Aces overhaul Navy Canberra Vikings
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Sportal


The East Coast Aces have scored the competition's biggest upset by defeating the Canberra Vikings 35-34 in round four of the Mazda Australian Rugby Championship at Carrara Stadium.

The Aces were 28-5 behind after Canberra ran in four unconverted tries in the first-half but found some resolve in the second period with fullback Andrew Walker kicking a 37m penalty in the final minute to snatch a last-gasp victory.

The competition's leading point-scorer Matt Carraro scored the opening try after just 54 seconds and kicked six-from-seven to take his season's points tally to 56 but the Vikings couldn't stand a second-half onslaught from East Coast.

Brett Stapleton raced down the right flank to score with eight minutes remaining to cap his run-on debut with a maiden Mazda ARC try and lay the platform for Walker to kick the Aces to a vital victory.

Ben Lucas returned to the run-on side in place of Queensland Reds tyro Quade Cooper but it was the Vikings backline marshalled by excellent flyhalf Christian Lealiifano which caught the eye in the opening stages.

Canberra was in front within a minute of kick-off when Anthony Faingaa weaved through a gaping defence and dished off to Carraro to score with Faingaa turning provider for Francis Fainifo to dash around Walker and double the visitors' early advantage.

The platform for the Aces' first serious attack of the afternoon was laid by bulldozing prop Rodney Blake who almost dragged four Vikings defenders over the try line before Nic Berry and No.8 Ben Mowan finished a sweeping move.

But it was a rare foray forward and even though Vikings scrumhalf Nick Haydon was sinbinned for a professional foul with East Coast poised to score, Canberra went further ahead with two more converted tries to substitute Peter Kimlin and Faingaa.

A clean break from Adam Wallace-Harrison again caught the Aces defensive line flat, the Wallaby back-rower handing off to fullback Tim Wright with Kimlin - on as a blood replacement for Jack Vanderglas - going over.

Faingaa then extended the Vikings' lead before a Marshall Milroy score and two Walker penalties reduced the deficit to 28-18 to give the Aces a sliver of hope.

Berry didn’t reappear after half-time after icing his knee during the interval, but replacement scrumhalf Sam Batty made an instant impression when he drove over after Blake had battered the defence with two charges.

By now the Aces were just three points adrift and more than matching the visitors in an entertaining affair.

When Walker missed a straightforward penalty wildly to the right with 16 minutes remaining and Carraro added his sixth of the afternoon, it looked bleak for the East Coast but the game had one final twist.

A neat interchange between Cooper and Henari Veratau set the speedy Stapleton free and Walker added the conversion then a late penalty to hand coach John Boe a much-needed win.

East Coast Aces 35 (Ben Mowan, Marshall Milroy, Sam Batty, Brett Stapleton tries; Andrew Walker 3 conversions, 3 penalty goals) defeated Navy Canberra Vikings 34 (Matt Carraro, Francis Fainifo, Peter Kimlin, Anthony Faingaa tries; Matt Carraro 4 conversions, 2 penalty goals)