23rd August
U10s at Tregenza
Old Collegians 35 v Vikings 40
Scorers: Venetia 3, Oliver, Patrick, Rhys, Liam 1 each
Team restructuring around absences as, once again, injuries and illness
robbed us of a full squad on the pitch, may have contributed to the slow
start. Giving up the first 3 tries certainly wasn't the best opening, and
the 5 tries to 3 deficit at half time, left plenty of work for the second
stanza.
Work they did however, managing 4 tries to 1 in the first 16 minutes of the
second half, to edge in front for the first time, with only 4 minutes left
on the clock. Here is where the fatigue factor became an issue, with some
missed tackles and handling errors creeping into the play, resulting in the
equalizer from Vikings and then the sealer in the dying minutes.
Many positives can be taken away from the game, with all players making
valuable contributions at times. Hard running and harder tackling from both
teams made this a really enjoyable spectacle. Venetia continues to bamboozle
the opposition, and to watch her weave her way through heavy traffic with
relative ease was amazing. To watch Rhys cross for a try resulting from a
new set play introduced just this week, shows just how hard this team is
working at putting training into practice.
TTackler/Effort of the Week Award: Jointly awarded to Elliot, Charlie,
Oliver
... Tim Wall Co coach, Manager
16th August
U10s, at Parkinson:
Old Collegians 5 v Burnside 15
Scorer: Joseph
Old Collegians 5 v NEDs 15
Scorer: Venetia
In far better conditions than last week, our team was able to show what
they are truly made of. Both of this week's opposition sides have had the
better of us this year, but in pushing them fiercely for the whole game, our
team have showed that they can match it with any side. We struggle to field
a full side at the best of times, against sides boasting significant
advantage, both in numbers and size. For our players to all play out the
full 2 games and hold their own, week in, week out, is truly an achievement
of which to be proud, both personally and as a club.
A bit of a baptism of fire for our new team member Tom, and despite his
unfamiliarity with the game, he, Like Evan earlier in the season, shows
promise for future games. All players made strong contributions, but
especially Joseph, who truly led from the front today. His fierce tackling
and slashing runs, helped lift the intensity of effort from the whole squad.
Tackler/Effort of the Week Award: Joseph
... Tim Wall Co coach, Manager
9th August
U10s, At Waite No.2
Old Collegians 5 v Brighton 25
Scorer: Joseph
Old Collegians 5 v Burnside 55
Scorer: Joseph
Severely undermanned and played in atrocious pitch and weather
conditions, both games were always going to be a hard slog. Against quality
opposition, having only 2 of our regular forwards available meant a real
struggle in the rucks and mauls. This was particularly evident against
Burnside, who, having a formidable pack, were often able to brush our
smaller players aside. Further reduced in numbers through injury, the team,
never the less, refused to throw in the towel. The conditions certainly
curtailed our usual running game as it was all anyone could do to actually
achieve forward momentum, so to score in each game, against the run of play
was commendable. Well done to everyone for a solid effort in extremely tough
conditions.
Tackler/Effort of the Week Award: Evan
... Tim Wall Co coach, Manager
2nd August
Old Collegians U10 30 V University 5
Scorers: Joseph 2, Venetia 2, Liam 1, Rhys 1
Old Collegians U10 15 V Vikings 5
Scorers: Joseph 1, Venetia 1, Oliver 1
Played in muddy, boggy conditions, both games showed how far this team
has progressed this season. Against good quality opposition, their
commitment to each other and hard work shone through. With unrelenting
defensive pressure, neither Uni, nor Vikings were allowed space or time to
set up any continuity in their play. By contrast, our team often found both
space and time to execute many of the set plays introduced at training in
recent weeks, the majority of which worked almost perfectly. Our forwards
continue to improve week by week, and have become a very real asset to the
team structure, with much of our attack now launched on the back of their
strong work around the ground. Rhys has been a strong contributor for much
of the season, but his efforts are now being matched by Callum and Elliott,
with Evan also developing quickly. The rise of the forwards in recent weeks
has added strength and stability to a team previously overly dependent on
the backs.
Tackler/Effort of the Week Award: Callum
... Tim Wall Co coach, Manager
27th July
Old Collegians 0 v Onkas 20
A very disappointing result although amongst others the referee commented
on the closeness of the game. It was also pleasing to get very positive
feedback from the very experienced referee concerning the spirit in which
the game was played.
The team always looked under pressure, some imposed by Onkas, but a
considerable amount self imposed with silly handling errors, generally poor
ball security and a very large number of penalties were given away. Although
the scrum did well, the tight 5 as a unit did not do well at the break down
and left the breakdown and the rucks more often than not to be contested by
the backs.
Best players Macklin, van Altena and Barrett
...Michael Barrett
19th July
U16s Old Collegians 36 v Brighton 0.
A very dispirited Brighton team was overwhelmed by the Old Collegians
team in very cold, we and miserable conditions. Brighton spent very little
time in the OC Half and resorted to kicking to touch in order to take
advantage of some weaknesses in our line out. Good play by the backs.
Brighton stayed in the game with a significant number of handling errors by
our team largely brought about by the wet conditions and a greasy ball.
Tries to Ware, Sambanis (2), van Altena and Laurendi.
Best players Sambanis, van Altena, Laurendi and Barrett
Old Collegians U10 40 v Elizabeth 0, at Brighton
Scorers:: Joseph 2, Liam 2, Charlie 2, Rhys, Venetia
With Elizabeth only having 6 players, this game turned out to be a bit of
a training run, providing an opportunity to practice some open field team
tactics.
Elizabeth, to their credit, tackled strongly and threatened at times, with
some good line breaks, but without support from the forwards, their
breakaways yielded no result, being run down well short of the line. In
stark contrast, the OCs were able to move the ball freely and team work was
very much to the fore. The dash was still there, but more inclusively, with
the ball shared around much more than previously. Stoppage and breakdown
play worked efficiently, with quick ball movement resulting in many
breakaways of our own, many of which were successful. The most satisfying
passages of play however, were the ones involving the team working as a
unit, with the forwards bullocking the ball forward for the backs to finish
off. Arguably the play of the day, did not result in the main playmaker
scoring. Callum taking a penalty tap, broke through several tackles and,
with support coming from Rhys and Evan, mauled the ball to within meters of
the goal line before meeting opposition strong enough to slow them down.
Enter the backs and a near perfect offload by Callum for the very richly
deserved try. A triumph for team play. Smallest player - biggest
tackles;
Tackler of the week ... Liam
... Tim Wall Co coach, Team Manager
Old Collegians U10 10 v Uni 10
Scorers:: Joseph 1, Liam 1
Our first meeting with Uni for the year and a slightly disappointing result
after the efforts of the last few weeks. Only having 8 players available
certainly didn't help. A sluggish start, coupled with good pressure from the
opposition meant that we never really got into top gear. Once switched on,
the team game began to flow more like that which we have become used to, but
punctuated by small lapses, which allowed 2 relatively easy tries to Uni.
Tries to Joseph and Liam were mainly individual efforts, which, whilst good
for the score line, ignored the support offered by team mates, which would
have made scoring easier. Whilst it is exciting to see those individual
slices of brilliance, our focus is currently on the team game, still
allowing for those individual moments when they present themselves. A good
effort to get back into the game, but slow starts against better opposition
will make for a very long road back.
... Tim Wall Co coach, Team Manager
12th July
By Norm Daploom
1st Grade
Burnside 25 v Old Collegians 29
Best Player: Leigh Rebbeck
Tries: Xander Evans (2), Ben Suttell, Sam Oughton, Peter Cross
Conversions: Juan Aguiar, Ben Suttell
At last the boys return to form!
Pack mentality ruled the day. Our Dominant Eight called the shots from start
to finish, barring a couple of brief naps.
