake got meat when he veered to the posts.
It was champagne rugby by Joeys and more was to follow after Wright ran around several defenders from near his own 22, and 50 metres later set up Yirrbri Jaffer-Williams for a five-pointer. Joeys led 21-0 at 25 minutes.
With two of their regular starting backs off the field and players moving around, Kings was finding it difficult to counter the ball work of the visitors and their own handling was not helped either. To their credit Kings struck back when their best player this season, Dylan Pietsch, was stopped, but he burst through a weak tackle to score in the corner.
At the other end it was Joeys’ turn to benefit from poor defence when Wright sliced through a gap while defenders watched.
Half-time score: after Wennerbom converted all four tries, Joeys led Kings 28 – 5.
Second half
Kings had to start well after oranges but Joeys began a move directed by Wright from deep in his own half. At the end of it 6 Dom McGrath broke through poor defence to score between the posts and Joeys led 35-5 five minutes after the break.
The home team earned a good patch of play and had the ball near the Joeys’ 22 but an overthrow launched a counter-attack for the visitors instead. Wright seemed well-covered but scored anyway and Joeys led 40-5 with 20 minutes remaining.
Kings showed more starch and Joeys’ less brilliance as the reserves appeared. The home team came on in waves and after 9 Louis Heaton nearly made it to the line THP Harrison Chapman planted the ball on the chalk.
The conversion made the score 40-12 to Joeys with ten minutes left but five minutes later Joeys set up a scrum in line with the Kings’ posts, with Wright set up on one side and all the other backs on the other. The two defenders and flanker had no chance against Wright and he scored his third try wide out.
Final score: Joeys 47 – Kings 12.
The Players
Kings
3 points – Aussie Schools THP Harrison Chapman broke the gain line several times and scored a tough try.
2 points – Though normally a flanker Dylan Pietsch was both aggressive and skilful in his new role as lock.
1 point – Inside centre Daniel Poletto managed the game as well as he could after losing his starting flyhalf.
Joeys
3 points – Wizard 13 Thomas Wright was the bane of Kings and forced them to watch him too often.
2 points – Scrumhalf Will Wennerbom had his best game this year; some of his clearances from the rucks were brilliant.
1 point – Winger Blaise Barnes was elusive, and tough to pull down even when grabbed.
Honourable mentions to all the forwards who were hard to split, and to flyhalf Nick Wilkinson who is settling into the position well.
The wrap-up
Kings were disadvantaged by losing their starting flyhalf and winger early, plus their outside centre later on. But they should have done better stopping the ensemble play of their opponents by getting off their defensive line earlier, before attacks were in full bloom.
Unless they can get some players back they will have a formidable task at Scots next week.
Joeys were relentless for the first three-quarters of the match and forced Kings to put out too many fires. Tough judges will say that they were less impressive in the last quarter of the game than they were earlier, and also point out that the brilliance of one player will not have the same impact against stronger teams later on.
But winners are grinners.
Scoring
Joeys 47 (T. Wright 3, B. Barnes, W. Anderson, Y. Jaffer-Williams, D. McGrath tries; W. Wennerbom 5, T. Wright cons) bt. Kings 12 (D. Pietsch, H. Chapman tries; D. Poletto con)
Other Scores
2nd XV: Joeys 19 – Kings 17
3rd XV: Joeys 61 – High 0
Under 16A: Joeys won
Photos of Kings v Joeys by “Lee Grant”
Click on Page 3 for a report on Newington v Shore by “Gary Owen III”
