Grand Final Reports, 18th September 2004

By James Diack

Frocs vs Souths

Old Collegians FROCS achieved the biggest upset result of the 2004 women's competition when we drew 10-10 with Southern Suburbs in the grand final at Bailey Reserve after playing extra time. Souths, however, won the premiership trophy because they led the competition ladder at the end of the minor round, having dominated the 15 match tournament with a for and against point difference exceeding 600 points. Colls finished in second position with a point difference approaching 200, well ahead of University in third spot. In the semi-finals, Souths beat Burnside 70-0, while Colls defeated University 10-0; clear indications of what a superb result the grand final produced for our girls. With the increase in playing membership and greater rugby skills that we have witnessed this year, let's hope next season generates even more success.

The grand final team, in player order, comprised K. Hume, M. Moran, L. Raikiwasa, N. Woodstock, K. Evans, I. Hume (captain), R. Manson, Z. Woodstock, T. Hume, T. Naige, R. Derbyshire-Lloyd, B. Wade, K. Reynolds, E. Faehmann, S. Brooks, K. Cherry, K. O'Neill, K. Stanton, N. Regler, S. Faehmaan, P. Abbott and J. Knuckey.

The FROCS grasped the initiative after the kick-off, keeping the action centred in Souths' 22 for a long time by keeping focused on the ball. We won plenty of possession from scrums and lineouts, tried to set up penetrative passing movements and gave solid support at the breakdown when we ran into opponents who were desperate to stop us from making headway. A little mishandling of the ball and misdirection of our passes hampered our efforts at times, but Souths couldn't take enough advantage from our mistakes to create constructive counter attacks. On the only occasion their backline accelerated with a degree of co-ordination, they strode past tacklers and broke through for their first try. We continued to hold massive territorial advantage and possession until half time, but failed to cross the goal line. By responding quickly, Souths blocked off openings in the centres. Our passing movements tended to drift across the pitch, making very little headway into attack. Unfortunately, we were a little hesitant in initiating and executing our attack system, thus we couldn't spin the ball fast enough to beat the defence.

Souths had more of the ball early in the second half and looked much more threatening than before. They had a bit more drive in the forwards and their backs supported each other with more surety. The FROCS however, still had the advantage in set play. Despite facing a big pack, our forwards gained ball from some of Souths' scrum put-ins, and our lineout work was excellent. It took a while to get back into Souths' area, but when we did we showed more purpose in attack than previously. After good work by our forwards, we got the ball quickly out to Belinda Wade who dashed past defenders to score the important equalising try. We had the edge over Souths for the remaining normal time, but were unable to score again. The next score didn't occur until the second porion of extra time. We took a shot at a penalty goal, but the ball fell short and Souths' clearing kick went askew into touch less than 10 metres from their goal line. We won the ensuing lineout, took the ball into a maul, rolled it past the line, and secured the ball on the ground for a try. This was as good an effort as we saw in any of the grand finals that day.

With very little time left, both sides made mistakes as they strove to gain control of the ball. The ball landed near the sideline after a penalty kick, and we failed to secure it. Souths kept the ball in play, evaded tackles and worked their way along the touchline to get the try that levelled the scores. It was a devastating moment, however each of the FROCS had played really well to come so close to winning the game.

The Crocs vs Onkaparinga

The CROCS had an even tussle against Onkaparinga in the division 3 grand final at Bailey Reserve on 18th September, but lost the match 10-6 after Onkas scored the only try of the game late in the second half. The result reflected the close battle the teams have had during 2004 to head the premiership table. Onkas won more games than we did, but we secured more bonus points, so the final standings between the top two teams on the table were very close, and well ahead of Brighton and Port Adelaide. We scored far more points on the field during the season than Onkas did. We had our chances to win the grand final; nonetheless we have had another excellent season and can look forward to next year with confidence.

The grand final team comprised A. Marshallsay, J. Uther, R. Costanzo, A. Raikiwasa, M. Nanai, P. Pukuru, J. Suttell (captain), C. McDonald, T. Austin, N. Fisher, D. Bradley, M. Siaosi, R. Sadler, G. Raymond, J. Craven, A. Ericsson, B. Hartridge, A. Brummer, J. Limpus, J. Lemos, R. Love and H. Sabio.

Onkas took a good share of possession and territory early in the first half, forcing us to defend dourly. We won some turnovers at the breakdown and, when we started to play with greater confidence, we made forays into Onkas' area by driving ahead through the forwards and then bringing the backs into action. It was tough going though, and neither side had control of proceedings long enough to create productive try-scoring breaks and passing runs. We kicked one penalty goal in the first half, and had moments when we ran and chased hard, but Onkas exerted pressure on us, tackled effectively, forced us into making errors and then they set up counter attacks. Onkas missed one big chance to score when they had a two man overlap, plenty of open space in which to run but passed wide of players backing up. After half time, they kicked a penalty goal, which levelled the score until Graham Raymond kicked one for us. For most of the second half, play continued as before, with most of the action taking place between the 22-metre lines, and changing direction numerous times because of a high turnover rate. This was due to tight checking by both sides and also due to carelessness. Although we didn't see any spectacular rugby, the game had an air of tenseness as Colls clung to a three-point lead. Some life came into the game when Onkas got the ball out wide and broke away in a speedy passing run just inside the touchline to ground the ball for a try, which they converted. Colls produced some spirited play in the remaining time, but couldn't wrest back the lead.

