Thursday is gameday!

Game 1 versus Namaka Public School

By Thursday the boys knew what was ahead of them having learnt their lessons from Tuesday’s game. It was a stinking hot day, perspiration was running before they even ran onto the field.
There was a couple of surprises in the first game, we had a couple of Fijian boys from Namaka ,Lex and Bensi, adding a bit of Fijian flair in the back line and wasn’t it great to see that old warhorse Wayling donning his slippers to Referee the game.
Despite the heat, the pace was frenetic. Josuhua Fenely had a big dig through the ruck, found the ball, surprised himself in open space and bolted for the line, to be pinned up just before the line.. The Fijians were quick to throw it out to the backs with young Tom Hargreaves chasing down every run with one notable boots and all tackle to save a sure try. Ben Farrugia had very strong first half game and Angus Leck was indomitable in his tackling whilst Zachary Tales consistent clean out rucking and stealing primed him for further selection in the following games. Ed Woolcott had a sensational drive for 20 metres with all our forwards protecting him, as they should, whilst his brother Jack Woolcott was kept busy covering the fleeting Fijians. We couldn’t keep the Fijians down for long, Two quick trys by the feisty Fijians had us down 14-0 at half time.
Coach Bluey Woolcott, had the boys quickly in the shade cooling off. The forward pick and drives were starting to work well but with all the backs in the rucks, we had no backline. Bluey’s advice was to keep the backs out wide and keep the game tight in the forwards.
The second half started with bustling pressure on the Fijians, with the boys in blue lining up time and time again penetrating their defensive line up the middle. James Allo showed his fitness being on of the only forwards who played the full game in searing heat. Lachlan Bain was seen using his head, literally, to stop the biggest bloke on the field. Jordan Cahill's spirited one on one tackle on the same big Fijian fellow bought the loudest cheer from the sideline. Haydon Cook’s back row performance and reeling tackles left the Fijian’s listless in the midday sun. It was this quality in the rucks led by Tom Bruce and Joshua Fenely who played out of their skins winning the man of the match award for the game, and rewarding Tom with a fantastic pick and drive try. The Fijians came back with a late try with the final score 21-7. Bluey was proud of the boys effort and fair play on the day.

Game 2 versu Mount Saint Mary’s Public School.

We knew we were in for a big game when the whole St Mary’s team poured themselves out of a 6 seater minivan. Steve Crawford and Ted Bruce had the Namaka School kids cheering in unison for the Newport boys. It was obvious the boys had watched the previous game and listened to their erstwhile coach Peter Farrugia. Virgil Townsend’s rumbling mauling style had the Fijians quickly on the backfoot and the quick thinking Joshua Tyler’s intercept stopped a sure early try. A quick tap by Nathan Grifiths sent Kahu Andronicus on a spirited run, bringing us closer and closer to the try line. Another quick penalty tap and quick pass to Mitchell Hasler saw Mitch sprinting and bouncing off the last line of Fijian defenders to score his first try of the international series. Nathan’s quick thinking, bought a tear to the eye of the former Hornsby Great Scott Griffiths. All this time he thought smartness had skipped a couple of generations.
The persistant Dominic Allen made a strong tackle right on the sideline to loud cheers from the frenzied crowd. This put us back into their half forcing the Fijians back onto the try line. With a ruck right on their try line, the Fijians quickly threw the ball back to their fullback and our effervescent Louis Barkely’s rambunctious charge down and tackle forced the Fijians to restart at the 25 metre line. Some time later, during a line out, our effervescent forward was it again using his head this time .as forwards are known to do, in a line out, bamboozling our team with his performance and causing raucous laughter on the sideline. Our dominant #10 Daniel Channon has the Fijians spooked, every time their 5/8 receives the ball, he put’s it up in the air and sends it sideways across the paddock. Ben Farrugia is back on the ball backing up from the first game with a 1st class effort. Just before half time young Jakob Nielson scurries up the sideline putting enormous pressure on the Fijian’s, with a real referee running the game, rather than the wayward Wayling, half time is called and the boys head to their dugout, up 7-0, with their coach Peter Farrugia singing their praises. In a moment of brilliance or credulance, Peter calls for a change of game plan. Peter said “ We went out with a plan, we stuck to it, now we’ll change it and have more of a run”. This well worn journo reckons this could either be the making of Peter’s career or the breaking! Time will tell.
The second half is on and there is no holding back our halfback Nathan Griffiths. Nathan put up a strong performance during the whole game. Jake Voss ,in a stumble tackle off the ball brings down two Fijian backs in one fall, but unfortunately retires from the game with an injured ankle. Without his passing talent in the backs, surely the coach will call a change in strategy. All we hear is deafening silence from the dugout. Tom Milligans quick chase and ankle tap stops a certain Fijian try which resulted in a ruck and us winning the ball vigorously, but the boys having listened to their coach closely decide to throw the ball around with Fijian flair. Dylan Matthes, our tight head prop, is waiting out wide, gets the ball in hand, goes forward with a couple of Fijians hanging of him and what’s he do, a backhand flick pass, surely coach Peter’s brilliance will shine brightly today. The Fijians pick up the flick pass, off the boots and scurry across for a quick try, 7 all, leaving Peter’s brilliance somewhat dimmer.
From the kick off a quick ruck and we turn over the ball, with Chris Styler making long yards up the middle from the ruck. This is where the Fijians were weak, we exploited this perfectly in the 1st half. Hugo Campbell was ball hungry every time he got a sniff of that leather/plastic/nylon ball, his relentlessness at the breakdown was a delight to watch for this retired back rower. Soon after, a quick kick and the juggernaut, Joshua Tyler, has the ball in hand with a lightening fast run down the sideline sending Newport into the lead, 14-7. Soon after the kick the Fijians mounted a comeback as our boys tired with a spirited fleet footed try, levelling the game at 14 all. With a minute to go Joshua Tyler makes another quick break behind the scrum down the left wing, leaving soon to be anointed “super coach” feeling taller, only to be pinned back metres from the try line by a grappling Fijian tackle. The Fijians were back on the ball, turned it over and sent it flying out through every set of hands with a counter attack resulting in a try under the posts, showing the boys in blue how open Fijian rugby is truly played. The final score was 21-14 to St Mary’s and the final words are left for that long forgotten coach, Peter Farrugia “ Fantastic effort, structure in first half was perfect”, I asked him “If it was perfect why did you change it”, Peter quickly responded with “Don’t talk about that, talk about that 80 metre try they scored in the forwards in the 1st half.

