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I wandered down to the foreshore on Saturday, to watch Nedlands take on Palmyra on an overcast but thankfully very still afternoon. Great conditions for the game that strangely had a player from both sides look very tentative as they ran on. A Neddies centre was replaced in the first minute and the Pally #8 complained to the bench as he ran out but on he stayed even though he took no further part in the game!
Anyway, onto the frenetic pace of a well organised Neddies unit for the first 10 minutes facilitated by the exemplary service of the 9, a certain Mr. Prior I believe; which resulted in their opening score from a great display of disciplined hit up’s & retention, utilising the scrum half service to find either a runner or the playmaker in a fairly clinical display of continuity and ball starvation for Pally.
The first quarter saw the possession stats all Nedlands. However, whilst the coaching staff would have been content with execution, they would have been fuming at the number of turnovers conceded from a simple lack of protection in the breakdown, albeit won back only a phase or two later … but it did wear the Pally pack down, all seven of them.
Penalties were then exchanged by both sides as the frustration of possession lost turned into more cynical attempts to recover it. Pally’s only outbreaks were from an interception or similar which was never going to amount to five pointers with a young pacy backline to cover the home side’s clubhouse corner. One amusing call from the Pally winger was for a wide play as he described his opposite number as a ‘mismatch’. It was most certainly was, his opposite number was bigger, stronger and faster and proved as much on several occasions in the first half.
The stats for turnovers were creeping up as the last 10 minutes of the first half were played between the 10m lines with tackled players placing the ball back immediately, taking no time at all to allow their support to get there or cover the poacher. If you have a split second to hold the ball safe in possession, use it. Why place straight into the grasp and reach of the opposition in a contest, hold on to it and put it back there when you’re ready.
One clear voice at the half time break, whilst the score was at 13 – 9 to the home side, was that of the away side coach, making some big calls on his players and asking for active participation at the breakdown. Yet that big fella remained on the pitch having taken next to no part in proceedings up to now. Pally’s challenge was made all the more harder with the second half starting with the same robust sequences from the Nedplay runners and playmaker, albeit this time orchestrated a little more by the playmaker and less so by the replacement scrum half, who may have a great teacher and mentor, but also needs to use him. A visible windup to passing with inconsistent accuracy and the clinical-ness had gone, so might have his confidence having been given the kicking duties and missing a penalty from the 22 as well.
The sense in the Neddies pack took over and from the first lineout of the half, down in clubhouse corner and they took the game by the scruff … and drove over for the second try. The new kid then got his confidence back by slotting a much more difficult conversion! Ten minutes later and an exact same opportunity arose and this Nedplay worked again, this time with a 12 man drive and so did the young half with another wide conversion.
Not wanting the gap to widen further Pally made a huge and immediate challenge to those repetitive Nedplays, by pressuring the half back combination around the fringes and with some inadequate clearances it finally told as the Pally winger returned one such clearance attempt by running straight through the Neddies back line to score right by the posts. Perhaps it wasn’t going to be all Nedplay all day.
Continuing into the last quarter was the ever increasing turnover count from both teams, no real errors or spills just that protection that was completely absent almost as much as the #8. Only now, the recovery attempts were getting seen a little clearer and as Pally lost out somewhat more than the home side, the yellow card appeared which was duly taken advantage of. A scrum selection for the ensuing penalty and the defence stretched too far, Nedlands secured the bonus point with try number four with some simple hands in the midfield.
A try each in the last ten of the game; for the Pally winger going over and taking two Neddies backs with him, both of them too high and too weak; and then a last minute score for the completely knackered and stretched defence allowing the home side to take the score to a resultant 41-21 and a rather large cup to be held aloft.
Yes the Nedplays were effective and efficient and it’s got them to a significant ladder position, but if they continue with that level of turnover someone will use that possession … conversely with the potential of those youngsters coming in they should hold that ladder position through the back nine, especially if they amass 40 points in this game.
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