On the day as a whole, our attack lacked the vitality needed to break Onkas' defence. Playing in a grand final is a good achievement, and we can now look forward to 2005.

 

1sts vs Southern Suburbs, Bailey Reserve, 11th September 2004

By James Diack

The preliminary final played at Bailey Reserve on 11th September ended the 2004 season for the Firsts when Southern Suburbs defeated our lads 27-20 in extra time after they had levelled the scores from a twelve point deficit midway through the second half. Souths won because they adapted better to blustery conditions and because they outlasted us in a hard-hitting show of strength that left us faltering late in the day.

A strong wind blew towards the north -eastern corner of the pitch in the area that we attacked in the first half, however Souths held most of the territory in the initial stages, using their forwards to control the ball in general play. Good tackling, followed by solid support, helped our defence to withstand the early pressure, gain possession and head towards Souths' 22. The strong breeze sometimes carried the ball into touch on the full when we kicked; at other times we gained sixty or seventy metres. With a great deal of effort, we matched our opponents in scrums, and did well in lineouts, but the real battle took place in general play, where we strove to retain usable possession and forge ahead. Mark Goode, Tom Secker and Richard Czeglik worked hard, while Craig DeCarle and James Bradley (in the second half) made valuable contributions. Among the backs, D. Bowkett, Simon Callaghan and Andy McDougall faced difficult challenges in defence and attack, but had quite good games. A sequence of phase wins, a short passing movement up the touchline and a little kick ahead led to our first try. Souths kicked a penalty goal a little later, and after Craig kicked one for our side, we kept a five-point lead until half time - a slender margin, considering we had to play against the wind in the second half.

For the first 15 minutes after half time, things went well for us. We attacked strongly inside Souths' area, retained possession by winning sequent phases, gained ground using the pick and drive, and had some success with the rolling maul. We kept ball in hand or on the ground and kept enormous pressure on the opposition. A well-earned try near the goal posts rewarded our effort. Juan's conversion kick gave us a twelve-point lead. Souths kicked their way into our territory after the restart and regained some initiative when some mistakes crept into our game. A few passes went astray, which stopped us in our tracks and caused us to lose momentum. Several of Souths' bigger, agile, fast, long-striding players brushed aside tackles, making us resort to second or third attempts to end their runs while we retreated. Souths eventually broke our line and got a converted try. Colls still had plenty to give at this stage and made several forays against a sturdy defence. We had enough possession to generate attacking rushes. A scrum win just short of the goal line gave Tom Secker the chance to grab the ball and he charged across the line and scored our next try, which restored our 12-point lead.

Aided by a couple of penalty kicks in quick succession inside our 22, Souths put us back on the defensive and forced us to concede another try, duly converted. Souths found renewed vigour and stepped up the pressure. A further try levelled the scores at 20-all, which invoked the extra time rule. Souths got the only score in the added period and, although we only needed to equalise again to get to the grand final, their tight defence proved to be impenetrable at that stage of the match.

 

The Frocs - Semi-Final, 11 September 2004, Old Colls 10 v Uni 0

The Frocs last minor round game in 2004 was a 54-0 win against Burnside, being the biggest point spread managed in three years, showing how much the girls have improved in 2004. They followed this up with a win against Uni (10 - nil) in the semi-final on 11 Sept. This makes five victories from five games against Uni this year (one of which was a forfeit).

Each of those games has been an even and physical contest against a bigger team, but this victory was one of the clearest wins against Uni in 2004. Interestingly, the team on the day was very much the same team that lost to Uni in the same final in 2002.

The first try was scored by Bec Manson within minutes of the kick off, and the second try (by Beck Derbyshire-Lloyd) followed later in the first half off a penalty in the 22.

Best players on the day were Susan "Junior" Brooks, Zoe Woodstock and Lusia Raikiwasa. Junior had a magnificent day at fullback, taking a number of high balls and running them back, slipping through tackles and generally tearing up the pitch. Zoe, as usual, had a great game at Number 8, dominating the rucks and mauls and hitting the ball up effectively. Lusia, our star prop playing out of position in the centres most of the game, made her presence felt as only Lusia can - by bulldozing over the top of anyone who got in her way! Great work was put in by the backs, particularly in cover defence, and the forwards did well in a scrum where their opposition must have outweighed them by close to 100kg! All girls played well, and should be proud not only of the work done this Saturday, but of the efforts they have put in as a team all year to get them to this point.

It has been a trying year for the Frocs. They have lost three important players for the season to injury/emigration, they were missing experienced halfbacks and 5/8s for several weeks midseason, NINE of the senior players were absent from training during the lead up to the Nationals , and there has been an unlucky spate of illness in the captain and the coach leading into finals.

 

1sts vs Brighton, Bailey Reserve, 4th September

By James Diack

Our Firsts played the minor premiers Brighton in the major semi final at Bailey Reserve on 4th September and lost an intensely fought match 19-17 in which we played some of our best rugby this season. Brighton won because they made fewer mistakes under pressure in general play and because they had the better control of territory during the second half. Each side scored two tries for the day, while Brighton kicked three penalty goals as against our singleton. We converted our tries.