Actually, I need to have a word about that. The whole team took a nanna-nap
for the last 20 minutes of the game when they were two tries up and thought they
had the game in the bag. What's worse, the Burnside captain could be heard
behind the try-line telling his team we were about to take the foot off the gas
and that if they fought back hard and scored twice they'd have us yet, and they
damn near did. As a result, we let them back in the game and generously gave
them a couple of bonus points. Finals are close and the Premiership Ladder is
tight between 2nd and 6th; are we such good sportsmen that we're trying to even
it up even more?
Other than that, the game was a much better outing for OC than the last few
which were so dire in patches that I couldn't be bothered writing reports.
The first try from OC was a simple classic slide from Cross at flyhalf,
putting it down under the posts for an easy conversion for El Pablo Magnifico.
This was followed by a team wide effort of strong phase work and good ball
movement ending in Xander Evans carrying it over the line. The next two tries
came from the sweat of the forwards as they mauled it inexorably onwards. The
momentum carried the ball over the line twice, once for Xander Evans again and
once for Ben Suttell. This is testimony to the pack reclaiming their pride and
strength after a lapse of a few weeks. The last try of the game was by Sam
Oughton following a line out and some good lead up work by Rebbeck and Collins.
Most of Burnside's strength came from a pair of strong backs - Mika (not the
Souths one, another one) and Tim Lough. We let both of them have more space and
time than they deserved.
Honourable mentions must go to Xander Evans, Tom Moon (why do they call him
Bear?), Peter Cross and Leigh Rebbeck all of whom worked hard throughout. The
backline looks more balanced with Cross at fly-half but handling is still a
little rusty along the line with too much ball going to ground. Leigh Rebbeck
and Juan Aguiar (usually outside centre and wing) are doing well at their new
jobs at inside and outside centre. I can hear all you front row forwards asking
what the hell difference there is between the three positions; trust me, they're
different. Leigh Rebbeck was Man of the Match for his physicality, courage and
work-rate. He came off the field in the last few minutes, bleeding and confused.
It suits him.
2nd Grade
Burnside 3 v Old Collegians 12
Best Player: Charlie Neate
Tries: Alex Berce, Henry Winter
Conversion: Stewart Douglas
Our second grade notched up another good win. Better than that they are good
fun to watch and show a lot of enthusiam, creativity and flair. The penalty
count was high this week leading to a disjointed game through no fault of either
team but it was nevertheless a good contest and a good display.
I gather that we were lacking a few of our regular second grade backs for
this game. At least, that's the easiest way to explain the presence of a couple
of boys most recently seen in the First Grade scrum playing at inside centre
(James Finkemeyer) and wing (Alex Berce). It was a successful experiment. They
both performed well and did not often look out of position, other than a certain
wistful look on their faces when a ruck was nearby. Berce scored the first try
"Lomu style", ploughing through wingers, centres, forwards and
everything short of brick walls. The second try came after another bust through
run, this time by Finkemeyer, which set up a series of excellent phases across
the board eventually putting Henry Winter over the line.
Henry Nutt the Pirouetting Prop, bounced and rolled through the defence like
a demented pinball, Jo Suttell added his characteristic old school mongrel to
the pack, Rory Sheppard gave great chat and Charlie Neate improves with every
game (and he was pretty good to start with). Finally, it was great to see Disco
Douglas back on the field and at flyhalf. The biggest upset of the round was
that he managed to play the whole game. For 80 minutes the sideline supporters
waited with baited breath to hear the twang of his muscles snapping but it never
came and the sweep had to be abandonned. The word is that Doc Douglas has his
money on a half time exit. Seriously though, he had a very solid game and he and
Jo Suttell added experience, structure and direction to the youthful team's
energy and spirit.
U16s Old Collegians 65 v Souths 7
In a demonstration of fast running and aggressive rugby, the team made
its way back to the winner's circle after the disappointment with Onkas.
We managed to avoid a forfeit only through Ben Blackall taking the field
even though injured and having to wear some South's shorts. The forwards as
a unit were a little sluggish and in particular were not at the break down
on a regular basis. This week it was the turn of the backs to dominate
against an ill disciplined and fractitious competitor in what became a very
one sided game towards the end of the first half.
Tries to Linder -Patton, Van Altena, Macklin (2), Lovelady, Laurendi (2),
Armonstrong, Verlato and Sambanis (2).
Best players Blackall, Linder-Patton, Macklin, Verlato and McNeilage.
Old Cols U14 (17) v Burnside U14 (7)
With painful memories of the drubbing handed out by Burnside for the
first game of the season, the fine win against Onkas seemed longer than a
week ago when Old Cols U14s stepped onto Parkinson Oval on Saturday. In what
started off as a very physical and tight encounter, the new look U14 team
prevailed against a very tough opponent with particularly aggressive forward
and counter-rucking play. Burnside played to their strengths early on by
constantly attacking the blindside but committed defence saw them rarely
crossing the gain line. The lack of penetration turned to frustration as the
Burnside pack gave away a number of penalties early on allowing Old Cols to
re-group. Having learned from previous experiences under pressure, the tide
slowly turned and a well-executed switch in the middle saw Smith making
ground deep into the opposition half. Burnside however used the wind to
their advantage and kicked the ball 60 meters putting Old Cols back under
pressure. Subsequent support play saw the ball moved wide for Burnside to
cross the try line and score against the run of play.
Old Cols however sensed they had ruffled a few feathers and the second
half proved to be the U14's finest display of the season so far. Having
endured a punishing defensive 40 minutes with an impressive tackle count,
Macklin and Bautz on the flanks supported by a motivated pack provided some
excellent ball, which when moved out wide, allowed the backs to display some
swift and powerful running. Quick hands out to Alex Imber at full back saw
him use his power and speed to dive over the line to put Old Cols onto the
score sheet. A fine try by Bautz followed soon after to take The College to
an unexpected lead. Some fine tactical kicking kept Burnside pinned in their
half and further good ball out to the backs saw Ollie LP take a long awaited
text book step in and then back outside the speedy full back. The fastest
Burnside player on the pitch could only watch his heels as L-P glided in
under the posts. The conversion by Hodgson meant that Burnside had to score
twice and with only minutes left of the game they threw everything they had
at Old Cols who stood their ground denying any further score by the
opposition.
Old Cols U14s stepped off Parkinson Oval having come together as a team.
A job very well done.
Try Scorers: Imber, Bautz, Linder-Patton. Conversion x 1 by Hodgson
Old Collegians U10s 15 v Vikings 20, at Waite No.2
Scorers: Joseph 1, Venetia 1, Liam 1
A disappointing result, especially since, the game was only lost after
full time, when an opposition break away from a penalty was not chased down,
resulting in the winning try. Apart from that lapse, the atrocious weather
conditions meant that lethargy was also a factor at the start. Not being
switched on, especially in defence, cost any early try.
To their credit, the team rallied, and indeed gained the ascendancy for long
periods, only to give up easy points, which undid all of their hard work. No
real stand out moments in this game, apart from the much improved defensive
efforts as the game progressed. None more notable than the tackling of
Oliver and Charlie.
... Tim Wall, Co coach, Team Manager
Old Collegians U10 10 v Souths 10, at Waite No.2
Scorers: Joseph 1, Venetia
Once again the U/10's have shown the benefit of a focus on ball retention
and recycling at training. The work rate of all players was excellent, and
of course, holding possession certainly didn't hurt either. You know that
things are going right when even the opposition coach comments on the team's
improved efforts. Joseph and Venetia as well as having that ability to
finish with a bit of dash, benefited from strong team work to get them into
scoring positions. This is easily our best result against a team that always
plays a strong team game. A great big pat on the back to ALL players, for a
super effort. WELL done everyone Unable to split them;
Tacklers of the week: Charlie & Oliver.
... Tim Wall Co coach, Team Manager
5th July
U16s: OCs 10 v Onkas 17
In what was a terrific and tight game of Rugby, our team was defeated in
the last ten minutes or so being then 10 - 5.
It was the usual high quality Onka performance matched by our own.
Unfortunately Onka aggression, some puzzling decisions by the match
officials and some of our players being shut down by Onkas was the deciding
feature. The usually dominant backs had a difficult day although the
forwards, played very well both in the scrummage and at the break down.
