Nudgee College 39 def Gregory Terrace 15
For the first time in years there was genuine hope within the Gregory Terrace crowd that 2013 would be the year that they broke their Nudgee College hoodoo and deservedly so, the men in black and red were off to a great start in 2013.
The scene was set as the sun shined across Ross Oval, both teams receiving enormous roars as they made their way onto the field.
Terrace had the run of play in the opening exchanges as they shifted the ball from side to side effectively, Angus Fowler and Alex Horan conducting proceedings with efficiency. Nudgee initially looked rattled, but a flying James Tuttle calmed any nerves as he split the line only to lose the ball in contact.
The Terrace back row were causing havoc at the breakdown and slowing all of Nudgee’s ball down, forcing a number of penalties. However they could not turn pressure into points and fifteen minutes in, Nudgee outside centre Campbell Magnay scored what will surely be the easiest try he will score all year, catching and falling over the line.
Nudgee immediately extended the margin again as Terrace began to overcommit at the breakdown, leaving acres of space for the Nudgee backs to work with. A flying Tyrone Hussey took full advantage of the extra room to move as he screamed over for a try.
The signs were ominous for the Terrace side but a charged down kick gave them their best chance of the day. They capitalised as some tight forward play saw tighthead prop Green get over for a try, carrying three defenders with him in the process.
The remainder of the first half saw set piece struggles for both sides and Terrace ascendency at the breakdown, neither side really getting the upper hand on each other as the oranges were brought out. The score sat at 12-7, both sides poised for a big second term.
The second half started well for Nudgee as Maclean Jones scored an easy try in the corner, opening the lead up to 17-7.
Perhaps the best way to describe the second half would be via the recount of Nudgee’s next try.
The Terrace lineout faltered yet again after they had finally worked their way out of their own half, Jones picking up a loose ball and going on a barnstorming run. He beat a number of defenders and slamming the ball down for an emphatic try, a heartbreaking one if you were wearing red.
The final fifteen minutes showed hints of a Terrace comeback but it was not meant to be as they continued to leak points. The final whistle blew and Nudgee ran out 39-15 winners over their old foes.
For Nudgee it was business as usual. For Terrace, it would have to wait another year.
The Southport School 72 def Brisbane State High School 7
TSS routed State High 72 points to 7 in a clinical performance of expansive rugby.
State High went into the break only 6 points behind, but TSS ran rampant in the second half scoring 59 unanswered points.
State High showed their attacking intent early when fullback Liam McNamara and winger Tyrone Southorn made some productive metres on the wings but TSS were first to get on the board with a penalty to fly-half Mitch Third.
Some astute kicking by fullback Ed Gibson got TSS back into State High’s 22 and off a win against the feed of a five metre scrum, Third put centre Joey Fittock through a half gap out-wide for him to barge over for the first try.
Fittock then scored his second slipping his opposing centres and the fullback off an expansive backline play to dive over in the same corner.
State High continued to attack from within their own half and despite some bruising defence by TSS frontrow pair Sam Clifton and Toby Greenup, centre Jim Henjak ran sideways across the whole TSS line and stepped through a chink in the chain to score a 60 metre effort to end the half TSS 13 – State High 7.
However this was to be State High’s only score of the game and not long after the commencement of play Third strolled over on the blindside.
TSS added another 2 minutes later when scrum-half Isaak Fines-Leleiwasa sniped from the back of the ruck and ran 40 metres passing to flanker Luke Papworth and getting the offload in support to cross the line.
Lock Jake Upfield broke the line soon after and was able to offload to Papworth 10 metres out, diving over rewarding himself for an earlier linebreak and good support play.
TSS then piled on six more tries with: two to Upfield crashing over off a five metre lineout and an intercept on the tryline, fullback Ed Gibson getting a clean run off a decoy runner play, flanker PJ Van den Berg diving over from close range, replacement lock Lucas Stonhill powering through a defender and monstrous centre Nili Fielea barging over out-wide.
TSS 72 (tries: Fittock 2, Third, Fines-Leleiwasa, Papworth, Upfield 2, Gibson, Van den Berg, Fielea, Stonhill, cons: Dorrough 5, pens: Third) BSHS 7 (try: Henjak, con: Strachan).
Stay tuned for Nic Darveniza’s report on Brisbane Boys College’s 46-17 victory over Brisbane Grammar School.