The game started with a fierce contest for the ball that continued for the whole match, with honours about even in the first half and most of the action happening between the 22-metre lines. When one team held possession, the other launched into tackling mode to stop territorial advance or to wrest the ball. Our turnover rate at the breakdown showed a marked improvement this week; this, coupled with quick response from other defenders backing up, enabled us to counter attack, rather than retreating. Whenever Brighton did make line breaks, we closed further gaps and tackled effectively. Among the forwards, our back row, spurred on by Tom Secker, each reacted to danger quickly and brought opponents to ground. Jeremy Thewlis had a first-rate performance in general play and the pursuit for the ball, as did Christian Tedge, who took opportunities to forge ahead in attack. Juan Aguiar had one of his best games for the year, having a number of long runs and doing some good defensive work. Dan Boughtwood, Ben Suttell and, really, the whole team made excellent contributions. The first score in the game came when we won a scrum and in the ensuing minutes we got the ball to Juan who made the big break and ran on before passing to Simon Callaghan backing up who scored the try for Dan to convert. The only other scores in the first half were three penalty goals kicked by Brighton and one for us from Craig DeCarle, which gave us a one-point lead at half time.

We continued our quest for as much possession as possible after half time and maintained a solid defence. Brighton, however, managed to hold most of the territory for the first 20 minutes of the second half. Some mishandling crept into our game, which gave away scrum feeds, and we lost possession from some of our lineout throws. Brighton contested the lineouts fiercely and their resultant success from doing so, earned them more control of the ball than we could afford. They forced us to defend for long periods. After a rolling maul, subsequent phase-wins enabled them to create a move that ended with a try. We gained relief from a couple of long penalty kicks and this started a stage during which we went on the attack near Brighton's 22-metre area. We had some penetrating runs and got close to the goal line a few times. We won a scrum ten metres out and Tom, at number eight, started a blindside movement that set Ben up to get the ball to Juan who shoved his way across the line to score our second try. Dan kicked the wide angled conversion. Brighton regrouped desperately and exerted pressure on us with a sequence of aggressive phase wins that put them in a position to spin the ball wide, back up well with an extra man there and dive for the try.

There was still just enough time for us hasten to the other end of the pitch, which we did with some hard running, and at the final whistle the teams had made it to an imminent lineout position five metres from Brighton's defending goal line.

 

1sts vs Souths, 28th August

At Bailey Reserve

By James Diack

The Firsts played the last of the minor round matches at Bailey Reserve on 28th August where Southern Suburbs overpowered us in the second half to win convincingly 43-14 after the score had been 14 all at half time. Having now lost three of the last four games, we face a tough task in the major round, but if we play as well for whole games as we did in the first half of the match against Souths, then there is a chance of a positive outcome.

Colls started the first half determined to subdue big strong speedsters who could side step and swerve their way ahead using long strides. We tackled assuredly and stopped opponents in their tracks while we covered gaps in our line to a large extent. Respective territorial advantage changed frequently as both teams tried to gain dominance in play, although we held the upper hand in terms of possession. One good means of attack against Souths was to use the width of the field and set up swift, well-supported passing rushes; one such movement led to our first try. Andy McDougall made the initial break and, after a few passes, the ball got back to Dan Boughtwood who grounded for the try and kicked the conversion. We won our share of lineouts decisively and gained ground often as a consequence, either by quick disposal or, to a lesser extent, driving ahead. We had to work hard against a solid pack in scrums, but did well, nonetheless. Our number 7 flanker Mark Goode had an outstanding game. Richard Czeglik made a solid return to the side. Tom Secker and Christian Tedge were other good forwards. Dan Boughtwood and five eighth D. Bowkett were strong links in our backline, well supported by Ben Suttell.

Souths' big men featured in what was largely a pick and drive sequence to score their first try almost adjacent to the goalposts. We scored our second try from a movement that was similar to the one that gave us our first, except that Juan Aguiar carried the ball across the goal line. Dan added the conversion. Souths equalised the scores late in the term when they had a good run up the touchline. We made a valiant attempt to tackle the player and perhaps hold the ball up, but we missed out narrowly.

Play continued in the same vein in the early part of the second half. We appeared to get enough ball to keep the battle going if we had enough zest to penetrate Souths' strong line, but it became increasingly evident that we were wilting under pressure. We weren't making serious mistakes in attack but lacked that vital grit and potency needed to make tries. Our defence was unable to respond quickly to the speed and power of the opposition who scored four more tries. A short kick ahead saw them create a passing movement up the touchline that gave them one of these tries. Then a huge kick from inside their 22 sent the ball 70 metres up field where they won the chase for the ball and crossed the goal line easily. Souths kicked a penalty goal soon afterwards, while their final try concluded a fast running passing movement.

 

1sts vs Port Adelaide, 21st August

At Port Adelaide

By James Diack

Our visit to Port Adelaide Reserve on 21st August showed that we must buckle down and ensure our defence is rock solid if we are to reach the division 1 grand final. Port scored four out of their five tries before we got our first, to end with a match score of 33-13. We had some panache in our attack at times, but were unable to make incisive line breaks required to score more than two tries.

Port however, did not dominate possession and territory to any great extent. Phase sequences were short as both packs contested the ball keenly at the breakdown, forcing errors that led to turnovers. In set play, we had to work hard to win scrums whereas lineout ball came more easily. We could either get the ball away quickly and cleanly to the backs or initiate rolling mauls. We used driving mauls to good effect, particularly late in the first half. The first points in the game came to us when Dan Boughtwood kicked a penalty goal although this advantage was short-lived, as Port forced play into our 22 and soon had a converted try on the scoreboard. Their next try came as a result of a quick scrum win in front of goal. Our backs had some fine runs with ball in hand, but needed more support when they attempted to get past opponents. Port scored another converted try before half time and another early in the second half to lead 28-3.