The team was really disappointed and felt the pain of the loss - the
first one this year - deeply. All of them are looking forward to the return
fixture.
One thing from the game is that Onkas management and coaching staff made
it clear that we were the best competition they had faced for some time and
they had been worried about the game.
Best players; Barrett, Posala Verlato and van Altena; Tries Barrett and
Posala."
... Michael Barrett
U14s: OCs 25 v Onkas B 7
This was a cracking game, played the way rugby should be played. Hard,
fast and open. There was hardly a high tackle to be seen! A great effort by
both sides.
Onkas came out hard but were stopped in their tracks by a resolute Old
Collegians defence who found some bite to their tackles. However, we were
soon in our stride and dominated the play. Strong running and good support
play laid the foundations to an excellent first half.
The second half was a little more even and Onkas edged their way back into
the game thanks to some weak defence by us and strong running by them. It
began to feel like last week's game against NEDS, but to their credit, the
team did not allow their heads to drop. They settled their play and started
working together again as a team. We look dangerous when we get the ball out
wide and in spite of a rocky spell when the ball was taken at standstill, we
were able to finish the game strongly with a super score by Ollie L-P.
Great effort and a good win!
... Simon Macklin
U10: OCs 10 V Onkas 35, at Brighton
Scorers: Joseph 1, Venetia 1
Being a relatively small side, we were at a decided disadvantage against
Onkas, some of whom were definitely intimidating in size. This made for a
hard slog defensively, but we still gave it everything, even if it wasn't
always effective. Apart from their size, Onkas always moves the ball well
too, which can make for a very tough day at the office. Having given away a
sizable early lead, our players fought back really well to put on
consecutive tries to Joseph and Venetia (once again with runs from inside
our own half). It was unfortunate that we copped some injuries later in the
game, which limited our ability to respond to the increased physical
challenges being faced.
Over all the players can be well pleased with their efforts in this game as
they faced up to a squad bigger in size and numbers, and still made them
work for the result. Playing most weeks without any reserves against squads
with significantly greater numbers presents a huge challenge to all. To see
them achieve their recent results has been a credit to the cohesion and
tenacity of a playing group in whom we can all be proud.
U10s: Old Collegians 15 v Brighton 10, at Brighton
Scorers: Joseph 2, Venetia 1
Once again the U10s have shown the benefit of focus at training on ball
retention and recycling. The work rate of all players was excellent, and of
course, having the majority of possession certainly didn't hurt either. You
know that things are going right when even the referee comments on the
team's improved efforts. Joseph and Venetia once again showed that a bit of
dash doesn't go astray as all 3 tries came from well within our own half. A
great big pat on the back for ALL players, as there were no passengers at
all. WELL done everyone
... Tim Wall Co coach, Team Manager
28th June
U14s, OC 19 v NEDS 24
After last week's game against Brighton and having narrowly lost to NEDS
on the first meeting a few weeks ago, we approached this game with high
hopes. The first half was a continuation of the game against Brighton.
Strong running by the backs with good support play from the forwards saw us
go to the break 19-5 up. Our concentration lapsed in the second half and we
lost the confidence in the tackle contest. NEDS had a strong back line which
had been kept under wraps in the first half but took advantage of our
defensive frailty in the second half. They cut loose scoring 19 unanswered
points. We had territory and possesion but were unable to get over the line.
We learnt some important lessons - concentration, team-work - but will come
back stronger than before.
U12s, OC 20 v NED’s 30
Trys: Rick Wilkinson 3, Hudson Pitt 1
Started out well with OC all over the players and then an intercept by
Peter almost saw us score under the posts but only for some good defence by
NED’s kept us out.
NED’s were able to hold out and then using their outside backs managed to
get down the end of the field and score. An almost identical move, despite
some good tackling, saw them score again with Cameron making a lunging dive
slowing the last player but unfortunately getting a boot in the jaw which
saw him off for the rest of the game.
Retaining possession for a period kept us in the game and saw us score
and, despite another try by NED’s, the line of defence came up quick and
Rick managed to intercept a loose pass for a great try under the posts to
give the crowd hope.
Our forwards picked it up in the next half but fitness seemed to show.
Rick and Hudson managed to pick up 2 tries after Nick worked it wide.
However, the best try of the day was when NEDs tried a sneaky kick-off and
Sam picked it up, side-stepped through 8 of NED’s players and finished
with a dive over the try line! Unfortunately, the ref didn’t see the
kick-off and didn’t allow it. From the re-start after good work by the
forwards, Isaac picked up a loose ball from the base of the maul and made a
great blind side run half the length of the field only to be pushed into
touch when trying to link with his winger. Special mention to Luke Howes who
had a great 1st game as hooker and was in the thick of it defending and
supporting the tackle ball.
In summary, our skill level with the ball in hand was on par with Neds
but we lacked fitness. The player support and passing has improved and
tackling and covering also meant they only scored once from set plays.
Further practice on team work and positional play will help the team to
continue to grow and develop as a unit and in time, individuals will gain
confidence in their team mates and not try to do everything themselves.
There has been a great improvement in effort, team work and attitude over
the past 2 games and the players should be congratulated on the way they
have performed in 2 difficult fixtures.
Well done boys, keep it going and you will get the results you deserve.
...Alan Burgess
U10s: Old Collegians 40 v Elizabeth 10, at Parkinson
Scorers: Joseph 2, Venetia 2, Callum1, Rhys 1, Oliver 1, Liam 1
What an effort the team put in for this one.
Just about every effort resulted in territorial gain or similar benefit. The
defensive pressure was superb, with Venetia once again leading the way,
closely followed by every other player making sure the ball came to ground
and giving opportunity for winning the ball from the ruck, which occurred
several times. In attack, the recycling of the ball went almost flawlessly
with Elizabeth not being allowed near the ball, so good were our forwards in
getting to the ruck in support of the ball carrier, giving plenty of time
for the back line to position themselves to best advantage.
Effective ball movement from the contest was definitely a key factor in this
win, with practiced moves working to near perfection. All four of Joseph and
Venetia's tries resulted from that now familiar sprint to the line from
inside our own half, whilst evading numerous defenders. Liam plays in a
similar mould, and whilst he, like the others, finds himself on the
receiving end of some big tackles, he is also more than capable of producing
those devastating runs to the line. Callum and Rhys both produced the goods
again and were justly rewarded with a try apiece, while Oliver also finished
off some fine team work with a piece of individual flare. Evan, who only
joined the squad recently, continues to improve, making some valuable
territory and also several good tackles.
... Tim Wall Co coach, Team Manager
U10s: Old Collegians 10 v NEDS 20, at Parkinson
Scorers: Joseph 1, Callum/Rhys 1
What a difference a week makes.
Except for a slow start, the team really showed the value of our focus on
ball retention and recycling during the week. So effective was most of the
tackling, that NEDS much bigger forwards, only had limited influence on the
game. Not everything went according to plan, with some tackles still lacking
in intensity, and turnovers from ball handling errors, mostly through
defensive pressure, costing us at times.
Set plays and ball movement from the ruck and also from scrum/line outs
started to work well, creating run out wide, and starting to stretch the
defense late in the game. Joseph's try was a typical trademark run, beating
several defenders attempted tackles. The other try resulted from good honest
grunt and grind from our steadily improving forwards Callum and Rhys. Their
combined effort in gaining the ball about 5 metres out and mutual support in
bullocking their way over the line against strong defense was inspirational.
Since even they aren't sure exactly who had hands on the ball at grounding,
they share this try on combined effort alone. Venetia was the unanimous
choice for the coaches' award for best tackler of the week, with several
superb efforts against players much bigger than herself.
... Tim Wall Co coach, Team Manager
21st June 2008
By Norm Daploom
Premier Grade
Southern Suburbs 13 v Old Collegians 6
Best Player: Todd Grant; Penalties: Todd Grant (2)
If you blinked (twice) and missed the fleeting moments when Souths had the
ball and scored you would have thought we were all over this game. We certainly
had a mountain possession, but nothing came of it.
