Baysie host Wanneroo

I went up to Morley on Saturday to watch the very proud Perth Bayswater play host to a resurgent Wanneroo on ANZAC weekend. Once through the traffic, I arrived just as the teams were running out, Baysie players each taking a junior through the tunnel out to the pitch and each junior looked pretty well excited at running through the noise.
What then followed was probably what makes Perth that proud, both 1XV and 2XV teams lined up opposite each other whilst the address was read out for the ANZACs followed by the Last Post – played by one of the juniors. Not only did the kid complete the Last Post very respectfully, but after the pause played the Reveille as well; some very proud parents would have been watching whilst the whole ceremony was very well respected.

Next up was the beef n gravy rolls that the kitchen serves up, an absolute winner across the whole club competition and I struggle to believe that another club that can put on a more wholesome, flavoursome takeaway.

Right, the game, that’s what I was there for … both teams started with charges of exuberance only for Wanneroo to concede one of many turnovers at the breakdown that was to see possession change hands too many times throughout the game. A cheeky step and some acceleration saw the Baysie halfback take flight for the length of the pitch to score under the posts to give the home side the confidence that they could take on the Roo Dogs.

Both sides starting their kicking game early with box kicks going up and territory searches seeing the game move from end to end, with penalties being exchanged for breakdown technicalities in a battle for possession and continuity. The stop start nature of the first half at a root cause was due to both teams being guilty of inaccuracies of passing, the simplest of skills to practise that prevents team mates from slowing to collect a pass behind them or round their ankles.

Heading towards the break, the Roo dogs strung together some good, disciplined phase play to stretch the Baysie line and again the inevitable penalty was the outcome. Once in touch and another clean line out from the dogs gives them front foot possession and a little more time than previous plays to execute a basic ‘Rangy’ with the centre going through the midfield untouched. A simple case of making it count when it’s good ball.

Wanneroo started the second half in the same manner to which the finished the first, with effective pod work drawing in the D before going wide break the gain line, on numerous occasions but a score in the opening minutes of the half saw patience and structure rewarded. That structure included some hard work to get ‘round the corner’ by the Dogs pack and frequently led to a numerical advantage wider out. In basic terms, this was due to some over commitment in the breakdown by the Baysie forwards, making it difficult for themselves to provide cover, to match the numbers.

Bayise’s set piece was a strength for most of the game, in taking the upper hand in scrums and holding all their own ball from the touchline, however now in the last quarter both seemed to reduce in cleanliness, the Roo Dogs now challenging the throw ins and their 8 picking to feed if the scrum went backwards, to reassert the run of play quickly before any front row celebrations even begins.

Tenaciously, the men in black fought back with some attacking play when in possession but a forward pack on a hot day needs the inertia created when jogging 30m towards a line out, not 20m back when the Roo’s 10 clears his line from a missed touch to put that line out inside the 22 with a not often seen but rather effective spiral punt.

Baysie lost touch on the scoreboard through those missed penalties in the first half, with Wanneroo punishing some ordinary play with good territory and points being the outcome of their visits to the home sides’ own zones. Standing out was the tireless Baysie blindside; taking clearance kicks, making himself available for almost every carry, being involved so much but the game management of the Wanneroo 10 was the key influence on the game, as the Dogs finished ahead 34-21.