After half time, play continued in much the same vein, except that out defence improved slightly. We had enough possession to gain ground by picking and driving, by starting passing movements and by kicking ahead, but the Port pressure in defence was too powerful for us on most occasions and turned us back. A high spot for us came when we won a lineout near the goal line and shoved ahead to get a try.

After the restart, Port scored in similar fashion. We did well to keep them at bay for the rest of the time, during which we continued our efforts to cross the Port goal line. Success came when we swung the ball quickly out wide and got over near the corner in a movement which saw substitute Graham Raymond take a big part. Our second half performance was just about adequate against a good side, but Port did the damage earlier in the game.

Big challenges are ahead for us in the finals; one key to success is to be at our relentless best for eighty minutes per match.

 

1sts vs Woodville, 14th August

At Tregenza

By James Diack

Having shown good form in recent weeks, Woodville came to Tregenza on 14th August hoping to boost the chance of playing in the finals. They nearly won a close match against our Firsts who had to come from behind to win 25-22. The try tally was 4-3 in our favour.

Right from the start, our forwards played more tightly than the previous week and kept better control at the breakdown with support coming quickly and strongly to keep momentum going or to get the turnover. We had success in driving ahead a number of mauls and we kept Woodville's usually dominant back and second row forwards at bay. Woodville provided only token contest in lineouts, which enabled us to despatch the ball quickly into open space by astute kicking ahead and by expansive passing movements. However, we let ourselves down when some of our longer passes went astray and because of mishandling; aspects of play that need tidying up for the finals. We held by far most of the territory and possession in the game, factors which we were unable to exploit fully. In part, this was due to Woodville's defence, but some scoring opportunities went begging because of errors. Our own tackling exhibited much improvement this week, through good anticipation and more resolve to pull the man down and retrieve the ball. All of the forwards played well, notably Charlie Sheppeard, M. Goode, Christian Tedge and James Bradley. Dan Boughtwood, Ben Suttell and Simon Callaghan were some of the other good players.

Woodville scored the first try after we fumbled the ball near their 22 in a promising movement out wide. We were unable to cover the intercept, and they ran in to score and convert near the goal posts. Later, Simon Callaghan chased a kick ahead and touched down to score for Colls. A penalty goal put Woodville further ahead, before we took a penalty kick into touch and won the ensuing lineout. We carried play ahead in a maul and got the ball over the goal line. Jeremy Thewlis was heavily involved in getting this try. We took a 3-point lead with a penalty goal kicked by Dan Boughtwood. Just prior to half time, Woodville penned us inside our 22 and came close to scoring several times before breaking our defence for a converted try. We scored our next try early in the second half following a lineout win, from which we set up a superb running movement in which outside centre Dan made the final break and dash to the line.

Colls clung to a one point lead until late in the game when, against the trend of play, our opponents thrust their way into our 22, split our defence and got their third try, gaining a 4-point lead. We forced proceedings back into Woodville territory for most of the remaining time, and it was one of our substitutes who scored the try that put us ahead again and was the culmination of some desperate team play. Ben Suttell kicked the conversion. The match was close, exciting and of a good standard, but one in which we didn't make the most of our chances.

 

1st Grade v Brighton
At Brighton, 7th August

By James Diack

The Firsts played at Brighton Oval on 7th August where the home side staked an emphatic claim on this year's minor premiership by defeating our lads who needed victory to stay in contention for second position on the competition ladder. The score of 37-14 included six tries for Brighton and two for us, both of which came at the start of the second half.

Brighton gained possession after the kick-off and held territorial advantage for the next ten minutes. Their pack combined well to give them pick-and-drive options and the team ran well with ball in hand. A good spell for Colls enabled us to force play into Brighton's 22, where we set up some promising expansive rushes that put pressure on the opposition's defence, but after they regained the initiative, we had to labour hard until half time. Brighton players were strong in the mid-field and produced some well-drilled, fast running set pieces. They worked the ball wide to score their first try. They kicked a penalty goal from a spot right in front of the posts and later charged across the line for a try near the corner. Again, spinning the ball wide, they crossed the line to score a third try that gave a half time score of 18-0. We had some good moments after winning some of the lineouts and scrums with forwards and backs alike creating chances to move ahead, but our inability to clean up consistently at the breakdown cost us much momentum. Sure, we looked good when we ran with the ball, but Brighton had the speed and skill to cover most angles. They also out manoeuvred us often when we kicked ahead. In defence, we found it difficult to close gaps quickly enough and be in position to tackle effectively. That said though, there were times when we did well to counter our opponents.

We produced an excellent period of play just after half time. Our forwards displayed renewed vigour and determination in the quest to get the ball quickly, hold it and forge ahead to keep momentum going. We drove one maul 15 metres, retained possession in ensuing phase play and sent Juan Aguiar over the goal line for our first try. This gave us confidence to execute some expansive movements and we succeeded in scoring anther try. Dan Boughtwood kicked the conversions. This was a great spell of play, but it didn't last long. With eighty minutes of that playing standard we could have won convincingly! Brighton regrouped and exerted strong pressure as we fell into error. They got their next try when we failed to clear the ball from our 22.

Brighton gathered the loose ball and had time to set up the successful counter movement. They scored two more tries after that by simply passing quickly and avoiding our tackling efforts. Finally, luck came our way, when Brighton actually scored a seventh try following a tap kick penalty near the goal line, but saw the try revoked because of a touch judge's report regarding prior foul play.