There was a lot of good phase play but we couldn't manage to land the needed
knockout punch. Having hoped for drastic improvements once the Falcons returned
we instead find our state forwards a bit lethargic. Line outs were good again
but scrums were still suspect and we were wheeled too often. In the forwards,
Xander Evans and Paul Reynolds had good games and would have achieved more with
more support around them.
The back line was lacking any spark. We were trying to run it wide without
first going forward and were caught behind the gain line by Souths' Declan
Scragg (who has now moved to the Gold Coast, and good riddance). Jon Collins
made his first appearance for Old Collegians' backline. Despite the raised
eyebrows from those who think of Jon as only a forward, he played a solid game
in the centres. There's no doubt he will do better when the new line up grows
accustomed to each other. The new back line also featured Todd Grant in his No.
10 debut, Will Sadler at fullback and Peter Cross as winger. Although those boys
are all relatively new to those positions, there was a glimmer of potential. The
coming weeks will tell whether anything comes of that potential.
Ultimately, we lost the ball too often at crucial moments of the game,
throwing away the try scoring opportunities which should have won it for us.
Second Grade
Old Colls 20 v Souths 7
Tries: Simon Allport, Sam Oughton, Charlie Neate; Pen: James Hayden;
Convs: James Hayden
Best Player: Simon Allport
After the chaos of the last month, a unit is emerging from the confusion –
and it's a unit of youth, skill and pace to which Souths had no response. A good
first half set up a deserved win, but given that Souths is bottom of the ladder
and had little to throw at us, we really ought to have walloped them by a lot
more and grabbed a bonus point in the process.
Simon Allport, missing last week and stitches only recently out, had an
immediate impact on the game. There is definitely some 'Mad Dog' in this one.
Our pack worked hard and was hungry and stole possession for the flowing
backline. This pressure brought about tries. Simon Allport scored the first as
he charged down a kick. Sam Oughton, in an 80 minute cameo appearance, scored
twice in quick succession. Unfortunately, the referee disallowed the first in
circumstances which aggrieved the OC coach to the brink of aneurism. Charlie
Neate snagged the third.
After the break, the Souths team lifted but couldn't break through despite a
long period of possession, due to multiple consecutive penalties against the OC
boys. At this point Collegians took their foot of the gas long enough to become
a little lazy mentally, allowing Souths to cross for their only score of the
game.
In the final twenty minutes, reserves came on and found themselves enjoying
the foundation laid by the starting fifteen. Ben Mattsen fitted back into the
blue and red quickly after a few years away, and managed in the process to take
the field in all four senior grades today.
Though the entire team played well, standout performers were Simon Allport
and Austin Wakeham in the forwards, James Hayden at five eight and Charlie Neate
at inside centre.
All in all, this was a good performance but not perfect, and must be a
starting point for a strong run into the finals, which are only ten games away.
Third Grade
Old Collegians 22 v Woodville 10
Best Player: Jeremy Thewlis
Third grade played well and it was good to see them get a strong win on the
boards. There was very good continuity in patches and Matt Fuss' try was a great
example of that. It came from a long series of good phase play which sucked in
defenders, with everyone doing the basics well. Well done!
Fourth Grade
Southern Suburbs 27 v Old Collegians 5
Best Player: Ian Bircher
I didn't see this game myself but I'm told effort and commitment was good but
basic skills and communication were lacking. That sounds to me like a team who
aren't training together. I suspect they're not. It won't get better until they
do.
Women's Grade
Burnside/Port Adelaide 34 v Old Collegians 0
Best Player: Bec Manson
I didn't see this game, but clearly another thumping was handed out by the
strong Port/Burnside team. Mind you, the margin was a good twenty points less
than the previous two, so that's an improvement even with the absence of Lee
Fata taken into account. I'm reliably informed that there was a great debut from
Ashleigh Smith and another excellent game from the newcomer Laurel Eyton.
U14s
OCs 5 v Brighton 29
This was always going to be a tough game against the top team in the
competition, but we came out firing on all cylinders. The team played with
passion and commitment that unsettled a strong Brighton side and knocked
them off their stride. The game started ominously with Brighton scoring out
wide on the first play of the game.
The remainder of the first half, however, belonged to Old Collegians who
ran, supported and put huge pressure on the fancied Brighton team. We were
down by only 7 points at the change. Sadly we were unable to maintain our
impetus after the break and finally went down 29-5. There was much to be
proud of and pleasing to see the hard work done on the training field is
beginning to bear fruition.
... Simon Macklin
Old Collegians U10
OC 10 V Brighton 35, at Tregenza
Scorers: Joseph 1, Charlie 1
Training this week will no doubt focus on gaining possession, ball
retention and recycling after a game which saw the team lose some of the
ground made up in last weeks excellent effort.
Brighton set up better in attack, and defensively, put strong pressure
on our ball carrier. Unfortunately, far too often we allowed them to stand
up in the tackle and recycle the ball too easily, brushing aside tackles
that, often, were not strong enough, or else too high to bring the ball
carrier to ground. That aside, everyone did try hard, with some very
encouraging efforts noted.
Rhys continues to show the way up forward, and with Callum again
putting in a solid effort, they formed a strong front row, that will only
get better. Strong running and support from the backs, despite the pressure
from the Brighton players saw significant territorial gains at times, but
without quite getting across the line. Charlie's try was the result of a
perfectly executed scrum set play, whilst Joseph's dash down the wing to
cross the line for our first try was finished off with a memorable dive in
the mud to celebrate.
All told, a slightly disappointing effort, but with plenty of
positives upon which we can build.
... Tim Wall, Co-coach, Team Manager
14th June 2008
By Norm Daploom
1st Grade Brighton 31 v Old Collegians 8
Try: Richard Czeglik; Penalty: Todd Grant
Best Player: Tom Moon
The first half was pretty even and at half time the scores were close
with Brighton looking tired and put upon; the feeling from the sideline (ours,
that is) was that victory was likely. However, it was not to be. Brighton ran
away with it in the second half with a handful of tries, while we displayed
little creativity in attack and did nothing to really challenge Brighton. Our
ball retention throughout the game was at best suspect and at worst
non-existent. I'd love to be able to point the finger at a couple of offenders
but in all honesty most of the boys were guilty of this, with the notable
exceptions of Peter Cross, Will Mellor and James Finkmeyer.
We had most of the Falcons back in the pack which made a significant
difference at ruck and maul. In lineouts and open play, they looked strong and
dangerous all day. The only try came in the first half off a lineout, thanks to
the stampeding momentum that only 140kg of Czeglik can bring. All forwards
performed well, with Tom Moon having a very good game in particular.
By contrast, the backline ran fast and hard but sideways and more than
once left the ball behind, giving Brighton further attacking opportunities when
they really had plenty already. Scrums were stable but didn't have much
drive.
Czeglik in the front row may be a mismatch of heights. Todd Grant didn't
have the best day's kicking which is unlike him. We seemed to struggle to find
touch. However, Todd replaced his usual skill off the foot with some very good
passing and handling, and he and Ben Suttell at halfback are probably the only
backs who can make that claim.
The score slightly flattered Brighton who scored a couple of quick ones
in the last ten minutes as our intensity (fitness?) faded. We're much, much
better than this.
2nd Grade Brighton 10 v Old Collegians 7
Try: Robbie Bell
Conversion: James Hayden
Best Player: Cleve Batten
Firstly, ignore the score. Irrelevant. This was a great showing by the
OC 2s and I don't care what the scoreboard said. The stirring in the red and
blue hearts from the last quarter of the previous game surfaced again at kick
off of this game and quickly became a torrent of red and blue courage and
commitment.
From the outset Brighton adopted their typical approach of arrogance and
petty violence. For twenty minutes they stomped, punched and gouged while
Collegians tackled, tackled and tackled.
Cleve Batten and Xander Evans demolished everything in their path.
