For the second year in a row, Nudgee College contested the GPS premiership on the historical graveyard of hundreds of schoolboy XVs – their home field of Ross Oval. 2012 saw the Nudgee favourites trumped in an upset, but there would be no chance in hell the Nudgee team would allow another robbery to occur in 2013. Nudgee mercilessly cut down a down-on-their-luck Toowoomba side to seize the College’s 40th GPS Premiership in a comprehensive victory.
Unfortunately all Nudgee supporters who saw the game were too inebriated busy celebrating* over the weekend to provide a match report. Congratulations to Nudgee College on a well deserved Premiership.
Southport 44 defeated Brisbane Grammar 17
As Southport and Brisbane Grammar clashed on the day of the National Election, similar results to the Liberal Whitewash were predicted as pundits called for a 65-0 thrashing by Southport of the Brisbane students. Whilst not quite that scoreline, the game was eerily prophetic of the Wallaby Test just hours later, as a stronger side physically dominated the weaker, while the game kept close; that is, until the final 20 minutes…
When Brisbane failed to kick the ball ten from opening kick-off, the tone was set for the game early.
Southport won their own scrum feed, and looked to attack Brisbane’s line before a clutch display of defensive pressure forced the turnover. As BGS looked to counter attack, a knock on rendered all the previous defensive work useless. TSS won a penalty from the scrum 30 metres out and just to the left of the uprights. Third kicked to the line, and five phases later loosehead prop Evander Guttenbeil pick and drove his way over the tryline. Third couldn’t convert, but the earlier predictions were starting to ring true.
Brisbane intercepted the next kick-off, and ran hard at their opposition to no avail. Sheer physicality from the home side kept Grammar stuck behind the game line, and Southport didn’t appear to be too worried about the proximity of the 2012 defending champions to their tryline. The next 20 minutes saw play even out as Grammar started to find cracks in Southport’s defensive structure, while Southport ramped up their wide attack in an effort to beat Grammar into submission.
This period produced the most entertaining play of the round, as Southport’s perfectly executed decoy plays created miles of space out wide for the zippy outside backs to exploit. Grammar countered this by a superb short passing game from flyhalf Matt Marsden as he put runners in holes all over the park. Linebreaks from Josh Neal (7) for TSS, Marsden (10) and Kemp (7) for Brisbane Grammar saw both teams defence tire quickly, and Brisbane benefited next with a converted try to hooker Michael Murray.
Posession changed 7 times in the next 10 minutes before Nili Fielea (12) burst through the middle of the field for Southport, leaving a trail of broken tackles and destruction behind him as he touched down between the posts. For the last three minutes of the first half, Brisbane Grammar launched an all out assault on the TSS goal line to chase down the narrow lead. A Matt Marsden (10) penalty goal saw TSS lead only by 2 at halftime, and BGS nearly scored through a nifty lineout set move that saw Lakehm Aiono, a former inside centre now playing loosehead prop streak through the back of the line out, but an ambitious chip and chase attempt was defused by the TSS cover defence.
Halftime Score: TSS 12 – BGS 10
When the second half commenced, TSS were methodical in increasing their lead, kicking 2 early penalties to take the game beyond a seven point lead. TSS’ conservative new game plan saw the Beach Boys play significantly smarter rugby – kicking deep to Grammar’s injury depleted back three and forcing turnovers, using their superior conditioning to grind Grammar out of the match.
Grammar fatigued significantly in the last 20 minutes, and TSS took full advantage. BGS’ line speed decreased dramatically, players stopped sprinting to get behind the ball on kick returns, and began both missing tackles and making defensive alignment mistakes.
TSS scored through Evander Guttenbeil for his second try of the match, 2 tries to Luke Papworth, and a final try on full time to hooker Jake Lyon.
Although Brisbane’s outside center Lachi Lanskey scored a great individual try with just minutes to go, breaking through 2 tackles before sprinting for the corner, in the end his had no answers as the Southport stormed home in an emotional final home game for the 2013 Seniors.
Southport will head north to Miskin Street to take on BBC in Round 9, with the winner destined to take out second place in the competition.
