1 July 2010

4^th Grade Match Report:

After a successful start to the second half of the season with a convincing win the previous week against Easts the 4^th Grade Dragons looked to win their first Home/Away series having defeated Wests on home ground in Round 2. Bettering the 36-5 victory from Round 2 would be a tall task, but apparently one the Dragons were more than ready to take on. And it did not take long for the Dragons to start the ticking of boxes as completed, 3 minutes and 42 seconds to be exact. Vaughan Eriksen turned a small gap in the Wests’ defence into a gaping hole through which he, Brad Meteyard, and Gerome Mangalus exploited for Gerome to score the first try of the match. Brad would start to stake his claim for Man of the Match with a brilliant offload which helped put Gerome across the line.  The Round 2 match featured a high powered attach lead by Nigel Robertson and this match would be no different, however this time as potent as the attack was the defence was even more lethal. On the defensive side of the ball the Dragons finally grasp the concept of defensive lines and progressing up together and stifled any and all attack that Wests tried to mount. Whether through big hits or constant pressure, the Dragons held Wests to just a few continuous phases and then took over possession to show Wests how it should be done. Wests best gains were through lapses in judgement and concentration during which time the Dragons’ 4^th Graders committed just as many penalties as they scored tries. The worst of these times being a ruck penalty gaining Wests 30 metres of territory after the referee deemed vocally the Dragons were in violation of the spirit of the game.  Despite their own undoing The Dragons only allowed 1 penalty goal and scored 5 trys themselves, 4 of which Vaughan converted, giving the Dragons a 33-3 lead at the end of the first half and leaving them in striking distance of equalling their Round 2 victory.

Aside from addressing a few ruck issues from the first half the halftime speech was about continuing structure despite the rather large lead they had amassed in the first half. This was the downfall of the team in their first encounter with Wests in Round 2, during which the second half more resembled a game of touch than a rugby match.  Nigel’s form passing and great decision making as to when to take the ball up into the teeth of the Wests defence and when to push it wide proved the difference this go around and not only did the Dragons better their first round performance they managed to even better their first half performance scoring 6 trys, with Vaughan converting another 4. With a defence lead by Brad Meteyard and Will Keys the first half results too were bested and the Wests attack barely crossed the halfway line and not a point was allowed. As daunting a tasks as bettering the Round 2 results might have seemed at the outset of the match at the final whistle a complete team effort by the starters and the bench proved that this team is still capable of improving on what has already been a successful session thus far.  The scoreboard showed the final score to be 71-3 in favour of the Dragons almost doubling the point scored in Round 2 and halving the points allowed. Of the 71 points scored Vaughan put in a personal haul of 26 points by adding 2 trys to his 8 conversions. Also scoring a double were Takake “Jerome” Rapana and Adrian “Knight Rider” Fitzsimmons, crossing for individual efforts themselves were Adam Scott, Nigel Robertson, Gerome Mangalus, Willie Pole, and Jeremy Richardson.

When 71 points are scored verses only 3 allowed acknowledging Men of the Match seems to be more complex than the game itself.  A game where defence and attack are together in regards to domination one of the Man of the Match nominees has to be someone who played both sides equally well. And Will Keys fit this bill, his defence of around the ruck and his protection of it when on attack netted him the 1 point honours. And in a side note, most of this report has talked about constant improvement and Will has been the epitome of this throughout this season. Having talked about constant improvement sometimes just as important is immediate impact and wanting make sure we address the stellar defence of the match we can kill two birds with one stone in awarding the 2 point honours to Brad Meteyard. Brad showed sick speed, amazing game awareness, and hit like a Mack truck all morning long. Hitting the field in form in only his first match of the season Brad we tip our cap to you and eagerly look forward to how much you can dominate once you have a few games under your belt.  If the fourth grade coaches of Wests managed to sleep after such a performance I am 100% sure they had nightmares of the 3 point Man of the Match. In Round 2 Nigel Robertson personally carved the Wests defence like an Easter ham with his amazing footwork. This round he decided to show he can be just as sharp with his decision making and passes.  Had Robbie Deans had the chance to get a copy of the match for his lessons on “Play what is in front of you” he could have summed up the whole trainings session by showing Nigel’s game film and saying “See”. Great Job Will, Brad, and Nigel, can’t wait to see what you and the team can improve on next.     

5^th Grade Match Report

Coming into the match with GPS the 5^th Grade Sunnybank 2 team where looking down the barrel of another road match against a team higher on the table than them, their 3^rd in a row. This week needed to be different to try and save a session and start a climb into the Top 4. Armed with a bench numbering greater than one was a good start and one they had not had in their last 4 matches, and a great started was achieved when Alan Whellar crossed the line for the first try of the match.  From that point on the match remained close with both teams battling each other tooth and nail and the referee battling both teams, the coaches, and even the touch judge. And that will be the last I’ll mention the referee because to do so would take away from one of the best team efforts this side has put together all session, and quite honestly a match I would have paid to see. With highlights including a 7 man Sunnybank Scrum pushing back a full GPS Scrum, by far the most dominate forward attack I’ve seen all year by any level at this club, and hustle and determination from EVERY single player this was the match that the play will be remembered long after the score is forgotten.  For sixty minutes the 5^th Graders owned the pitch including the 10 minutes they were a man down due to a questionable yellow card, had it not been for 5 minutes poor execution in each of the halves I’d be writing about a 4 table point victory instead of just a moral victory. But the game is 70 minutes and at the end of those 70 Sunnybank 2 came up short 38-19. In the match Alan would add a second try Atanasio “Gerome” Tatola would cross for a brilliant try of his own and Semisi Feao would nail two conversions to account for all the scoring done by this side.

As with the 4th Grade, while not as dominate, the Men of the Match honours where as hard fought as the contest with numerious players putting their hands up with their efforts. In the awarding process there are 6 points available (3,2,1)  and in a team effort  like this it’s fair to total the point and divide them 2 points apiece to Heta Cook, Semisi Feao, and Brendan Coombs. Brendan Coombs has put in his second straight performance of superior effort and equally good results, and I’m yet to see him play in a match where he hasn’t left everything he has on the field. And on a humorous note if you don’t believe me ask him about last week’s match at Uni. But even that story tells the tale of a hard as nail player.  Hard as nails also described the hits Heta laid on anyone wearing a GPS Jersey whether in attack or defence it didn’t matter you where getting hit if you were wearing Blue and Green. Heta was hitting up so hard in attack I swear I saw tacklers close their eyes and brace for contact like they were being paddled for a wrong doing.  Thank you Heta for the infusion of physicality that has become a Sunnybank Trademark. Semisi had the all around game working for him on Saturday, scoring conversions, orchestrating the attack and defence, and for the most part gaining territory with his tactical kicking game. I think Semisi would be the first to tell you his bright yellow boots have sometimes let him down, but this not week where he played a hybrid 10/15 as well as if it would have been designed for him by the originator of the position, Quade Cooper.  Great efforts to the Trifecta Men of the Match and especially to the whole team on a solid performance we can build on for next week.