Charlie Neate's defence at inside centre was also excellent. As far as attack,
Collegians had about 30 seconds of possession in the first twenty minutes when
Robbie Bell swooped on a loose ball to chase down and score next to the posts,
embarrassing the Bumblebees who hadn't managed to achieve anything with their
99% possession rate.
After the conversion by James Hayden it was back to tackling practice and
as the hits became more committed and ferocious Brighton were more and more
rattled and spent more time in the Ref's ear. Colls kept their cool for the
whole first half apart from a silly decision to slap the ball back from a
lineout allowing a stumbling Bumblebee to fall on it and even the score.
Restart saw tackling practice resume and continue magnificently until
just before half time when a Brighton loosie flipped out and was sent to the
bench to take a long hard look at himself.
Second half saw more tackling practice, as if we needed more, and it kept
on improving.
Tom Alexander is a 120kg flanker trapped in the body of skinny fullback,
and despite taking hits which ought to have crushed him he routinely hopped back
up, counted his limbs and flew straight back into the fray.
Twenty minutes in, Brighton were given a penalty which they swapped for
an easy 3 points and the score stayed 10 - 7 until home time.
The final five minutes saw OC enjoy continuous possession and string
maybe twenty phases together, finally applying genuine pressure to Brighton's
defence forcing them to resort to professional fouls instead of the disciplined
defence they had received all day from OC. It wasn't until the dying seconds of
the game that the final result was certain, and when the whistle blew the relief
on the black and gold faces was palpable. We can expect great things from this
squad over the next few weeks.
U16s - Old Collegians 37 v Vikings 0
Well what a difference a week and better opposition makes. In what
started off as a very physical and tight encounter (the first try was only
scored at the 20 minute mark of the first half) the Old Colls' team
prevailed against a very tough opponent with particularly aggressive forward
and counter-rucking play. By half time we had two tries in what promised to
be a very difficult encounter. The try feast began in the second half as the
opposition seemed to lag in fitness and discipline with two send-offs. Our
team maintained its composure and running game and eventually ran away with
the game.
Once again Macklin at scrum half helped the backs dominate and was well
supported by Lovelady and Wilkinson. Our new number 7 van Altena covered the
park all day scoring 3 tries. Alex Verlato again made some big attacking
runs breaking the advantage line and scoring 2 tries..
A promising lead up to the next tough game, Brighton at Tregenza.
Best players; Macklin, Lovelady, Wilkinson, van Altena and Verlato.
Tries to van Altena (3), Verlato (2), Macklin and Armstrong."
... Michael Barrett
U10s - Old Collegians 25 v Vikings 25, at Port Adelaide
Scorers: Patrick 2, Venetia 2, Liam 1
By far the best whole team game so far. The mutual support, run, tackling
etc, all came together in a much more cohesive display this week. Standout
performances were the rule rather than the exception. However, a few special
mentions are well deserved. Rhys, so sorely missed last week, was
inspirational with his strong attack on the opposition ball carriers and
helped win many turnovers. Patrick's 2 tries were the result of both fine
teamwork and also individual effort, capping off some strong work throughout
the game. Venetia's full pitch try in the second half was the second and
finest of her 2 for the day. Liam, Joseph, Oliver and Charlie ran themselves
into the ground and tackled ferociously. Callum had easily his best game for
the year, gaining much possession and making territorial gains almost every
time. Evan did not look at all like a player in only his 4th or 5th game
ever as he continues to improve every week. With no subs available, the team
performed superbly, and the only reason that they did not come away with a
well deserved win, was that they had run themselves to a standstill and the
opposition managed a late game saving try.
... Tim Wall
7th June 2008
by Norm Daploom
FIRST GRADE
Woodville 11 v Old Collegians 23 at Woodville
Best Player: Ben Suttell
Tries: Will Sadler, Luke Bailey
Penalties: Todd Grant (3)
Conversions: Todd Grant (2)
One could be forgiven for thinking that with our Falcons back we'd have
romped this game in, but not so. We gained the lead only in the second half and
it looked dangerous more than once. Woodville could be forgiven for thinking
that the final score flattered us a little. After the final whistle Collegians'
were grimly muttering "a win's a win". Not the highest praise.
For a start, many of our State Reps were on the sidelines with broken
cheek-bones, strained muscles or a case of the sniffles (diddums). Added to
that, we still have a baker's dozen of other senior players out to injury and
illness. Of course, with or without our best men Woodville are always trouble at
home anyway. Better OC squads than the ones we fielded this week have come a
cropper against Woodies. Despite the best of intentions we always seem to end up
playing to their style of game rather than our own.
The lineouts were much better this week than they were against Port Adelaide
in the previous game, not that that is saying much. With senior forwards like
Czeglik, Burmester and Tedge back in the pack we not only won most of our own
ball and some of theirs we even managed to maul it over the line for a try. The
other try came from that illusive sprite Will Sadler dashing through a narrow
crack not ten yards off the line.
Scrums were reasonable and some great yards were made off the back of them
from Caveman Berce at Number 8 but he too often lost the ball in contact. I'd
have a severe word with him about this but he's a lot bigger than me.
Young Todd Grant has a Big Boot for a Small Man which was a very useful
option at penalties and in open play and accounted for 13 of the 23 points.
Peter Cross had a hard job against Warren Duff, and while Peter didn't make
much ground in attack neither did Duffy so we can call that even. That said, if
Crossy is an inside-centre then I'm the Sultan of Brunei.
Heavens be praised for Ben Suttell who seems not to have realised his
excellent State season is over for 2008; he brought his rep game to club footy
this week.
Finally, our greatest thanks go to the nice young man from Woodville who
utterly flubbed a try which would otherwise have meant the teams had two tries
each and only kicks making up the difference.
SECOND GRADE
Barossa Rams 26 v Old Collegians 10
Best Player: Simon Allport
Try: Austin Wakeham
Penalty & Conversion: James Hayden
I thought the second grade looked a bit like patch-work. On making some
enquiries, I understand there were more than a few last minute apologies and a
team was only scraped together by coaxing two fourth graders off the recovery
bench from their game played an hour earlier. We should give thanks then to the
evergreen and masterly Andy Marshallsay and to newcomer Glen Smith in his OC
debut. (It isn't always like this mate), and to the Reserves for third grade
(who had driven all the way from their game at Onkaparinga). Thanks in
particular to Ben James and Charlie Neate for making the extra effort, and
probably saving the evergreen and masterly Andy Marshallsay's life in the
process.
A few minutes into the game our teeny tiny back-line sprang into speed and
skill-mode. Rowan Mein ghosted through from outside-centre and pinched a rapid
thirty metres before being brought down in an obvious act of thuggish trickery
by the Rams. This poor act of sportsmanship (fancy actually making the effort to
chase opponents in cover defence!) left our Rowan unable to get up due to a
damaged AC joint. He painfully/selfishly left the field to try and source a
replacement joint and subsequently the Rams rammed in two quick Trys.
The first half was mostly one way traffic, and definitely the wrong way. Our
teeny tiny back-line lost the use of speed and skill mode from their OGRCs (on
ground rugby computers) and made too many errors while attempting to get over
the advantage line.
The Rams played like England; boring but effective. It seems that hard
straight running in close is a form of rugby that should bear a lesson to our
young second graders. Get the big guys on the ground quickly or pay the price in
yards.
NOTE: Rugby is a contact sport. Not "contact" like the gentle
attentions of the ladies in the Penthouse movies, "contact" like that
delivered by Jake the Muss in the 'Once Were Warrior' movies. Can we please aim
for less pat and more splat?
Early in the second half things looked grim but something stirred within red
and blue hearts. With the match safely lost, Collegians' lifted. Led by Simon
Allport, Rory Sheppard and James Hayden, the defence stopped pushing and started
pounding. A lift in effort and intensity brought not only respectability to the
youthful players but hope to the supporters and no doubt the coaches too.
At the end of the game our lift in effort and commitment was deservedly
rewarded with a try to Austin Wakeham who decided that after all his hard work
he would score the try, and not one of the 28 unmarked men in support.