Grammar will play their historical rivals Gregory Terrace at Northgate in Round 9, and while neither are in contention for a podium place, the match will surely be a heated one as the Seniors of both schools look to finish off their Schoolboy Rugby careers with a win over their respective Spring Hill Rivals.
TSS 44 – Tries: Evander Guttenbeil (2), Luke Papworth (2), Nili Fielea (1), Jake Lyon (1) – Conversions: Third (4) – Penalties: Third (2) )
BGS 17 – Tries: Michael Murray (1), Lachi Lanskey (1) – Conversions: Marsden (1), Laud (1) – Penalties: Marsden (1)
Churchie 36 defeated Gregory Terrace 20
by DarkShark
On a balmy Brisbane Spring afternoon Churchie and Terrace came together on the Main Field at Churchie. For Terrace to have a chance they had to win the forwards battle, for Churchie they had to let their back line sing.
Churchie showed their cards early by running hard through the centres and capitalising on a couple of early mistakes from the red and black, before scoring and converted to take a 7 to nil lead.
Terrace tried to hit back straight away and after a little pressure resulted in a penalty goal attempt by Horan that then hit the upright for Churchie to regather and get themselves out of the danger zone.
The battle between the two number sevens, Toby McNamee and Digger MacMillan was intense, with each attacking the breakdown at every opportunity. McNamee seemed to jag some vital turnovers early, but MacMillan put a lot of pressure on every Terrace hit up.
Halfway through the first half, the turning point of the match occurred when Sam Scott-Young (5) put a massive hit on his opposite number Dom Sester (4) that completely knocked the wind out of him and also Terrace’s sails. While Scott-Young was penalised for being off side, the tackle was a legitimate cruncher. Sester took a while to recover and get the breath into his lungs – and the Churchie boys were pumped. Churchie capitalised on this, shutting down a lot of good straight running from Wilson and preventing Terrace from making any inroads.
With Perese continually sniping, a couple of more tries went to Churchie to one Terrace penalty before the whistle was blown for the end of the first half made the result almost a foregone conclusion. However, the complexion of the game had changed with MacMillan off injured before half time. Terrace tried to fight back in the second half with numerous busts by Te Rupe being shut down by the scrambling defence. Churchie also solidified the scrum and forwards when Asiata came on after oranges and any hope that Terrace had was extinguished by a try to Churchie causing the gap to be more than three tries.
In the end Terrace scored two late tries with Partridge flying down the right wing to bring the score to a more respectable level. The final score ACGS 36 to GT 20.
BBC 45 defeated Ipswich Grammar 34
by Sam Hauser and Digby
BBC struggled early to maintain their attacking structures when a strong Ipswich Grammar side arrived at Miskin Street. Ipswich played a dominant tight game, tackling hard and running harder in the first 20 minutes of the clash. Jamason Fa’anana Schultz played an exceptional game in the Second Row, ably leading his side from the front as they competed dominantly against an inferior forward pack. BBC were put under pressure early and often as their forwards missed tackles, and struggled in the line-outs. Loosehead Prop Benroy Sala was yellow carded mid-way through the match for a shoulder charge.
Ipswich’s back-line showed promise throughout the game, as Australia A flyhalf Carlin Anderson looked to ignite the attacking potential of his beefy outside backs in combination with a strong personal running game. Whilst ultimately successful in scoring points, it was BBC’s stellar backline that proved the difference, with Josh Bowyer-Bowen scoring 2 tries, the first arguably one of the greatest schoolboy tries ever (in the words of Coach Tom Barker). After receiving a kick deep inside his own 22, Bowyer swerved past 3 defenders untouched, before chipping and chasing over the Ipswich fullback, leaping in to the air and catching it in with one hand, before racing away with the ball precariously balanced in his palm. Bowen scored BBC’s first 24 points of the match in a superstar performance.
BBC, perhaps deservedly, played over-confidently and lazily. BBC fell in to the trap that has plagued them all season long by throwing the 1% passes and toying with their opposition. This cost them several tries as the backs played Sevens style rugby, and the inside backs butchered several more tries through poor decision making. Each time BBC built a lead, they invariably took their foot off the pedal and allowed Ipswich to work themselves back in to the game. BBC’s halfback is to be commended after a brilliant defensive game.
