Giant Falcon stands in Mozzies' way

PETER TIFFEN, Northern Territory News, 3rd May 2008

TALL ORDER:

Adelaide Black Falcons reckon their big man Ben Hamer will be more than a handful for the NT Mosquitoes.
Picture: FIONA MORRISON

ADELAIDE reckon it has a secret weapon in blockbusting back Ben Hamer.

The 194cm giant has been transformed from a forward to a back this year. And the Black Falcons have warned the NT Mosquitoes he will take some stopping today. "He originally played a lot of his schoolboy rugby in the five-eighth centre position," SA Rugby manager Carl Jones said. "But because he is so big he has always been pigeonholed as a back-rower. "We've turned him into a centre. He's played a few games there for his club and he goes all right."

Up to 50 per cent of the Falcons' squad this year are new to the ARS. The Mozzies will be out to make history having never beaten Adelaide in the ARS.

Mozzies win thriller

PETER TIFFEN, Northern Territory News, 4th May 2008

A TRY by skipper Peter Mayo 18 seconds before full-time gave the NT Mosquitoes an historic rugby union victory against Adelaide Black Falcons yesterday.

The Mozzies snatched the first match in the Australian Rugby Shield 20-18 at Austar Park. "We never gave up -- that's the Mozzies' call," Mayo said. Trailing 18-13 in the final four minutes, the Territory threw everything at the Black Falcons. And with just seconds left and the tryline in sight NT five-eighth Shaun Boyd squeezed through the smallest of gaps. The ball came free as he was tackled, spilling forward over the line, and Mayo was there to force the try next to the uprights to level the score.

Bernard Niki potted the conversion to give the NT its first win against the Falcons in the eight-year history of the ARS. "The boys showed great heart to come back like that," Mayo said. "It is awesome to beat Adelaide for the first time in the shield.">

Some put a question mark over the winning try and whether it came from a knock-on. But West Australian referee Daylan Waetford was right on the spot. And he ruled Falcon Clayton Collier had knocked the ball out of NT star Boyd's hands in the tackle. "I wasn't sure whether it was but he gave the try and I'm pretty pleased about that," Mayo said. Falcon Logan Brown said: "I had my doubts but we have to accept it. It was a great game.">

Adelaide dominated territorially in the first half but led just 8-3 at the break. Boyd soon gave the NT the lead, setting up its first try within eight minutes of the re-start. The Gove livewire regathered his own chip kick before sending No.8 Wise Sekitoga over under the crossbar. Veteran prop Vincent Wolfe, a late call up at tight-head, dominated the scrum for 60 minutes in a super effort.

NT coach Andrew Jackson said: "This win has really set our season up.">

NT MOSQUITOES 20 (Wise Sekitoga, Peter Mayo tries; Bernard Niki 2 conv; Niki, Andre Thomas pen goals)
ADELAIDE BLACK FALCONS 18 (Tom Ramanamanu, Ben Hamer tries; Kurt McKinley conv, 2 pen goals).
Half-time: Falcons 8-3.