In short, good in patches but patches are only good for making quilts. We
showed that we can play ay a high intensity despite major obstacles, if this
level can be maintained then none shall stand in our path.
THIRD GRADE
Onkaparinga 25 v Old Collegians 0 at Onkaparinga
Best Player: Jim Grace
I'd write a match report for this game, but I didn't see the game myself and
no-one who was involved seems anxious to discuss the finer details. Probably
that says it all.
FOURTH GRADE
Barossa Rams 20 v Old Collegians 0
Best Player: Lawrence Hartney
Just like in the second grade game between our respective clubs, the Rams
looked well drilled and disciplined and they did the basics well enough to thump
us. I am reliably informed that they had nearly every fourth grade man at BOTH
training sessions the week before this game. By comparison, our fourths are a
bunch of blokes who don't train at all and looked like it. The Rams made us look
pretty shabby. We were the poster kids of poor support play and lack of ball
security. Line-outs were abysmal. If we can't get these basics right, it will be
a dismal season.
However, the scrums weren't bad and there were solid efforts from most guys
on the pitch. Lawrence Hartney played a courageous game at five-eighth and Ory
(I can't recall whether it was Luke or Andrew) showed a lot of mongrel. However,
the Post-Match Tirade accurately identified that all the gusto, effort and
courage in the world will not get us far if we don't train. So start turning up,
you lot. It wasn't a lot of fun to watch, and I doubt it was much fun to play.
U16s - Old Collegians 34, Elizabeth 12.
In what can only be described as a weak and disjointed performance, the
team struggled to achieve its previous dominance of the field. This may have
been caused by the absence of some critical play-makers through injury or
illness. The team's response to this performance, as demonstrated by a
lacklustre rendition of the club song, indicated how it felt. What was
particularly disappointing was the fact that Elizabeth scored. Previously we
have only had one converted try scored against us.
Good individual performances by Macklin, Blackall and Linder-Patton (with
3 tries) and tough tackling and our newest recruit from the Republic, Bernie
van Altena, which brought back memories of a previous red haired flanker in
the number 7 jersey.
A much better effort is required coming into the next round of
competition.
Best players; Macklin, Blackall, Linder-Patton and van Altena.
Tries to Linder-Patton (3), Posala, Verlato and Wilkinson.
... Michael Barrett
U14s OCs v Elizabeth
Result forfeit to Old Collegians.
Sadly Elizabeth were unable to field a side with enough numbers to avoid
a forfeit. In the true spirit of the game, however, Old Collegians U14s had
no hesitation in putting themselves at the disposal of the Elizabeth coach
so that a game of 14 - a - side could be played. A special thanks to Lloyd
Allison, David Paprzycki, Lachlan Birrell, Will and Hamish McLachlan, Eliot
Kirby, Nick Howlett, Matt Hutchinson, Eamonn McLoughlin, Sean Gilligan, Nick
Lanchester and Ian Begley who all donned the white of Elizabeth and played
as if their lives depended on it. Well done and thank you to you all.
This was a very encouraging display with good commitment, strong running
and some fine support play. Tom Litchfield again showed good form with
powerful surgeing runs. Harry Trantor and Nick Scott worked well in the
second row and dominated the lineouts. The front row were solid when it
mattered and provided a strong platform for Hamish McLachlan and then Ian
Begley at scrum-half. Stewie Nutt had a sniff at the ball on more than one
occasion and provided an excellent link between forwards and backs.
Ruck/maul contest still needs some work and the continual problem of lack of
fitness continues to haunt us in the forwards.
After a shaky start, the back line finally clicked into action with
Andrew Smith and Paddy Macklin running hard and tackling well. Back line
movement saw Will McLachlan and Ollie L-P going over for scores. Ollie's
persistence and good legwork saw him shake free of his defenders and score
under the posts.
Alex Imber was again a rock at full back.
The game was marred by the unfortunate accident in the first half which
saw Eamonn McLoughlin carried from the field with a fractured wrist. His
bravery in the face of a nasty injury were a tribute to his courage. We wish
him well for a speedy recovery.
.... Simon Macklin
U12 - OCs 26 v RAMs 5 at Womma
Tries: Cameron Andrews(1),Peter Stapleton(1),Rick Wilkinson(1), Hudson
Pitt(1).
Conversion: Cameron Andrews(3)
Highlights:
Crunching tackle by Digby, assisted by Dexter, where the RAMs player was
knocked backwards off his feet and landed on his back. Lachlan Pridham
turning a RAMs player around presenting us the ball in a maul. A fantastic
team try finished off by Hudson Pitt. It started with the forwards from a
tap with quick passing along a line from Lachlan, Cameron, Nick Litchfield,
Isaac Taylor, Rick to Hudson, who motored down the wing to score back along
the try line under the posts. Steve Whipp, was one of the BOGs; competing in
the lineouts and tackling around the legs grinding players down to the
ground in mauls. Rick took a lovely pop pass from Cameron to run through the
RAMs' backline defence like a knife through butter. Another great game from
Cameron.
... Tony Wilkinson
31st May 2008
U10s, At Parkinson
Game 1, Old Collegians 0 v Souths 4
A more physical approach from Souths saw them score most of their points
early, before a much more committed effort by OCs held them out for long
periods with strong tackling and teamwork. Special mentions to Sebastian,
Patrick, Rhys and Oliver for their early efforts, without which, the score
would have been much more lopsided. Our most promising forward thrust should
have resulted in a try to Oliver, but somehow a stroller had found its way
onto the pitch, and as he slowed to get around it, Oliver was taken out to
touch a few metres short of the line.
Game 2, Old Collegians 1 v NEDs 3
Scorer: Joseph Hodgson
A change in the draw saw us pitted against NEDs for the third time in 3
weeks. The OC team acquitted themselves extremely well given the
opposition's bigger bodies and very physical play. Fatigue and injuries told
in the end, but the whole team remained committed and supported each other
well. The effort to retain possession of the ball was tremendous and the
passages of play where numerous phases were strung together, showed the
benefits of all the hard work put in at training. The game was marred by
several unfortunate injuries and questionable decisions from the referee,
which only makes the effort of the players all the more meritorious. The
final moments of the game saw some great team work to regain possession of
the ball finished off by a superb individual effort by Joseph to cross the
line.
... Tim Wall Team Manager/ Co coach
24th May 2008
by Norm Daploom
FIRST GRADE
Port Adelaide 24 v Old Collegians 18 at Port Adelaide
Best Player: Rory Shepard
Tries: Tom Alexander, James Hayden, Brad McDonald
Penalty: Will Sadler
Let's start with the obvious. Line outs - what the…? Having lots of
players out is no excuse at first grade level, we need to win our own set piece;
even now and again would nice. Our fringe post defence was often non-existent, a
weakness exaggerated by Port's game plan which seemed to be exclusively
attacking that zone. The Coach's half time words fell on deaf ears as we
repeated the same errors over and over. Rory Shepard played a great game and was
nicknamed "Velcro" for his ability to stick to the tackle. B-Rad made
good ground but was often unsupported. Paul Reynolds did well playing out of
position in the centres and Alex Berce made himself felt as per usual. Tom
Alexander scored a great try in the corner to the loud appreciation of the OC
crowd and James Hayden put in a strong performance at fullback– both boys in
their first grade debut.
As a final note, Will Sadler can you please return Czeglik's shorts and invest
in a pair in your own size? Rory Shepard may be able to loan you a pair.
SECOND GRADE
Port Adelaide 13 v Old Collegians 8 at Port Adelaide
Best Player: Charlie Neate
Try: Austin Wakeham
Penalty: Matt Mooney
Our 2nd Grade turned in a third grade performance this week. Hold up a
second…. I think that was actually the third grade out there. With 30 blokes
missing from selection this week, we pilfered and thieved from the lower grades
to turn out our 1st and 2nd teams this week and it showed. It was a courageous
performance at times and the game was there for the winning. Individual
performances were often strong but team play was disjointed leading to try
scoring opportunities being wasted. Our last pass was often intercepted by the
ground.
