Joeys v Riverview
By “Lee Grant”
The undefeated visitors were favoured to win this match at Hunters Hill as there were last year. Joeys had a win against Shore in Round 2 before the break but looked like they would have to step up from that mixed performance against Riverview.
First half
Joeys had the cold southerly wind behind them and were soon down near the corner. When they got a scrum penalty they kicked for the line instead of going for goal and eventually knocked the ball on.
Bad options and turnovers like this were to be the bane of the home side during the afternoon.
Neither side looked dominant in the first ten minutes or so but the visitors, playing in their own half, were settling down nicely against the wind like in a chess game playing with the black pieces.
Bill Freeman went on a nice run for them and 3 Henry Hutchison got a half-break before being hauled down by 10 Connor O’Shea of Joeys. But the ball went to 4 Jack Rudd of View from the breakdown and he got them into Joeys’ real estate.
Eventually Freeman got the ball near the corner and when he was held up he palmed the ball to his skipper 2 Evan Pritchard, who scored.
Joeys had been down in the View half for a while without success but in their first real visit Riverview had got meat. The wide conversion missed and View led 5-0 at 15 minutes.
Things got worse for the SJC when they got in each others way fielding a clearing kick and after they lost that ball they couldn’t handle a Riverview box kick either.
View were all over the pill in the SJC 22 and the home team was on their heels. Then 10 Jack McGregor went over in the same spot where Pritchard had scored a few minutes before.
Riverview: two chances, two tries. It was impressive stuff and they were leading 10-0 just into the second quarter of the game.
By contrast Joeys had several possessions near or in the View 22 in the next ten minutes—once they had the ball ripped out, next they knocked the ball on and the third time 13 Henry Hutchison couldn’t be cleaned out when a Joey’s ball runner went to ground, so solid was his position, and he turned the ball over like Mighty Mouse.
Riverview were coming off their defensive line quickly and relishing the tackles and their forwards were like blue-heelers hunting the ball—they were out-Joeying Joeys.
The score at half-time was still 10-0 to Riverview. If they scored like that against the wind, what were they going to do with it?
Second half
View missed a penalty goal after the break but SJC couldn’t exit and View got the ball back again in the Joeys 22. 5 Beau Petterson slipped the ball to 8 Jack Hayson and he scored near to the posts. It was well-done but it seemed a tad too easy when Joeys had bashed away in the same spot for minutes on end in the first half, but no cigar. McGregor was able to convert this time and Riverview led 17-0.
Joeys spent some time in the View half but were not dangerous; then 15 minutes into the half McGregor slotted the first of two penalty goals: Riverview led 23-0 at about the three-quarter mark.
With the game well and truly lost Joeys played their best rugby. Their forwards showed up to play with 6 James Margan in commanding form and 1 Callum James and 3 Thomas Horton making a few charges. 9 Nicholas Duffy and O’Shea were finding things easier and fullback Thomas Wright was side-stepping opponents on the back foot for a change.
Horton took one ball up the guts and they couldn’t stop him scoring Joeys’ first try with twelve minutes to go. 23-5.
Then 5 Tom Leaver had a guts run, O’Shea got the ball after the breakdown, beat McGregor’s tackle and scored in the corner.
There were still nine minutes to go but there was no more scoring and Riverview were the deserved winners 23-10.
The players
Joeys
3. James Margan (6) – one of the few forwards to play consistently for the whole game. Broke the advantage line several times and stepped up in this game.
2. Tom Wright (15) – always hard to stop with his step and change of pace; got caught out of position a few times when View had the wind at their backs. Team mates have to run off him more and he has to look for them.
1. Will Anderson (16) – played well after a whole game in the Twos: good running game and breakdown work plus painful defence.
Riverview
3. Jack McGregor (10) – handled the wind both ways well and made good decisions.
2. Bill Freeman (15) – safe at the back and had some slashing runs.
1. Jack Hayson (8) – big engine and always close to the action.
Wrap up
It was only three tries to two but View always had the game in hand even playing against the wind.
However having seen them play twice and Scots once, I don’t rate them as highly as Scots who have better weapons at their disposal and more of them.
Joeys will be in the mix with Kings and Newington for third place but they will have to play better for longer than they did today.
The scoring
Riverview 23 (E. Pritchard, J. Hayson tries; J. McGregor try, con, 2 pens) def. Joeys 10 (T. Horton, C. O’Shea tries)
Other results
2nd XV — Joeys 12 – Riverview 5
3rd XV — The Armidale School 1st XV 19 – Joeys 12 *
16As — Joeys 40 – Riverview 8
* Congratulations to The Armidale School for this deserved win. They scored three cracking tries to two and got a great hand from the Joeys’ faithful.
Photos by Lee Grant
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