Game 3 versus Nandi District Group

Club president Geoff Hannigan had taken over the coaching jacket, in what I thought was a very vain attempt to show up the acclaimed super coach Greg Donlan, who up until now was the only coach that had coached a winning side. The game started, with not just one but two whistle blows, some wag from the Fijian side had bought his whistle with him on the sidelines. This confused our backs, who thought the game was over and started walking of the field. Fortunately one of the brighter boys in our side spotted this, our tight head prop Jake Crawford and put an end to this, with a sterling tackle that would have taken the chrome of his father’s Subaru. It looked like the boys had a cunning game plan. I asked the coach “what’s the game plan?”, Hags said “There is no game plan!” whilst the boys were putting on a blindside move which sent Adam Hannigan across for the first try off the game, to which Hags responded, “That’s part of the plan, I sent it across telepathetically”. The first try was followed quickly by another backline move this time a switch back to Jack Donlan from Tyson who ran into a break for a 60 metre try. As the heat in the air dissipitates, Louis Wayling showed his brawny brilliance by taking the ball right up the middle with 6 Fijians hanging off him, pulling more players in and managing an offload to Adam Hannigan to score again on their blind side. Luke Matthews kept up a strong game despite being ill before running on. A valiant effort. Tom McGain’s snappy service from half back was consistent throughout the game putting pressure on the Fijians on every phase. Jordan Towns performance was trades man like, nailing the Fijians with every tackle, whilst Dylan Thompson playing in the back row, applied his trade with forceful pressure on their backs, limiting the usual Fijian flair. Will Davies straight running damaged the backs continually, he set up a cracker try with a clean pass to Conrad Hutchings who easily made it over for try #4. Corey Burns continued to show his mettle with consistent straight running of the rucks , keeping their forwards busy all day chasing him down. Tyson Damp at full back was one of the stars in the backs, each kick cleanly caught saw him running the ball up quickly gaining valuable metres whilst saving the forward’s energy. At the half time whistle we are up 28-0 and the encouragement from the coach was simple “keep doing the game plan boys”.

The game started positively, with pure aggression displayed by Konrad Hutchings setting up a ruck with a quick clean the ball passed quickly out the backs with Harry Jones placing the ball out wide superbly with his cut out pass resulting in another try by Adam Hannigan in the corner. James “lipstick” King put in a huge amount of work with his effective tackling all day long. I missed the last try, so I apologise for missing this one out, maybe one of the boys will remember and claim it, but I didn’t miss the conversion attempt, the honour of which was given to our prop Jack Slack Smith. Whilst the try was scored out wide it is tradition in Fiji to kick the goal from directly in front. Slacko lines his drop kick, gives it a good heave ho, and the crowd sighs, both linesmen called it a no goal. It looked to me like it was over, but I did overhear one of the linesmen Jim Allen, legendary 5/8 according to Eddie Wayling, say “can’t let a prop get a conversion”. Let the controversy begin.