Kalamunda Club Report, Round 1

The Kalamunda Bulls were surrounded by controversy this week leading into their first fixture against Perth Bayswater in the Rugby WA Premier competition on Saturday. Two of the three Emirates Western Force players allocated to the club were relegated to the Reserve grade as run on players due to their non appearance at club trainings during the past month. The match selection committee felt that all players in the club should adhere to club selection policies and Western Force players were no exception.

“We want to have these players in our team, however their non appearance at previous trainings and only arriving on the Thursday night prior to match unable to train, meant that we felt they would be better starting in Reserves and then coming of the bench for Premiers”, explained Head Coach Tim Kacimaiwai.

The result of this action was that only Western Force lock, Rudi Vedelago, was available to play for Kalamunda on the weekend with the other two players opting to transfer to other Perth clubs.

Overcast skies greeted the club at the Bayswater home ground which ensured excellent rugby playing conditions through out the afternoon. Kicking off first were the Midland Brick Kalamunda Colts who had a very even battle with their Bayswater opponents. With the Kalamunda team leading 5-0 at half time the lead changed several times in the second half with Bayswater taking the game in the final moments to win 17-15.

At the same time the Kalamunda Genesis Recruitment 3rd Grade were making light work of their counterparts on ground two. A combination of experienced and hardworking forwards, mixed with some young and talented backs saw Kalamunda out to a handy half time lead of 33-0. The coaching staff then made several changes in the second half to give some players experience and these players continued where their fellow team members had left off running out eventual winners 50-0.

The curtain raiser to the main game was the Reserve grade with the Kalamunda Retravision Reserves playing like demons from the kick off. Kalamunda would have been disappointed at the break being down 8-5 to Bayswater considering the amount of domination they had in the half. Again Kalamunda started well and gradually ground down the Bayswater defence with superior fitness and option taking. The last quarter of the game was then one way traffic as Kalamunda let loose with flowing rugby and rounded out the day as winners 27-15.

Prior to the main game the Kalamunda Bulls faithful had high hopes against a Bayswater team that they had outplayed in their preseason trial match. From the kick off the intensity and pace of the game was ferocious with play see sawing between 22’s as each team attacked and counter attacked.

The LJ Hooker Kalamunda Premiers were starting to achieve the upper hand gradually until starting fullback Will Hall was forced from the ground with a hamstring injury. Kalamunda were again attacking and a scruffy defensive kick from Bayswater was not fielded cleanly by Hall’s replacement allowing Bayswater to regain possession and scamper away for a try against the run of play.

The Bulls regained their composure and again strung together some promising attacking moves, only to be thwarted by their own inability to retain possession. After one scorching attack by young flanker Ben Calder the Bulls had Bayswater under severe pressure in their own 22. Conan Tutara, who was Kalamunda’s best defensive player on the day, charged down a clearing kick and then deftly tapped the ball to lock Rudi Vedelago who went under the post unopposed. The conversion was successful but Bayswater went into the second half with an 8-7 lead with the addition of a penalty at the end of the half.

The second half started off dreadfully with Kalamunda Prop and State Player, Peter Adams, suffering a broken leg in the 2nd minute of play. At this stage the Bulls were really finding out what depth they had in the club as this was now there fourth replacement of the game due to injury. The unsettling nature of the injury appeared to rattle the Kalamunda team and Bayswater took full advantage of this to post a try and convert it to go ahead 15-7.

The Bulls didn’t roll over at this stage and some inspirational play by replacement flyhalf Nicky Kaa and scrumhalf Charles Henry lifted the team again. One of Kaa’s sensational line breaks saw the Bulls again charge into Bayswater’s territory. Following the quick phase ball from the forwards, Kaa finished off the play to put the Bulls within striking distance of the lead 15-14.

Injuries finally proved to be the downfall of the Kalamunda team with No8 Brent Walker moving into the front row to cover the replacements. The Bayswater scrum then put pressure on every Kalamunda feed and eventually the strain told with Kalamunda letting in a try to take the score to 22-14 in favour of Bayswater.

The Bulls battled out to the end and their supporters could not fault them for application or commitment. The number of injuries to key players saw the game slip from their grasp but Bayswater were well deserved winners taking out the Premier game 22-14.

Best players for the Kalamunda Bulls on the day were inside centre Conan Tutara whose defensive effort was stirring, flanker Ben Calder who was in everything and replacement flyhalf Nicky Kaa who’s attacking flair was eye catching.