 

1sts vs Woodville
Gleneagles, 10th of July

By James Diack

The Firsts beat Woodville 33-15 at Gleneagles Reserve on 10th July, scoring five tries to two in a match during which our opponents held us at bay for most of the second half.

Woodville kicked off the first half, took possession and charged over our goal line to score the first try. Down by 7 points so early in the day, we regrouped quickly and held most of the territory until half time. We had a stronger pack of forwards than in recent weeks and retained the ball for long periods after winning it quickly and decisively in lineouts and scrums. Play at the breakdown gave positive results for us too, so we could keep ball in hand, run forward and make useful breaks. Some handling errors set us back at times though, and Woodville's tackling stopped our momentum on other occasions. Our defence worked well when Woodville had the ball. Tackling was good and we forced them into making errors. One such error gave Juan Aguiar the chance to gather a loose ball just outside our 22 and dash up the touchline to score our first try. Dan Boughtwood kicked a penalty goal that gave us a one-point lead. After Woodville also kicked a penalty goal, we went back into the attack with a number of passing rushes. Jonty Teo was on the end of one of them and completed his 25 metres run with a fine try. Dan kicked another penalty goal before he made the vital break that sent Andy McDougall on his way to score our next try.

During the second half, Woodville penned us in our territory for a big majority of the time but, despite having a good back row and a couple of dashing speedsters in the backline, they lacked the ability to break our defence, which withstood the pressure until injury time. Richard Czeglik, Craig DeCarle, Dan Boughtwood, Russ Wakeham, Simon Callaghan and Christian Tedge were some of our best players.

Infringements by both teams halted potentially penetrative movements in general play, but on two occasions when we made headway into Woodville's 22, we scored tries. Our number seven flanker, Dennis Thompson (?) dodged defenders to touch down near the goalposts for Dan to convert. Later, Dan again set Andy on his way for our last try. Woodville scored in the closing minutes of the game.

 

1sts vs Brighton
At Tregenza, 3rd July 2004

By James Diack

In the division 1 match at Tregenza on 3rd July, Brighton defeated our Firsts 27-13. After restricting the opposition to a single first half try, we succumbed to a superior side that ran in a further three tries after half time, while we notched only two tries for the day.

Brighton spun the ball wide quickly in their initial foray into our 22 and crossed our line to score in the third minute. They held most of the territory and possession for the next thirty minutes, during which time we got plenty of tackling practice. Most of it proved adequate initially, but Brighton usually regrouped at the breakdown and recycled the ball in general play. We won a good share of the set play, albeit too slowly to be really useful in launching penetrative expansive movements. Sometimes we kicked to gain ground, but lacked the dash to follow through before Brighton gathered the ball and counter attacked. We spent time inside Brighton's 22 during the last ten minutes of the first half, almost scoring tries on a couple of attempts. Dan Boughtwood kicked a penalty goal. Brighton kicked one earlier, so the half time margin was five points.

Colls started the second half solidly. We gained some usable ball and shifted it quickly enough to create some passing rushes. We levelled the scores when our centres made big breaks and full back Andy McDougall sprinted to the line. For the most part though, Brighton kept their defence tight, thwarting our efforts to add points while they also kept up the attack. For Colls, D. Thompson, Christian Tedge and Tom Secker tackled well and made good efforts at the breakdown. Ben Suttell had a good game and Andy McDougall added some force to the backline.

However, Brighton's speed, handling and backing up provided too much impetus for us to counter, and they scored three successive tries.

Their number eight took the ball round the short side of a scrum to set up a successful try-scoring movement. Their next try resulted after a series of phase wins inside our 22, while their last try came after they drove a maul ahead by 15 metres.

We looked our best in attack when we got into relatively open space out wide; one such movement enabled outside centre Ben Hamer to score our second try towards the end of the match.

 

1sts vs Port
At Port Adelaide, 5th June

By James Diack

The Firsts put on a gutsy second half performance against Port Adelaide at Port Adelaide Reserve on 5th June, but failed o overcome the 16-point half time deficit and lost the match 17-21. Both sides scored three tries for the day.

We pushed deep into Port territory after kick-off and retained the ball for about seven minutes while we tried to break a hardy defence. Soon after however, Port won some sequent phases and applied strong pressure on our line. They found gaps, some of which we closed with good covering and solid tackling, but they got through twice to set up a 14-0 lead. We strove hard to win our share of set play in a hard fought contest and had to battle hard to retain the ball long enough to gain worthwhile ground. We found space out wide and after a run up the sideline into the Port 22 we forced out way over the goal line for a well earned try. Then, after couple of other promising movements from our backline, Port intercepted, took the ball downfield, held on to it and eventually got their third converted try. On balance, they had the better of the first half, with their forwards giving us a strong tussle. After half time, we got back at them with more vigour. We won lineouts cleanly more often, found more strength for scrum work and kept possession longer by winning successive phases quickly. We grabbed chances to run ahead in open space, timed our passes well and made scoring openings. One try came our way when we charged through the centre and touched down near the posts, and we got another when our players outran opponents. Some of the forwards who did well were Tom Secker, Bernard Hickey and Craig DeCarle. Andy McDougall and Juan Aguiar made welcome returns to the side. Tim Austin and Simon Callaghan made reliable inputs to the game. We had a 4-point shortfall on the scoreboard, which we tried desperately to eliminate.

