Vikings claim title in a heartland classic grand final

[mudskipper]

Saturday, 12 September 2009
Brumbies Media Unit

Christian Lealiifano and Ed Stubbs celebrate their 2009 Tooheys New John I Dent Cup victory

The Tuggeranong Vikings have scored a converted try after full time to defeat the Queanbeyan Whites 30-28 in a sensational Tooheys New John I Dent Cup grand final at Viking Park this afternoon.

The match featured a thrilling final four minutes where the lead changed hands four times and a combined 17 points scored with Tuggeranong claiming the championship on the back of a Tim Curran try and Christian Lealiifano conversion.

Despite scoring three tries to the Whites’ four, the Vikings were kept in the match through the boot of Lealiifano, who sparked a number of attacking raids, set up the Vikings first try and was awarded the Dr Bob Smethills Trophy for man of the match.

Trailing 21-20 at the 76-minute mark, Lealiifano coolly slotted a 30-metre drop goal to give his side a two-point advantage before Whites outside centre Josh Goodall stepped through to score and give his side a 27-23 lead 30 seconds later.

Tuggeranong camped themselves in the Whites quarter for the final two minutes before the weight of pressure and possession took its toll and Curran found a hole in the defensive line to tie up the scores after the siren.

Lealiifano calmly slotted the conversion to give his side a two-point win and allow the Vikings to lift the Tooheys New John I Dent Cup for the first time since 2006.

The Vikings win was made more memorable given they were forced to do it with only 14 men for the final sixty minutes after prop Sione Taula received a red card for fighting. The scuffle also saw Goodall and his opposite number, Ed Stubbs, sin binned for 10 minutes.

While the Whites were seeking their first hatrick of First Grade titles since 1981-1983, Tuggeranong started stronger when Lealiifano jinked through the defensive line before linking with Stubbs, who raced through under the posts after three minutes.

Lealiifano added the conversion and a penalty goal five minutes later.

The Whites struck back on the back of Taula’s send off when Josh Hastings hopped over the line with the Whites skipper also slicing through on half time to send Jamie Marmont on his way to the tryline and give his side a 14-10 half time lead.

The Vikings wrestled back the ascendancy 10 minutes into the second term when Stubbs crossed for his second try after toeing through a Jake Knight charge down inside the Whites quarter.

Lealiifano slotted conversion to take a 17-14 lead before he was forced to defend it five minutes later when Queanbeyan scrumhalf James Stannard charged down the left hand touchline on a 60-metre run. Appearing set to cross in the corner, Stannard was denied by an outstanding cover tackle by Lealiifano.

While Lealiifano added another penalty goal, it wasn’t enough to deter Stannard who exposed some threadbare ruck defence to score at the 67-minute mark.

The win sealed a successful afternoon for Tuggeranong who also won the Colts, Third Grade and Fourth Grade titles, while the result gave coach Glen Christini an individual premiership hatrick after coaching Queanbeyan to their last two titles before joining the Vikings for the 2009 season.

MATCH DETAILS
Tuggeranong Vikings 30 (Ed Stubbs 2; Tim Curran tries; Christian Lealiifano 3/3 conversions, 2/3 penalty goal, 1/1 drop goal) defeated Queanbeyan Whites 28 (Josh Hastings, Jamie Marmont, James Stannard, Josh Goodall tries; John Kevin 4/4 conversions, 0/1 penalty goals) at Viking Park, Wanniassa.
Referee: Brett Bowden
Half time: Queanbeyan Whites 14-10
Crowd: Approx. 3,000


2009 ACT Rugby Union Premier Division Grand Finals - Results

First Grade
Tuggeranong 30 defeated Queanbeyan 28

Reserve Grade
Western District 36 defeated Royals 17

Colts
Tuggeranong 24 defeated Uni-Norths 14

Third Grade
Tuggeranong 21 defeated Uni-Norths 12

Fourth Grade
Tuggeranong 37 defeated Western District 17

Women
Uni-Norths 12 defeated Tuggeranong 5

[Ecky]

Vikings had a very successful season - have a look at how many teams they had in the GFs

Well done to them lot.

[mudskipper]

Brawl mars rugby final

BY CHRIS DUTTON
13/09/2009 10:16:00 AM


FOR THE second week in a row an ACT rugby showcase event has been overshadowed by ugly brawling - this time involving Queanbeyan Whites and Tuggeranong Vikings supporters.

About 100 fans clashed at Viking Park yesterday with security guards and players scrambling to break up fights between opposing supporter groups on the field.

Pushing and shoving turned into punches after the Vikings scored after the siren to beat the Whites 30-28 and claim the John I. Dent Cup.

Good-natured banter erupted into violence when Vikings' supporters ran on to the ground and started singing their team song to Queanbeyan fans.

While ACT Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan did not see the altercation, he conceded it had taken the gloss off Tuggeranong's victory.

Fagan and his team will investigate the incident further tomorrow.

''Individuals are responsible for themselves,'' Fagan said.

''You can't control the actions of a few and when we've got 3000 people out here and there's a few that are foolish, there's little you can do.

''I'd like to think it's not going to detract from the other couple of thousand who were great supporters and what was a wonderful game of rugby.''


http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news...l/1622064.aspx



This isn't good guest behaviour... Queanbeyan supporters getting punchy after losing... A weekend of spectator madness at the rugby...

[laura]

Thats disgraceful, its not European soccer with brawls, molotov cocktails and fenced off seating so fans don't get near each other. Its meant to be a club rugby match! I understand fans are very passionate about their teams and don't like getting abused but brawling fans is really not what the sport needs to be associated with.

Would have been good for Whites to win, poor Chucky.