|
COLTS
Waverley defeated Briars 41-5
The colts demonstrated a lot of improvement during Saturday's game. Regrettably, some poor discipline and refereeing saw us on the wrong side of a 32-1 penalty count. As a result of this, Waverley possessed the ball for all but 8 phases throughout the game. The 41-5 result was flattering. The highlight of the game was the outstanding defensive effort in the second half. The players really worked hard in difficult circumstances and Waverley only made ground due to penalties. The great low tackling, commitment at the break down and communication between the players will bring results for them in future games if continued. When provided with an opportunity to attack, the backline easily outclassed Waverley, making excellent ground and the try scored by David was a very clear display of that. With a new game on Saturday I am really looking forward to our players being able to demonstrate their attacking skills. Special mention must go to the forwards for their efforts in defence, the boys really put in a big effort. 3 points went to Patrick Ditchfield, 2 to Emanuel Comino and 1 to Cameron Smith.
Coach: Pete Kelly
4th GRADE
Waverley defeated Briars 60-0
It goes without saying that Saturday was a tough day at the office for Briars 4th Grade. Whilst the team as a whole toiled admirably, we were totally outclassed by a Waverley side that seemingly had no weaknesses. To put the result in perspective, this Waverley team has not lost in over twenty games and realistically should not be playing in fourth grade rugby. With that said however, they are playing fourth grade and will continue to do so. If we are to feature in this season’s finals series we need to find a way to beat them and a number of other quality fourth grade outfits. In order to compete with sides like Waverley we need to focus on a few key areas. To be competitive this season we need to have numbers at training and play smart rugby. 4th Grade rugby is not about complex plays executed at break neck speeds, it’s about playing smart rugby through field position, good communication, solid defence and concentration. No side is unbeatable, if we train hard and play smart rugby the team has the talent to compete with any team in the grade. 3 Points went to Jimmy Jessup, 2 Points to Pongi and 1 Point to Christian Lombardo.
Coach: Damien Johnson
3rd GRADE
Waverley defeated Briars 22-3
Despite some disruption to our team due to missing players; we started the contest a lot stronger than Waverley. After some continued pressure we were able to open the scoring with Dave Annaninininin slotting a penalty goal. It seemed that the scrum practice we had on Thursday night was also paying dividends with dominance early on. However, as we began to tire and with only one specialist 2nd rower we lost that dominance in the 2nd half. Our failure to secure our own ball resulted in us being unable to post any further points. That said there were a lot of promising signs and some good support play. Hats off should especially go to Tom Hull and Nick Alvaro for taking on the unaccustomed roll of lineout jumping. Our defensive effort wasn't as good as last week, but ultimately we were undone by weight of possession.
All in all it was a great effort from those who played and once we start training as a WHOLE side and begin to form combinations, I have no doubt that we can seriously mount a challenge for the 3rd grade championship. Heads up guys, we're only going to improve from here and it's a long season.
Coach: Daniel Wilkinson
2ND GRADE
Waverley def Briars 10-3
There are mixed reactions after our game. There is the disappointment of losing and not really been given the opportunity to “flex our muscles” during the game, but also the satisfaction that we faced a tough, large football side and our defence held for most of the match. The attitude and commitment could not be questioned, everyone from number 1 through to 15 defended admirably. Our scrambling was in overdrive at times with the boys denying Waverly 2 certain tries through sheer desperation. Being stuck in our own 22 for most of the match drained a lot of energy and the Ref’s refusal to blow a penalty our way just made life more difficult.
One disappointment was that with a slight breeze in the second half, we didn’t really have the opportunity to play some field position and show what we could do with the ball. When we did have the ball it was slow and sloppy and we made it hard for ourselves by not controlling the ball at the back of the ruck which made life hell for Notty, Beau and Nathan. Having to play the second half with 14 men for 10 minutes didn’t help but the boys stuck at it and there is no doubt that when we face these guys again later in the season we can reverse the result. Some slight improvements in our scrum and also at the breakdown will make us a far more formidable side to deal with. We are looking forward to the game against St Ives and getting back to winning ways. Coach: Dean Peris
1st GRADE
Briars defeated Waverley 54-15
Briars’ first home game of 2010 was against Waverley and was expected to be a tough day. 1st Grade was looking to build on the momentum gained from round 1 against Hornsby and continue on their winning way. Unfortunately for the club, 1st Grade ran on without a victory on the board all day and a close loss in 2nd grade. Our preparation and warm up were good and we were ready to go. Big Kerry Costanti led the team out in his ‘welcome back to Rothwell’ day and to his surprise had to run through an AFL style sign reading ' WELCOME BACK KEZA'. The boys knew that it was going to be a physical game just from looking at the size of the Waverley team. They started the way they started last week with a drop ball off a kick off which was regathered and worked down the field with numerous phases. It was not long before Briars were on the board and although not pretty at times, the tries continued to flow through the first half. Waverley only managed a penalty goal in the first half and the whistle blew with Briars in a commanding lead of 28-3. The half time chat was all about us going through our phases and recycling the ball and trusting in our structure with good kick/chase and no 50/50 passes. It looked like a mirror image of round 1 when we took our foot off the pedal and went outside our structure and made too many unforced errors. But we continued putting phases together and the scoreboard kept ticking over. The biggest frustration for the players was the 2 tries they let in as they pride themselves on their defence. The scoreboard reading 54-15 after the final whistle was blown, kept Briars on top of the competition after 2 rounds. Although unbeaten, the team realises that they will need hard work in the upcoming weeks to continue on their way. The 3 points on the day went to fullback James Ronsisvalle, 2 points went to Jay Stephenson, and 1 point to Sean Hudson. It was great to see plenty of Old Boys and families supporting the team. We have 2 away games next against St Ives and Newport and then we’re back to Rothwell for Ladies Day on May 8th against Kings Old Boys which should be a cracker. So get down and support the Briars.Coach: Mark Gudmunson
|
