|
COLTS
Hornsby def Briars
A hard and dreary start for the Colts. Among the positives that can be taken from the match were Briar of the Match Lawrence Wood’s outstanding performance and how good the team looked when keeping it close through picking and driving. There were some great looking lineouts and special mention must go to Cameron Smith who made metres through the middle of the park all day. While it was not the best start for the team, the whole club has no doubt that performances will get better and that this performance was a one off. The score did not reflect the hard work put in over the off season and as they always say, Saturday can’t come quick enough.
Coaches: Mark Gudmunson & Dean Peris
4th GRADE
Hornsby def Briars 15-0
Not the start we would have hoped for but the signs were positive none the less. With the addition of a couple of regular players into key positions I think we are in for another successful year. The game overall was your typical first round arm wrestle and with 15 minutes to go it could have gone either way. Ultimately what cost us in the end was our concentration and to a lesser extent our discipline, two things that we can quickly rectify. Briar of the match was Arran Coughlan. Thanks to all those who made the trek up to Hornsby, for us to have a successful year in 4th Grade we need consistency and our core players turning up every week. Congratulations to 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Grades on your deserved wins, let’s get everyone down to training a make our first home round of the year a round to remember. Finally a special thanks to the coaches, your assistance, co-operation & support was greatly appreciated.
Coach: Damien Johnson
3rd GRADE
Briars def Hornsby 10-7
Considering we had a disjointed lead-up to the game, our Colts front-row starting for us and 3 players backing up from 4s this was nothing but a great win! Our fitness, resilience and good old Briars spirit saw us defend solidly for 80% of the first half, most of that being on our line. We thankfully went to the break 0-0 - surely feeling the better over a frustrated Hornsby crew. The limited first half opportunities we had showed glimpses of a team that can really play some rugby. This was seen early in the second half when after a 'nearly' try by new recruit Snork (who scored on the 5m line), sustained pressure by the Briars saw Jack go for a well timed scoot and get our first 5 pointer of the season. A conversion by Nicholls got us out to a 7-0 lead. Only having had one proper team run a couple of days earlier showed in the second half, as when presented with a few chances we tended to lose composure and turn the ball over. We still maintained defensive pressure for the majority of the match, only letting in the 1 converted try with about 15 minutes to play. These would be the only points Hornsby could muster and with 5 minutes left in play we received a penalty in good position and Dave slotted the winning penalty.
Overall it was a great effort from all the boys with so many positives, the biggest being the 100% effort demonstrated all game. Special thanks go out to all the guys that backed up. Let's get ourselves AND our mates down to training so we can build on this win and become a force to be reckoned with in the Blunt Cup. Briar of the Match - Reuben Sinai
Coach: Daniel Wilkinson
2ND GRADE
Briars def Hornsby 27-10
The 2nds were far too good for Hornsby in the first half. The team’s dominance started from the opening whistle and was quickly rewarded with tries to Harvey Sauran and Peter Ananin, while Nathan McLachlan looked at Steve Larkham when he sliced through the Hornsby defence to stroll over the line for the 3rd try of the game. What was more pleasing than the 22-3 half time score, was the stern defence seen throughout the first half and our strong set pieces. Unfortunately, while the key goal at half time was not to let Hornsby cross the stripe, a weight of possession and some minor errors meant Hornsby were able to make the scoreboard look better than what they deserved. Briars 2nds had the final say in the game, when James Nott, who was later given the Briar of the Match award, managed to send Ananin over for his second try of the game all but ending any chance of a Hornsby revival. While the first half was encouraging, the second half showed that 2nds still have plenty to work on, as tougher obstacles await us. However, for the first game of the season it was good to see a victory put on the board, defence stand strong for most of the game, a bonus point awarded and that Paulie Mac knows how to throw a few right hooks! Hopefully not the only time the team song is heard this year!
Coach: Dean Peris
1st GRADE
Briars defeated Hornsby 41-5
After baking in the hot sun all day, 1st Grade warmed up well and were feeling good about the effort we had put in through the pre-season in fitness and skills work. From a coach’s perspective it was great to see Kerry Constanti back out on the field and enjoying himself. With our new jerseys looking impressive it was time to put it all in on the field. Briars started the game off very well with some good ball control and patience leading to a penalty which we placed in Hornsby’s corner. From the lineout that followed, we took the ball down and with small, fast feet drove the maul over with our first try of the season going to James Yates. After a couple of unforced errors from drop balls and a misread in defence, we allowed Hornsby to break our line and run away with a long distance try. The only positives to come out of this was that it was a wake up call to the Briars players and that it would be the only time the Hornsby team would cross our line in any form. The only real criticism in the game is that we showed that we are still a bit rusty and that there is a lot of improvement to come. With a half time score of 31-5 we took the foot off the pedal in the second half but showed great patience and defence which was not only impressive, but something that was not seen in Briars last year. The final score was 41-5. Briar of the Match was Lyle McLean who was outstanding around the field and kept our scrums going forward all day. 2 points went to Sean Hudson who took the ball to the line all day and 1 point went to Luke Sinai who was everywhere. A warm welcome to the new players in 1st grade in 2010- Isi 'axe' Filikitonga. Lyle McLean, James Yates and a big welcome back to Kez. A really good start to the season, next round is our first home game and will be a test against a strong Waverley outfit. This is more likely to be a true gauge of where we are at. Let’s get to training and work hard and the results will come.
Coach: Mark Gudmunson
|
