CAS Round 3 Vs Cranbrook – 1st XV Match Report
Waverley College made the short trip to Rose Bay to take on the neighbouring Cranbrook School in Round 3 of the CAS Competition. The conditions were abysmal with plenty of rain in the week leading into the fixture, creating extremely sloppy conditions on the playing field.
Waverley kicked off and, on securing early possession, made their intentions clear to keep the ball in hand. Cranbrook defended well and managed to counter very effectively once they had their hands on the ball. This eventually led the home side scoring the first try of the match following some strong work by the Cranbrook Hooker near the ruck.
Waverley hit back soon after with some impressive running from Dane Towns who linked up nicely with Tino Jahnke-Tavana. Tino kicked the ball through and Solomon Tuqiri was first to get there, to score an entertaining try, which breathed some life into the match.
The kicking game from both sides was very important given the conditions. Caleb Sinclair-Harris and Dane Towns did great jobs getting Waverley out of trouble and putting the Double V into attacking positions. While both teams had their chances, the scores remained level for a majority of the first half.
In the dying minutes of the first half, Sinclair-Harris was able to put Dane Towns in space out wide. Towns drew in three defenders and at the same time found a charging Jonti Morshead-Feildel who raced away to score in the corner.
Down to the final play in the first half, Sinclair-Harris planted the ball deep in the Cranbrook half. A charge down from Waverley’s big No 8 Noah Tofaeono would see the ball land in the hands of Tuqiri who scored his second try under the sticks. At halftime, Waverley led 19 to 7.
The Waves started the half well with some strong work from Tom Martin, AJ Preketes, Ethan Halatokoua and Charlie Alexander who all tried to build momentum for the Double V. Ky Pule and Ben Finegan also had some excellent carries.
A clever dart from Tuqiri off the back of the ruck found some scattered Cranbrook defence. Tuqiri was able to offload to Cooper Stynes who threw a great pass to Noah Toefaono. Noah charged down the field to score a well-deserved try. Waverley now up 26-7 but with plenty of time remaining on the clock.
Waverley’s discipline started to let them down and soon they were reduced to 14 men. Cranbrook capitalised on this with a driving maul which resulted in a penalty try following an infringement for collapsing.
Handling errors were starting to increase in frequency. While holding a lead, this seemed to frustrate the Double V. The home crowd also did start to come into play and the momentum shifted to Cranbrook. The Cranbrook openside flanker capitalised on this momentum by going over to collect a try. Only 5 points now separated the two sides. The excitement of schoolboy rugby!
Cranbrook continued to build more and more pressure. More poor discipline hurt Waverley and gave Cranbrook an easy ride up field. Cranbrook shifted the ball to the left edge and a try was scored in the corner. The conversion from the sideline was missed. The scores were now level at 26-26.
Five minutes remained on the clock as Waverley kicked off. The Cranbrook flanker knocked the ball on and this gave Waverley a huge opportunity to edge back in front. Unfortunately, the handling errors continued and really hurt Waverley at the end. The full-time whistle was blown and the crowd went silent. 26-26 draw.
Congratulations to both sides for an entertaining fixture. All spectators from both schools were certainly on the edge of their seats for the entire match. The game did bring plenty excitement to a dull day – well done to all players involved.
Around the Grounds
As a result of the wet weather, a majority of the fixtures were cancelled for the day due to the ground conditions. We did have the 2nd XV match as the only other match to be played against Cranbrook. The 2nd XV just went down by a point in a very close encounter. As well as this match, we did have a number of the 14s and 13s teams who travelled to play Oakhill. We thank all the players and parents who made the long journey out to Castle Hill.
It was disappointing to receive reports regarding a number of players in the 14s age group failing to attend the fixtures at Oakhill without notice. Thank you to those players and parents who did reach out to notify the College that they were unwell (providing the required medical certificate). Rugby is a team sport and not only is it disappointing for the playing group when teams are left short, but it also negatively impacts the opposition team and spectators.
Upcoming Schedule
Please note that this weekend, Waverley College will play CAS Round 4 against Barker College. This will be a special occasion at Queens Park as it will be Indigenous Round. It would be great to have plenty of spectators to support this special event.
Our teams in the 14s and 15s will be playing away (Hornsby) while our 13s, 16s and Opens will be playing at Queens Park. Barker College do not match up with all our teams, so a number of teams will be playing a variety of schools. For those playing at Hornsby, please allow plenty of time to travel as the traffic can be extremely busy on Saturdays.
Next week will be the final week of training for the winter sport season. Players are all expected to attend the final sessions in the lead into our final match of the year against Trinity Grammar School.
As a note, our 14s and 15s age groups will be playing at Summer Hill, while our 13s, 16s and Opens will have their final match at Queens Park.
Track & Field
Following the winter season, we would certainly encourage and love to see all rugby players involved in the Track & Field team. Led by Mr Jeremy Roff, it is an exciting team in which to be involved, and there are certainly events for students of all shapes and sizes.
Queens Park Canteen and BBQ Support
The Rugby Supporters’ Club are looking for any parents, carers and friends of students in the 13s, 16s and Opens age groups who would be able to assist on the canteen and BBQ over the final two Saturdays of the season. Any support, even for a period of one hour, would be very much appreciated.
>>> Click here to register your interest on the 2022 online roster.
Rugby Presentation Night Tickets Now on Sale
Tickets are now on sale for the Rugby Presentation Night.
When: Friday, 19 August, 6pm
Where: Eastern Suburbs Rugby Club
Tickets: Adults $30, students $20 (includes entry and a meal. Drinks can be purchased from the bar).
Ticket purchase: >>> Click here to purchase tickets.
It will be a terrific opportunity for players and families to come together to celebrate the season. We look forward to seeing you there.
Good luck to all teams this weekend.
WAVERLEY TO WIN!
Mr John McCoy
Convenor of Rugby
E: jmccoy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