Colls played much of the remainder of the match inside Port territory, but conceded penalty kicks at crucial times and faced sturdy tackling by Port players. A thrilling period to watch, but Colls lacked the finesse needed to conclude some good attacking play by scoring tries. We performed adequately in defence and prevented Port from scoring in the second half.

Rob Sadler - our first grade coach - after the 3rd grade match

 

1sts vs Woodville
At Tregenza 30th May 2004

By James Diack

Without Falcons team members and other unavailable players, the Firsts scored six tries in a convincing 36-13 victory over Woodville at Tregenza on 30th May. True, Woodville had absentees too, but it was good to see our solid depth of talent active in exploiting an uninspired defence, while keeping our line intact until the last moments of the game.

Woodville had most of the possession and territory early in the first half though. They controlled the ball in phase play, used the pick and drive option effectively, bustled us into making mistakes and forced us to defend our 22 for a long time. Apart from conceding a penalty goal, we withstood the foray and eventually relieved the pressure with a long penalty kick into touch. From then on we dominated play. We won the ball quickly from set play, particularly the lineouts, and set up various running and passing rushes, in which positioning and handling were excellent. Paul McFadden broke through for our first try, before flanker D. Thompson found open space and grounded for our second. Craig DeCarle kicked both conversions. We continued our expansive playing style in the second half, outpacing some mediocre defensive efforts by the opposition.

Three minutes into the term, we created a move that ended when second rower M. Goode broke free and crossed the line for a fine try. Good running by teammates enabled Paul to seize the ball, make the final break and touch down again. Craig converted. Then winger Lee Rebbeck sprinted with ball in hand and grounded near the corner for a superb try. Paul scored our final try, which was his third for the day. He was among our best players, but the fine endeavours of Tim Austin, Simon Callaghan and others did much to create the try-scoring chances. First-rate ball handling, pass timing and support by backs and forwards allowed us to retain possession for substantial periods in Woodville's half, and we had little trouble at the breakdown. However, we will face tougher resistance from other teams.

All of our forwards played well, notably James Bradley, D. Thompson, M. Goode and Craig DeCarle. Woodville ended the day as they had begun with a burst of attacking play; this time they scored two tries in quick succession.

Mark Good (and Rob Porteous, Jamie Brennan and Ian Walker) after the Woodville game, which was his first grade debut
and in which he scored a try, played a blinder and won the College Cup!

 

1sts vs Souths, 8th May, Tregenza

By James Diack

The Firsts had a narrow escape from defeat in the match against Southern Suburbs at Tregenza on 8th May, when we shielded a slender lead for most of the time and finished with a winning score of 34-26 after both teams scored four tries. Fine placement by our two goal kickers made the difference on the scoreboard.

The early stages of the game were played in the midfield region as the teams tried to organise lines of attack and keep possession long enough to make headway towards the goal lines. We worked ourselves into Souths' 22, where Craig De Carle kicked a penalty goal. Then we produced a good spell of play that saw inside centre Ben Hamer make a big break before our forwards surged ahead and flanker D Thompson grounded for a good try that Craig converted. Overall, we had a good day in the lineouts, won possession cleanly on most occasions and cleared the ball away. In scrums, we won several on Souths' put-ins. However, as in a number of games this season, we had difficulties in keeping or gaining the ball at the breakdown. Souths used their advantage in mauls and rucks to put pressure on us and held us in our 22 for a long while before their persistence led to a try. Three minutes later they had another, when we let them through to score easily. Simon Callaghan kicked a penalty goal that gave us a one-point lead and we led by eight points at half time after Dean Bradley chased a kick ahead and scored an excellent try. Simon converted. We started well in the second half, playing a more expansive game. Our inside backs, who were somewhat hesitant earlier, showed more assertiveness at times and we looked good going forward, without really dominating proceedings. Souths still had the ability to keep us at bay by turning defence into attack by intercept or at the breakdown. A 70-metre dash up the line by their fast outside backs resulted in a converted try. Paul McFadden scored our next try, when he ripped through the centre. Simon's conversion restored our eight-point lead. We controlled more of the phase play at this time, even driving a couple of mauls downfield, but we needed more consistency.

Among the forwards, Andy Beare, D. Thompson, Tom Secker and Ross Wakeham worked solidly for much of the game, while Dean Bradley, Ben Hamer and Paul McFadden did well in the backline. Souths' speedy outside backs broke away from us once more and got another try to close the deficit to one point, but we responded late in the piece when winger D. Crawford outran the opposition and got the last try of the match. Simon converted.

 

1st May 2004, 1sts vs Port Adelaide

By James Diack

Port Adelaide scored seven tries to our three and finished comfortable winners 43-22 in the division 1 match at Tregenza on 1st May. With both sides lacking key players due to commitments with the Adelaide Falcons, this game was a test for the clubs' ability to replace the respective absentees. Unfortunately for us, Port had by far the better combination on the day, taking advantage of loose defence and uncoordinated attack by our lads.