Defence was strong and everyone worked hard but we were out-muscled around the
rucks. We need to muscle or fatten up – hit the gym or McDonalds, boys.
Charlie Neate turned out another brilliant game, narrowly edging out Austin
Wakeham for best on ground.
THIRD GRADE
North Torrens 27 v Old Collegians 10 at Dry Creek
Best Player: Ben "Fuzzy" James
Try: Robbie Bell
Penalty: Robbie Bell
Conversion: Robbie Bell
We met this team last week at Tregenza and drew (5 v 5), however after a
promising start this week with a try from Robbie Bell (ghosting through a hole)
the wheels fell right off. If we made the most of the chances we created, the
game would have been very different. Instead, typical of all senior OC teams
this week, we missed our opportunities. The first-up tackling was woeful and our
idea of rucking appears to be to tap the nice young man on the shoulder and ask
if he wouldn't mind stepping away for a bit. The scrums were good in the first
half but deteriorated as the game wound down. Could it be a fitness issue?
Robbie Bell and Lawrence Hartney played well, and Fuzzy played a great game; his
first at lock.
WOMEN
Port Adelaide/Burnside 57 v Old Collegians 0 at Port Adelaide
Best Player: Lauren Eayton
Another hard game for our girls against the well organised and experienced Port
Adelaide/Burnside. While the scoreline was clearly a thrashing, it was less of a
thrashing than last time and OCs did have some significant absences due to
injury etc. An excellent first game from Laurel (best on ground, in fact) who
looked like a seasoned campaigner despite it being her first game. The OC girls
looked likely to score a few times but somehow managed to cock it right up on
each occasion. They're heading in the right direction but have plenty of room
for improvement. The whole team needs to lift its work-rate and commit to the
contact point. Gently caressing the opposition at the ruck and maul doesn't get
you anywhere.
U16s - Old Collegians 97, Northern Districts 0.
In what can only be described as a try feast, the team in its first game
of the season put in a crushing win against a demoralised and weak
opposition which was looking forward to the end of the game about 5 minutes
in. With a total of 15 tries and 11 conversions, (7 tries scored in the
first half) it was clearly a massive performance and one which will stand us
in good stead in terms of premiership points later in the year.
What was particularly pleasing was the dominance of the backs and the
number of set piece plays which resulted in tries with particularly strong
performances by Laurendi (4 tries) and Sambanis (3 tries) with Macklin also
scoring 3 tries and dominating play from the number 9 position. The backs
led by Norman Tuimaseve were very strong. One issue remains that the backs
are scoring tries sometimes leaving the support players too far behind to
help in the event of tougher tackling by better oppositions. This needs to
be addressed before we meet more competitive opposition.
Some terrific tackling and running by Terry Wilkinson who is one of the
smaller players.
The team recognises that the test for it is yet to come following a bye
this coming week and then Vikings and shortly after Onkas and Brighton.
Having said that, the morale and attitude is very strong. This team will not
be easily beaten.
Best players; Macklin, Sambanis, Tuimaseve, Laurendi, Wilkinson.
Tries to Laurendi (4) Macklin (3), Sambanis (3) Linder-Patton (2)
Armstrong, Barrett, Hopkinson and Tuimaseve."
U14s - Old Collegians 21 v NEDS 20
The Old Colls U14 season came alive on Saturday when the team took the
game to NEDS from the first whistle. Solid defence in the middle turned into
explosive attack when Hodgson at fly half stepped through a handful of
tackles before being brought down well into the opposition half. Subsequent
support turned into self belief when Macklin carved the defence to score a
fine try.
NEDS came back hard and played to their strength, moving the ball at
every opportunity to the colossal inside center but again magnificent
tackling saw no way through until the opposition took advantage of a blood
injury which left Old Colls with only 14 men on the field. NEDS were awarded
a penalty and went over to take the lead.
Old Colls responded from the restart with some magnificent pressure by
the forwards resulting in a penalty deep in NEDS half. A quick tap by
Hodgson saw him weave through the defence and touch down in the corner with
Old Colls going into half time 10-14.
The second half saw the hours of training put into practice with Old
Colls completely dominating every aspect of the game. The forwards combined
as a complete unit both in the set and loose play and up to six phases of
pick and driving saw Andrews powering over to take the lead early in the
second half.
With Old Colls camped in the opposition half a tactical up and under saw
Trantor collect the ball at pace and glide over for the try of the match,
extending their well deserved lead.
With 30 seconds left, another NEDS penalty saw their strength at inside
centre make 25 meters and the opposition forwards went over close to the
posts. The last kick of the game resulted in a 21-20 win for NEDS. After
completely dominating the second half, going down by one point was certainly
a bitter pill to swallow but this was a fine team performance with much to
look forward to for the rest of the season.
Tries ; Macklin, Hodgson, Andrews, Trantor
U12s: NEDs(25) v OCs(17) at Tregenza
Tries: Rick Wilkinson(2), Hudson Pitt(1).
Conversions: Cameron Andrews(1)
Highlights: Winning the second half with great spirit and Grayson Jones’s
strong tackle driving the NEDs player back over a metre.
This was a match in 2 halves. The first saw Neds run in 4 tries, while
Lachlan Pridham went for a run and passed to Rick who outran NEDS down the
far wing to score a try, making it 20 to 5 in favour of Neds at half time.
George Wells did some excellent tackles on the wing. Luke Howes also did
well considering he had been sick for over a week. Neds have some tall fast
backs. Unfortunately, one of their lads (whom we had talked about at the
start) is also very agile and took a quick tap from a penalty and dodged and
weaved through 6 of our players to score one of their tries. Looks like
there might be some more tackling practice coming up.
In the second half, with a few positional changes, the boys looked much
more inspired. It was great having a versatile player like Nick Litchfield,
who happily was able to play a number of positions, wherever we needed him.
Hudson picked up a loose ball in defence and made a long run down the field
to score under the posts. Cameron converted and later kicked downfield with
Rick overtaking their winger, picking up the ball on the run and outrunning
the defence to score a diving try down the wing. NEDS again caught us
napping with a scrum close to our line and made a scoring blind side break.
We outscored Neds by 12 to 5 in the second half.
So again this showed that we have the potential to beat NEDs and they
caught us sleeping in the first half. Two of the NEDs tries were very soft,
coming from missed tackles, lack of communication and a lack of
concentration. Those two lapses ultimately cost us the game. Perhaps we did
not press home our forward strength to advantage as well as we wanted to do
either. There were some great tackles though too. I was really pleased with
the fighting spirit showed by the lads in the second half. Finally, we need
to work on our defensive aggression. When they score a try we double our
efforts and score two more. When they get the ball we apply pressure,
cutting down their time and space, and regain possession.
Good luck to all those players(7) playing in the U12 State squad Black
Falcon curtain raiser games.
... Tony Wilkinson
17th May 2008
U16 39 v Southern Suburbs 0.
A strong performance particularly in the first half. The scrum was better
with particularly good work done by two of the big men in the front row,
Blackall (2 tries) and Verlato who consistently broke the advantage line of
Souths. The backs engaged in strong set piece plays which often led to the
scoring of tries with one of the two members of the Samoan phalanx Norman
Tuimaseve dominating play in the number 10 position. This created
opportunities for Macklin (2 tries) and Sambanis (2 tries). The team played
in a manner such that the Souths backs could not get clean ball and were
constantly unsettled.
Best players; Macklin, Sambanis, Blackall, Verlato and Tuimaseve.
Tries to Macklin (2), Blackall (2), Sambanis (2) and Eames.
... Michael Barrett
U14 0 v Souths 54 at Bailey
After a hard game against Burnside last week, the coaching staff
approached the game against Souths with much anticipation. Sadly, the
conditions were more typical of Northern Hemisphere rugby with a slippery
surface and a ball that resembled a bar of soap. Our forwards worked hard in
the first half with the wind and rain in their faces but in spite of our
best efforts, we remained pinned in our own half with no way of escape.
