Rugby
SASC 1st XV V Central Coast Grammar School CCGS
Eventually Saturday warmed up and the fog lifted and we were blessed with a great afternoon of weather for a battle between 1st place CCGS and 2nd place SASC. The game was always going to be a game of adversity for us with several key players injured, however many of the boys who were stepping in were very keen to demonstrate their skill and passion. CCGS scored first about halfway through the first half. We kept plugging away and eventually we were rewarded with a try by Darnell with persistent work by the forwards. At game was incredibly close going back and forth with both teams having several chances, but the defence of both teams was outstanding. At the half were leading 7 to 5. In the second half much of the same back and forth contest. With about 20 minutes to go we lost Riley Monico due to injury and that rattled our boys in defence. From here on we just couldn’t get any continuity going and the boys started to fatigue. CCGS put the hammer down and started to put some tries on us. We kept our spirits high and tried to make a comeback but we just ran out of steam. CCGS would score 4 tries in the last 20 minutes with 3 conversions. The score really doesn’t show how well the boys played and their commitment and dedication on the field. Final score 5 to 33.
Rich and I were very impressed with the way in which the boys demonstrated sportsmanship and held their heads high. The boys know this is not the end of the story with CCGS. We hope to see them on the way to the finals. Keep the dream alive.
Best Performances:
Angus Parsons, Charlie Harris, Cody Green, Angus Rendall.
Coaches: R. Freeman, D. Bailey
SASC 2nd grade
Opposition – Stannies 4
LOST 10-19 (Try scorers: Jake Leech, Callum McClymont
Prior to kick-off we decided on a couple of achievable goals. A more aggressive, competitive approach at the breakdown and looking to support the player with the ball on a more regular basis. Run straighter, minimise turnover and limit silly mistakes were also issues that needed to be addressed. Jack McCudden was named captain and Guy Neill the vice captain. Both young men led from the front, with fearless displays of running straight and hard, often into opposition players twice their size. They were ably supported in this area by David Hardie, Harry Price and Max Corbett. David and Harry were particularly strong at the breakdown, both in attack and defence. Bill Bremner muscled up against a bigger front row as did our new recruit, Bill McDonald. Liam Francis and Rowan Savage made good yards up the middle when they got the chance. Both Jake Leech and Callum McClymont gave it all and both men scored well-deserved tries. The backline ran straighter this week and there were glimpses of well-practiced starter moves which will continue to improve as the season moves forward. Both Anson Biggs and Archer Carroll had solid games and are starting to read the game a little better from phase to phase. Our outside men, Ben Radford, Will Thomas, Hugh Neill and Will Munroe enjoyed a little more possession this week and ran straight and hard when they got the chance. Oliver Hoey, new to the game, enjoyed his time on the field and it is obvious that his confidence is growing. We will continue to work on our ‘achievable goals’ and hopefully see a little improvement in these areas as the weeks progress. Thank you to Mr Peter Koen and Mr Duane Bailey for their help and encouragement. It is greatly appreciated by the boys.
Under 13 vs St Stanislaus College 3rd grade
The Under 13 team were struggling to get their hands on the ball for the first ten minutes of the match resulting in Stannies scoring three quick tries. Maintaining a positive attitude for the game the boys regrouped and completely turned the momentum of the game their way. Ed Cheetham had a particularly strong game in defence taking on some opponents much bigger than him. I was very impressed by willingness by all of the team members to run the ball straight and hard. The final result of SASC 55 to Stannies 22 was a real credit to the never-give-up attitude of the team.
Under 14 vs Central Coast Grammar School
The Under 14’s knew that they were in for a tough game and Central Coast Grammar came out strong from the kick off. The boys really defended well against a very skilful and athletic Central Coast back line. As the game continued the Scots All Saints boys became better at shutting down their fast players and managed to score three tries. It is highly likely that we will meet this team again in the finals so we have a lot of work to do in regard to bolstering our defence. The final score was CCGS 34 to SASC 17.