Throughout the match, we gained a good share of possession from scrums and lineouts; indeed, early in the first half, we saw an even tussle in general play. However, Port gradually forced us towards our 22 with strength in mauls and rucks, retained control of the ball and broke our line to cross for their first try. Their next came when they forced a turnover, built momentum and got through again. Dan Boughtwood kicked a penalty goal, but Port surged ahead when a player stepped out of a tackle, found good support and the movement ended with their third try, giving them a 21-3 lead which they took into the second half. Colls had players who played well in patches but in the main we had problems in retaining or gaining possession at the breakdown. James Bradley, Ryan Nielson, Craig De Carle and Jeremy Thewlis were some of the forwards who contributed well at times against a pack that was more organised, cohesive and had the ability to turnover possession numerous times. Fullback Dean Bradley had some good runs, while Dan Boughtwood tried hard to provide impetus in attack. Scrum half Tim Austin gave good service most times. From a scrum near Port's 22, Tim set Dan Boughtwood up to dodge through the defence to score a fine try, which Dan also converted. After a tap penalty kick 15 metes from our line, the Port forwards drove ahead and grounded over our goal line for another try, and shortly afterwards the opposition cruised through big holes in our defence to cross yet again. There were times after that when we started some attacking rushes that gained ground for us, but we needed better support and handling to make vital links needed to break Port's defence often enough to win the game. We got through for a try in which Dan Boughtwood and Paul McFadden combined well, only to be set back when Port scored again within a few minutes.

We scored once more, a try resulting from an excellent team effort. Port had the last word when we failed to secure the ball after a pass went astray and they touched down for the seventh time.

 

1 May 2004, 2nds, Old Collegians 34 v North Torrens 0

Well what a stark difference comes from a dose of hard work at training, a week off for ANZAC day and a determination to show the Club what the B Squadron can do when we're off by ourselves!

Many of the young blokes were a bit perplexed at the policy that puts us out on our own almost ever other week, unable to support the Ones. So with only the ever present and wonderful hands of our own Kate Denley and more than a bit of grit to depend on we went about demolishing the ever physical Torrens A Side.

It was a long time coming and Callum Mackie led the Twos with great leadership and a bit of flair. Finally some of those Forward and Back moves that Rob Sadler and the rest of the coaching staff have been drilling into us started to pay dividends; with some great running passages and drive from the Backs by Joel Fudali.

An excellent late surge came when Irish finally making his comeback debut (after two years out, Irish?) set up a late try with a powerful smashing drive and then went in himself after a small push from the Forwards.

Unhappy with the looming result for the day several Torrens' players decided to absent themselves from the field to join in a bit of a melee in the carpark and then later under the verandah. (Fortunately for us it was all "in-house" at Torrens. Go figure?!)

Well done, the lads. Let's see many more like that one.

 

1 May 2004, 3rds, Old Collegians 37 v Port Adelaide 5

By Ray Butler

The CROCs took the field against a depleted Port side. Port started the game with twelve players, four of this group doubling up from the Fours. In saying that the CROCs set about their task, they did not allow the lack of opposition numbers to sway them from their game strategy and produce sparkling Rugby that 15 plus two would've found hard to stop.

Tries were scored in the 2nd, 5th, 14th, 23rd and 27th minutes. Major contributors during this half were Rob Sadler and Joe Suttell. Unfortunately Port called uncontested scrums which had an effect on the flow of the game.

Changes from the bench assured a full team hit out and to their credit Port managed to muster fourteen players to finish the game. All teams should take a note of the CROCs' mindset regardless of numbers - go about your work and finish them off.

Well done to all and good luck to any that have to face them!!

 

1 May 2004, 4ths, Old Collegians 22 v Port Adelaide 0

The Boys played with some brilliant Forward moves backed up by some excellent back running. Paull Francis scored two tries and was the instigator of many good passages of play. Tony Mills was the best Forward on the day.

Fours' match report was brought to you through the hazy recollections of a Thurs afternoon,, by a very jealous and wistful Shane Clark.

 

Frocs' Pre-season Report

The Frocs put in some good work in the preseason, including a bonding day at "Challenge Hill" and a fair performance at the Elizabeth 7s where they beat Burnside and physically punished (although ultimately lost to) the Singapore women's 7s team. There have been some selection issues, with long time hooker Max Moran selfishly falling pregnant. Candy was slated to take her place, but likewise fell pregnant. It's something about hookers. (No pun intended.)

The season commenced on 3rd April, with a game of 10s against reigning three-time premiers Southern Suburbs. The score (a loss 17 - 0) does not reflect how closely the game was contested. While Souths fielded most of their experienced players, the Frocs used the game to try out a number of new girls (or old girls in new positions). There is clearly some work left to do, but the signs are good for the season.

The second game recorded a 40 - 0 victory against Port Adelaide. All 40 points were scored in the first half, which was a great display of rugby at its best. Good "team tries" were scored by both backs and forwards. Lineouts and scrums were won with ease and there were virtually no handling errors. Unfortunately, the second half fell apart. The Frocs failed to capitalise on their possession. There was also very high penalty count against the Frocs in the second half, which must be seen as evidence of simple poor discipline. The score of "nil all" in the second half should be seen as very disappointing given the difference in experience and skills between the two teams.

Unfortunately for the Frocs, they have had a four week break between their first and second game (their draw is even sillier than the men's competition...). However, on the bright side, the clubs have committed to playing fifteen a side rugby after the first round and the Frocs eagerly look forward to letting their flankers loose.

 

17 April 2004, 2nds, Elizabeth 17 v Old Collegians 5

This was not one of the Twos better days, with an obviously depleted ex 1st Grade Elizabeth side taking the field against the Old Colls. It was still hard slog with enough of the old remnant there to give us grief for the duration of the game. Mostly the Twos were unable to combine their Back's and their Forward's play and the bad ball handling only further exacerbated the problems on field. Transitional play was pretty much non-existent and it made things very difficult for the young fledgling Collegians side (Only a small core of about 6-7 of the 2003 Twos were still playing at the start of this season).

