The NSW GPS competition started yesterday and three teams put down a marker than they were the ones to beat.
2013 Joint Champions Scots and Newington had emphatic wins and Riverview served notice that there was a new gun in town.
Scots 57 — Joeys 7
Scots gave Joeys one of their worst drubbings for for a while when they put them away 53-7 at Bellevue Hill.
When skies cleared after a wet Sydney morning Scots were better in every aspect of rugby play and toyed with the visitors who had few answers to their Viking-like raids.
First half
Scots put their signature on the match early when they dominated the Joeys scrum twice and turned down penalty goals in favour of lineouts.
But the first Scots’ try of many came from another beaten Joeys scrum near their own goal posts. It was wheeled and the turnover ball went wide to 15. Guy Porter to score for Scots near the corner.
The conversion missed and when Joeys regained possession after they restarted play 11. Matt Scolari scored at the other end. 15. Thomas Wright converted Joeys took the lead 7-5, 13 minutes in.
It looked like it both sides were going to keep the scorer busy but it wasn’t to be: it was the last Joeys’ score of the afternoon.
But after another restart it was the turn of 8. Charlie Smith to launch a try-scoring attack, and after his good break 10. Callum Styles scored for Scots to retake the lead 12-7.
Scots were looking like men against boys both physically and in a rugby sense. They were taking control of the linoeuts now as well as the scrums and making more dominant runs and tackles.
Scots had several damaging excursions including a couple from 13. Angus Crichton. After they were held up over the line 6. Max Girdler brushed aside some poor Joeys’ defence to score with about five minutes left in the half.
There was no conversion and Scots led 17-7 at half-time.
Second half
Things got worse for Joeys after oranges.
Five minutes after the break a horror stretch for visitors started when Jack Maddocks, who had replaced Styles in the first half, went through several weak tackles to score in the corner for Scots. Next 14. Max Hendrie went over attached to three tacklers after several defenders had been grassed upfield.
Then in a rare Joeys raid 11. Jake Prindiville got into the act for Scots when he intercepted a pass and ran 70 metres to score. Soon afterwards Scots launched an attack from their own 22 and Hendrie scored his second try, after another damaging run which knocked Joeys’ defenders out of the way near their goal-line.
Four tries were scored in ten minutes. The only blemish in Scots’ play was a poor conversion rate. Dan England slotted one to make the score 39-7 and there were still 21 minutes to go.
One Scots’ oldboy in the crowd was estatic:
This is fantastic: it’s what they used to do to us 20 years ago.
Joeys had a better period for about ten minutes but they lost their scrum ball in their own 22 and from the resulting Scots scrum Maddocks scored his second try.
Finally Guy Porter set up Hendrie for his third meat pie and the scoring ended at 53-7.
The teams
Having thrashed two famous rugby schools: St. Josephs College in Round One, and The Southport School in a trial, Scots will take a lot of beating this year though one will have to see them against better opposition to make a valid assesment of their chances.
Joeys were beaten across the park. Their attack lacked deception and their defence away from the ruck was poor. When Scots got into space a try was expected and often accomplished. Better line speed would have stalled some of the Scot’s attacks before they got started, but they also should have regrouped and matched up better after breakdowns.
But since they are Joe boys one expects them to fight back and pose some problems for some of the teams not contending for top spot.
The Players
Scots had many players worthy of mention but hooker Jakob Sedgman was one of their best for his non-stop work in the tight and occasional burst in the loose. Winger Max Hendrie bullied several defenders scoring his three tries, and no. 8 Charlie Smith was a dynamo and set up a try.
A special mention to Angus Crichton who played outside centre instead of his usual position of no. 8; not many outsiders would have realised he wasn’t a specialist.
Joeys’players were putting out too many fires to make their mark but LHP Tom Horton was noticeable in fighting to the end, and apart from his intercept pass, scrumhalf Nick Duffy was nifty in clearing the ball and running with it.
Scoring
Scots 53 (Max Hendrie 3, Jack Maddocks 2, Guy Porter, Callum Styles, Max Girdler, Jake Prindiville, tries; Maddocks 2, Styles, Dan England cons) def Joeys 7 (Matt Scolari try; Thomas Wright con).
Other results (unofficial):
2nd XV: Joeys 26 def Scots 7
3rd XV: Joeys 22 def Scots 5