There was some stout defense but too often we were unable to maintain our
alignment and Souths' excellent backs carved us apart, taking advantage of
the conditions
Our commitment to the tackle and our hunger for the ball let us down too
often in the second half. We were too slow to the breakdown and the
avalanche that was Souths' total domination eventually overwhelmed our
defenses.
Encouraging was our performance in the lineout and our scrum was rock
solid. We have to transfer this to the rest of our game.
I am confident that we have the ability to be more competitive and I am
sure that as the season progresses our team work, comittment, fitness and
understanding of the game will improve.
Best on ground were Andrew Smith, Tom Litchfield, Harry Trantor for their
work rate and Alex Imber for his solid defence.
... Simon Macklin
U12 25 v Souths 26 at Bailey
This was an excellent match and was ours for the taking. We were down 10
to 21 at half time and effectively won the second half 15 to 5. It was very
exciting for the spectators. What was even more remarkable was we played
with 13 players for the first half with no subs and had one sub after half
time. On the evidence, this would suggest that having one more player,
potentially made a 21 point difference (keep in mind we lost by a single
point)! Imagine what could have been had we the 18 players that I was
expecting.
Fortunately, Souths wanted to play with 13 players even though they had
19 at the game. Ostensibly, they had 5 or 6 players that were new to the
game and didn’t want them all on at the same time. Tactically that worked
in their favour. Their strength was a single small but agile centre player,
Save (pronounced Savee) who was very smart (he scored 3 of their 4 tries).
By dropping the 2 flankers off the scrum, their inside backs could get the
ball out to him without much pressure. Souths had subs and we didn’t so
our players got pretty tired, and consequently we didn’t make as good
decisions at times. Some of our player's fitness was tested. Nevertheless,
we outscored Souths by 5 tries to 4 and they converted 3 times to our nil
(although 1 hit the cross bar…doh). Imagine what could have been had we
converted at 20%? Admittedly, most of our tries were scored out wide.
Tries: Rick Wilkinson(2), Cameron Andrews(2), Dexter Duckett(1).
Highlights: Dexter Duckett’s try was a ‘ripper- real guts to keep
going and reach out and put it down’ - AB; second half come back when all
were tired; Danny Towill and Isaac Taylor found their legs with some long
runs down the wings. Connor Braidwood & Steve Whipp did a great job in
the scrum when they were thrown into 2nd row. Andrew Ascough was another
young player who was able to adapt to playing multiple positions, wherever
we needed him.
Overall, we will learn valuable lessons from this match. Congratulations
to Souths and it was a game we could have won IF…so let us make sure we
don’t leave anyone wondering again!
... Tony Wilkinson
10th May 2008
U16 Old Collegians 50 v Burnside 7.
In the first match of the season, a very strong team performance with 8
tries including 3 to our debut Full Back Vince Laurendi. This was a strong
first performance following the successful sevens campaign. The first half
was marred by some handling errors caused by the very fast aggressive
approach to the game adopted by the team. More work needs to be done by the
forward pack on its scrummaging but the signs are very promising given the
size of the front row. Very good performance by the backs.
Best players; Macklin, Laurendi.
Tries to Java Posala, Sambanis, Blackall, Linder-Patton, Laurendi (3) and
Macklin."
U14 v Burnside A at Burnside
Final Score OC 7 Burnside 76
Scorer for OC: Alex Imber Conversion: Chris Hodgson.
Sadly, our first game of the season saw us take on a very powerful and
well organised Burnside pack with a back division to boot. The final score
did not do us justice and there was some excellent defense all round.
Tackling let us down on occasions and allowed the score to blow out. The
second half saw us have more territory and possession but we were unable to
break the organisation that Burnside were able to create.
Nevertheless, there is plenty of hope for the season and lots of good
work to build on. First games for a number of players: Lloyd Allison, Jarrod
Barton, Harry Trantor, Will McLachlan and Sean Gilligan. Well done!
Pick of the day were Harry Trantor, Andrew Smith, Sean Gilligan and Nick
Lanchester in the forwards and Ollie L-P in the backs. Tom Litchfield, Peter
Cowen and Nick Howlett also did well.
... Simon Macklin
U12 game against Burnside A at Parkinson
We had an excellent turnout at training and 17 players took the field
(literally). We scored 9 tries (Rick(2), Lachlan(2), Cameron(2), Digby(2), and
Isaac) and a conversion to win 47 to nil.
Amos had to take the field in his t-shirt because none of the u12 shirts
were big enough for him! Cameron was captain this week and had a brilliant
game. Abraham was focused and had some good runs and shared the hooker
position with Grayson, who also made some good tackles.
After a quiet start, Dexter warmed to the task and seemed to come up with
the ball all over the place. New player Connor Braidwood got hold of the
ball a few times too, running and linking up well with team mates. Another
new player to the club, Steve Whipp, was hard at the ball and I think we can
expect a good season from him.
Surprisingly, I don't think we won any lineouts so that is something we need
to work on. The backs need to keep their lines in position a little better
too, so that when the ball does come out we can quickly spin it out along
the line. What was pleasing was that we retained possession well as a team
and there were very few ball handling errors. On the 2 or 3 occasions that
the opposition got the ball out to their backs, Rick and Cameron were there
with crunching tackles stopping them from even making the gain line. The
game was played fairly and in good spirit.
Once however, when Nathan was charging along with the ball, I even think the
referee may have given a penalty against us because he was worried about
Burnside getting steam-rolled! It is a bit unfair to single out good players
because the whole team played such a great game for the season opener. The
scary thing is ...I think there is a lot more improvement to come in this
team.
... Tony Wilkinson
U10s Old Collegians 1 v U10 Burnside 13
Scorer: Sebastian Thompson
A game of two very different halves. The OC team looked a bit
shell-shocked in the first half, due to the pressure from the bigger, more
aggressive Burnside team, resulting in most of Burnside's score being
recorded by half time. OC showed just how much potential they have with a
much more spirited commitment to the contest after half time, resulting in
an early try to Sebastian, which was the result of some very good teamwork
and support being finished off with some individual flair in crossing the
line. Most pleasing, was the strong tackling and the way that they fought to
maintain possession of the ball. In fact OC had the better of the play in
the second half, both in territory and possession without quite getting the
score on the board. Every member of the team made valuable contributions
throughout the contest, some of which were outstanding. Whilst some
individual efforts were really special, the 'whole team' performance was
especially worthy of praise, particularly in the second half.
... Tim Wall Team Assistant Coach / Manager
Saturday 3rd May
U12 trial Games at Waite
16 Players came out for the trial games. It was great to have an
opportunity to play 3 other teams (Burnside, Vikings and Souths)-15 minutes
each.
The first game we lost narrowly to Burnside (a combination of their two
u12 teams), 2 tries to 1. Both Burnside tries were breakaways (same player)
down the blind wing, so we held our own well. Second game against Vikings we
ran in about 6 or 7 tries in 15 minutes and Vikings had to borrow players to
make up the numbers. Notably Nathan Illic (1st 15-a-side game) scored his
first try and all players played well. In the third game, Souths narrowly
won 2 tries to 1 and we only played with 13 because Souths were short of
players.
Again they had a couple of quick players who made long breaks. In this game
however, we had moved a lot of players around, many playing in positions
they have never played before and most of our newer players were on for most
of the game.
Thankyou to the players for being willing to be flexible. Overall we did
well and the State coach complimented us on how well the boys played.
Afterwards I watched Onkaparinga, NEDs and Brighton play each other and they
are probably the top three teams in that order. Having said that, I don't
think any of them are unbeatable.
Congratulations to the following players for being selected in the
u12/Primary schools State squad: Lachlan Pridham, Digby Sever, Nathan Illic,
Cameron Andrews, Hudson Pitt and Rick Wilkinson. There is still opportunity
for players to move into the squad, if they play well in matches.
... Tony Wilkinson
| 