0
Flyhalf Mike Denton converted captain and prop Joe Richie's try three minutes before full time as Nedlands staged a great escape to scrape home 12-10 over Palmyra at Sir Charles Court Reserve in today's match of the round, sponsored by KWIK Crane and Transport Hire.
In a low scoring game where Neddies dominated the set pieces but suffered from uncharacteristically poor hands, both teams had long periods of trench warfare attack in the opposition's 22 and both teams defended like men possessed.
In the end Neddies' two tries to one was enough to get them over the line for the win.
Palmyra led 10-5 at half time despite Nedlands having more of the ball and better attacking opportunities but suffered from poor hands in the face of Palmyra's hyperactive defence.
There was a lot of activity with both running and kicking in the opening minutes but after nine minutes Paly won a lineout on their 22 and spun the ball wide. Paly kicked ahead and centre Maia King caught the ball on the full, passing back in to inside centre Jonny Alston as they took the ball over Neddies' 22. The pair exchanged passes again as they eluded Nedlands desperate defence and King scored beside the posts. Flyhalf Eru Hoimona slotted the sitter and the visitors took an early lead.
First Palmyra went on attack and then Nedlands bounced back, coming very close when they turned over a couple of Palmyra lineouts in Paly's 22, but the Royal Blues couldn't penetrate the visitors' swarming defence.
After 27 minutes Hoimona intercepted and sprinted clear, handing on to Alston who would have gone all the way but ref Julian Pritchard called the movement back for a forward pass.
But Palmyra stayed on attack and Hoimona kicked a simple penalty when Neddies failed to roll away from a ruck in their 22.
Nedlands were soon back up the business end and after 35 minutes from a ruck in Paly's 22, the forwards went blind and number eight Richie Naylor crashed over in the tackle for a try in the corner. Denton narrowly missed the sideline conversion but it was anyone's game at 10-5 at half time.
Palmyra opened th second spell strongly but ill discipline cost them territory. Nedlands pressured Paly in their 22 but the visitors broke out down the blind and gained an attacking lineout in Neddies' 22. Paly assaulted Nedlands' line with 12 long minutes of grinding scrums, rucks and pick and drives while their backs stood and watched, only to turn over and see the home side kick clear.
Nedlands immediately conceded a scrum penalty and Palmyra went right back to thumping away at the Royal Blues' line, but the visitors lacked coordination in their forward assaults and were well contained.
Again they lost possession and Nedlands kicked and worked downfield, Denton missing a relatively simple penalty goql after 25 minutes that would have brought the Royal Blues dangerously close.
Nedlands stayed on attack, trying their hand at the heavy forward work close to Palmyra's line but their hands let them down again, and Palmyra moved out of danger with a relieving penalty.
No sooner were Palmyra back on attack than Neddies broke out for a length of the field foray, and a movement later wing Nic Stratfield was over in the corner, only to be called back for another forward pass.
Neddies kept thumpimg away as the clock ran down and then with three minutes on the clock, Richie collected a pass from untidy play out wide and bullocked over for the try. Denton slotted the conversion as if he had been kikcing them from everywhere all day, and Neddies led for the first and only time in the game, 12-10.
There was a few minutes frantic activity before the full time whistle but without result.
In other games, second-placed premiers Cottesloe thrashed Wanneroo 35-6 at Kingsway , Associates confirmed their fourth placing with a 28-25 win over fifth-placed Kalamunda at Hartfield, a rejuvenated Wests-Subiaco moved within a point of Wanneroo when they defeated University 23-13 at Rosalie Park and Rockingham continued Perth-Bayswater's miserable season with a 39-25 win at Lark Hill.
by Rick Boyd
http://rugbywa.com.au/news/article,58511.html
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Coach