On a more positive note things are still looking solid for the Two's Piggies as the boys basically pushed Elizabeth pack all over the park on the day. The 17-5 score didn't represent the hard work that the young blokes put in but when your Forwards and Backs aren't combining well, and the lineouts are getting swamped it doesn't matter how many scrums you win.

 

3rd April 2004, 1st vs Brighton

By James Diack

Brighton came to Tregenza on 3rd April perhaps with thoughts of an easy win against our Firsts but faced stiff resistance from a revitalised home team determined to win important matches early in the season. Although Colls won the game 26-25, Brighton led for most of the second half, only to confront a sturdy challenge in the closing moments

Neither side was impressive early in the first half. Both teams' lineout play was scrappy making it difficult to gain clean possession and launch penetrative rushes. We saw some good tackling, but the turnover rate was high in phase play. Colls, however, settled down later and, for a while, dominated the action. A well-executed backline movement sent Andy McDougall across the line for our first try. Kini Tavui beat a couple of attempted tackles to score our second, which Boughtwood converted. Then the opposition tightened its defence as it strove to strike back Brighton kicked a penalty goal and managed to score one try before half time. Our new five eighth, Boughtwood, had a fine day, tackling effectively and also setting us up in attack. Number eight, Wakeham played well as did Christian Tedge and Tom Secker. Colls struggled a bit in the scrums. We lost possession a few times on our put in. This was our only real blemish on a day when our forwards generally performed well against a pack that was quick to lend support at the breakdown. Andy McDougall, Juan Aguiar and Kini Tavui made useful contributions in the backline.

We had to defend desperately after half time when Brighton launched an attack that pinned us inside our 22. We conceded a penalty try, which gave Brighton a three-point lead. This became eight points when they kept the pressure on to score their next try. A couple of attacking moves saw us gain territory, and, when Brighton failed to clear the ball from inside their 22, Andy gathered the loose ball before he dodged defenders and scored a try, which Boughtwood converted. Our lineouts were more productive in this period giving us more possession, but Brighton got turnovers at critical times. However, instead of passing out wide, where they appeared to have a better chance of scoring, they tried to cut through the centres and met stubborn resistance. They only broke our line on one more occasion. Late in the game we won a sequence of phases, and followed up with a couple of good runs up the line before Brighton turned us away. Undeterred, we regained the ball and sent Juan and a couple of others back up the line. This time we stayed inside Brighton's 22, where we passed to Kini who ran round defenders, straightened up and scored under the posts.

With only a couple of minutes left in the game, Boughtwood's conversion provided our one point win. Remember that Brighton will seek revenge next time.

 

3 April 2004, 2nds, Brighton 22 v Old Colls 5

This was definitely not a pretty game to watch. The highlight was watching Jake "Catch me if you Can" Jervis-Bardy demonstrating to Brighton's 2nds his impression of a cheetah, while adding another try to the one he scored against Onkas. The game never got going due to the ill-discipline of both sides; regardless of that though the penalty count would suggest that the Ref had a broken arm.

Although the 2's went down eventually 22- 5, the outlook is good for the 2004 Season.

Joel Fudali, Garth Yeoman and Kael Cooper were the best players on the day with the defensive side of their game showing through.

 

27 March 2004, 1sts, Onkaparinga v Old Collegians

By Mick Renfrey

After a concerted effort by Onkas the One's settled down and played some good Rugby and was an excellent settler for the start of the season. A good win was achieved in some pretty horrendously hot conditions; and since the regular and erudite James Diack was unavailable for the season opener, superlatives and well placed adjectives could not be found to describe the day's superhuman effort. Playing rugby in that kind of heat was almost ludicrous and so the usual formalities were done away with in the preparation of the Firsts' first match report! The actual score escapes our memory but we know we won. And that's the important thing.

 

27 March 2004, 2nds, Onkaparinga 29 v Old Colls 32

The first game of the season saw a rampant Onkaparinga 2nd Grade side start strongly in the 1st half against Old Collegians. This early burst saw two unanswered tries to Onkaparinga. Old Collegians weathered the storm and worked hard to bring the scores back to a small margin at half time. The closing half was a bruising encounter seeing both sides taking the lead as they exchanged blows. With 2 minutes of playing time remaining in the match, Marc Fullager drew his opposite centre out wide and popped a blind inside pass to blindside winger, Jake " the bullet on legs" Jervis-Bardy, who sliced through the defence to score a converted try to win the game.

 

27 March 2004, 3rds, Onkaparinga 13 v Old Collegians 12

After a long uphill march by the whole team and some significant absences for the first game of the season, the CROCs' boys just went down to the Onka's Thirds with a final score line of 13 to 12.

First blood went to Colls by Paruku from a great passage of play through Tim Austin and Big Michael and a later try to Peter Polecki who also defended valiantly and staved off certain tries by Onkas. Graham Raymond's kicking game kept Onkas on the back foot most of the day but Onkas line defence was relatively solid.

The sweltering conditions really meant that endurance was tested to the limit for their first game, but the forwards were to be commended for their efforts all day.

Apparently Shane Clark, sometime team manager and stalwart of the club for the 4ths was reported to have left his kit secured firmly in a Titanium/Steel safe deposit box in a non-disclosed bank in the city somewhere but it seems the keys were locked inside the box also!!