The first round of the 2015 NSW GPS competition started yesterday on a dull day with rain sprinkles at some grounds.
The bookies had last year’s undefeated champions, Scots, in the pole position, although Kings’ beat them in their last trial game to give hope to the other teams. Newington caused some cheek also, overcoming Riverview in their last trial, and Joeys was rampant against Shore.
But they were trial matches; the first round would give the best indication of where the teams were at.
Joeys v Riverview
Riverview had the wood on Joeys beating them in both games in the last two years but the Joeys’ forwards were powerful last weekend and they had a wizard playing behind them.
First Half
Joeys struck early when they drifted across the field from a lineout set up by a penalty kick. When 15 Tim Clements straightened he went over for Joeys in the second minute of the game. What a start.
After a dropped ball by the Joe Boys, good runs from Riverview’s 11. Conor Hurley and others set up the first of four penalty goals for 10 Jack McGregor.
The second followed an excellent run by winger Dominic Mete who looked in for all money but was brought down.
It wasn’t going all View’s way: 10 Thomas Wright conjured a few freakish runs, hooker Tom Horton was hard to stop and Joeys put in some big hits. But their ball work let them them down too often, they were pinged in the scrums—and their defensive line speed, though diligent, was often premature.
Apart from kicking goals, McGregor punished the home team with well-placed long kicks from hand, for Joeys to make mistakes in the right area from Riverview’s point of view, and they did.
The third and fourth penalty goals followed some bullocking runs by 8 Elliot Gehrig and more dangerous sprints from Mete. Riverview led 12-7, three minutes before the break.
Jack Mac was killing them softly with his goals, but Wright broke play open for Joeys with a signature run. 13 Terry William was carded for cynical play on the Riverview goal line and after Joeys took the scrum option, winger Blaise Barnes scored on the buzzer. Scrum half Wennerbom goaled his second conversion.
Half-time score: Joeys 14 – Riverview 12.
Second Half
From the restart, lock Nathan Gittoes cracked Riverview open with a 50-metre run before moving the ball onto the backs, and Barnes was in for his second.
Barnes scored again with a runaway try for his hat-trick, and the throats of Joeys fans were sore after two tries in two-and-a-half minutes.
St. Josephs had the vibe; so they spurned a kick at goal on their next visit. It was a good decision because 14 Yirrbi Jaffer-Williams sliced View open from the lineout and scored handy.
Joeys had crossed for three tries in the first seven minutes of the half, and after Wennerbom converted them all. Joeys led 35-12.
Riverview recovered and had enough possession in the right real estate, and Jack Mac was having a few good runs; but just as the Joeys’ attack had been relentless, so was their defence in their 22, especially on their goal line.
Joeys threatened to put View away with a move up the right-hand touch but they dropped the ball. However the tiring visitors could not stop LHP Layton Holley from scoring when the ball was switched wide in the View 22, with nine minutes remaining.
Nor could they stop Clements breaking out of the St. Joseph’s 22 and getting his second try at the other end—the seventh for Joeys.
Final score: Joeys 45 – Riverview 12
The teams
Riverview faded in the second half as they did in their last trial; they have to play better after the break in their games or else it will be a long season. They gave up four tries with a man in the bin but they should have defended better in that period regardless. Their lineout was poor.
Joeys struggled in the scrum in the first half and they needed more patient discipline when their opponents had their time with the ball. A better opponent on the day would have made then pay more than Riverview did in the first half with their four penalty goals.
The Players
Riverview
10. Jack McGregor – 3 points – mature player; managed his team around the field well in the first half.
14. Dominic Mete – 2 points – fast; always dangerous down the right hand side.
8. Elliot Gerhig – 1 point – made metres through the middle several times before the break.
Joeys
11. Blaise Barnes – 3 points – helped to set up the first try, and scored the next three himself, being in the right place and sometimes with a bit to do.
10. Thomas Wright – 2 points – turned nothing into something by sleight of hand or foot; is a rainmaker.
5. Nathan Gittoes – long run after half time set-up Joeys’ dominance; a bruiser who was a handful otherwise also.
Honourable mentions to 4. Thomas Leaver, moved from 6 to lock this week—and hooker Thomas Horton for damaging runs. Also to Tim Clements—and Yirribi Jaffa-Williams for a well-anticipated run from the other wing to bring down Mete and save a try.
Scoring
Joeys 45 ( B. Barnes 3, T. Clements 2, Y. Jaffer-Wlliams, L. Holley tries; W. Wennerbom 5 cons) def. Riverview 12 (J. McGregor 4 pens.)
Other results
2nd XV: Joeys 24 – Riverview 0
3rd XV: Joeys 29 – Riverview 10
16As: Joeys 36 – Riverview 5
Photos of Joeys v Riverview by Lee Grant
Click on page 2 below for the report on Scots v. Newington by “Nectarphiliac”
