From the Convenor of Rugby, John McCoy
1st XV Match Report – Waverley College Vs St Aloysius’ College
The 2017 CAS Season had arrived! For the first time in a number of years, the competition had been reduced back to the five round format. Round 1 saw Waverley College hosting St Aloysius’ College at Queens Park in drizzling rain. Following some pleasant weekends of warm weather, it was clear that winter was in the air.
The match started with some nervous moments for both teams as passes were pushed and the ball seemed to hit the deck frequently. It was the Aloysius’ team to post the opening points of the match as the visitors elected to take a penalty in front.
Waverley were quick to hit back through the efforts of Phoenix Baldwin who crossed for a try on the left edge of the field. The score held at 7-3 for some time as both teams fought hard for territory. To the credit of the St Aloysius’ side, they were very effective in locking up the ball and slowing down momentum at the breakdown, which seemed to frustrate the Waverley side.
Finn Wright was the next to score for Waverley as he broke clear 22 metres out and was always going to be hard for any defender to take down. Waverley were now up 14-3. Once again, the scoreline held this position for a good chunk of the half with some scrappy ball handling, due to the light rains over QP1. After securing a high percentage of possession, the visitors again elected to take the points on the stroke of halftime. When the whistle blew, the score was 14-6 and it was still anybody’s game.
Within the first minute after the break, Waverley were cut to 14 men following a show of poor discipline at the kick off. This, while disappointing, was a wakeup call that Waverley needed to switch them into gear. Luca Moretti and Liam Cornish really led the way with some impressive charges up field.
Finn Wright was again able to break clear, as he went in for his second try of the match. The other Finn, Finn O’Sullivan, was the next to get on the score sheet as he found a gap near the line from a cheeky pass off Marco Bell. The momentum was well and truly with the Waves as the possession mounted for the Double V.
The next to score was the skipper, Ben Donaldson who strolled over the line for the easiest of tries. On the back of a strong run by Ben Howard down the right wing, Will McCormick was the next to find space and provided a nice pop pass to Marco Bell who touched down.
St Aloysius’ had their chances to score, but Waverley’s defensive line stood strong. This was a pleasing aspect in a game which was not the most attractive to watch. As the skies grew darker over Queens Park, the match still had some life in it. Will Johnston found space down the left edge and offloaded to Harry Whiteman who raced away. With the fullback to beat, he put Captain Donaldson over for his second try.
This sealed the match, 47-6, in favour of the home side. While it was a comfortable win for Waverley, there is still plenty of improvement moving forward. The Double V will now enjoy a well-deserved rest over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, before taking on Cranbrook at Queens Park in Round 2 of the CAS Competition.
Around the Grounds
Waverley College had a pleasing day against St Aloysius’ College, winning 11 out of the 12 matches played against our northern rivals. This was a great start to the CAS competition.
The 2nd XV enjoyed a similar scoreline to the 1st XV, winning 47-3. The wingers, Jacob Tomasiello and Hugh France scored entertaining tries, as did Luca Martin who was shifted from fullback to fly half. Josh Weinstein, Daniel Szabo, Billy Cam and Hunter Doyle all had strong games in the pack. The 3rd XV had a terrific 40-0 win as did the 4th XV who won 29-0 with Brendan Morrisey scoring twice. Unfortunately, both the 3rd XV and 4th XV victories were marred by injuries to Joseph Wightwick and Patrick Cocks. We wish these two players all the best for a speedy recovery.
The 16As had a good start to CAS winning 5-0. Max Johnson played well as did Patrick Kite at the back. The 16Bs held on strong in the first half against a very well drilled St Joseph’s team. Joeys eventually ran away with the win, but the Waverley side hung in for the duration. The 16Cs had a nice 28-0 win against the Aloysius’ 16B team. Harvey Williams and Darcy Mullins were simply brilliant. The 16Ds had a solid 17-5 win over the Scots 16Fs. The defence was amazing, with all members of the side holding out Scots from scoring a number of times. Stand outs were Stephen Davies, Logan Ryan, Alistair Alston and Nick Bosnar.
The 15As went so close, going down 15-12 right on the bell when a penalty conversion was taken by the Aloysius’ side. The 15Bs Won 14-7 vs Knox at Knox. The mighty Bs showed so much character, holding the score to 0-0 at halftime after playing a majority of the first half in their own half. They manage to score 2 tries to 1 in the second stanza. Well done boys! The 15C/Ds also had a very impressive win against the St Aloysius’ College 15Bs. Hugh Johnson and Zac Wotherspoon were tremendous.
Alex Elder along with Joel Caltagirone-Pantano were the pick of the players in the 14As 49-0 win at College Oval. Unfortunately, the 14Bs were short on players at Knox and went down 18-0. A reminder that all players need to check the Team App to monitor any late team changes. The 14Cs travelled to Joeys and came up against a quality side. Hayden Walker suffered a head injury during this match, and we wish him all the best for a quick recovery. The 14Ds had a fantastic victory against the St Aloysius’ 14Bs in the early hours of the morning at Willoughby. Sam Markert put in another wonderful effort for his team.
The St Aloysius’ 13A side tried really hard and were able to go in for one try, but the Waverley side proved to be too classy on the day. The 13Bs had a very tight 19-14 win against Knox Grammar. The 13Cs played against St Joseph’s College and, despite strong efforts from Cooper Stynes and Charlie Winklemeir, went down 3 tries to 1. The 13Ds just managed to get over the line, defeating the St Aloysius’ 13Bs 17-12. The 13Es travelled across to Newington where they just went down by 4 tries to 2, and the 13Fs match was unfortunately cancelled late in the week. Thank you to those players and parents who still turned up to support the day.
No Sport – Queen’s Birthday Weekend
A reminder to all player and parents that this coming weekend, there will be no school sport. Players (and parents!) should rest up this weekend ahead of the final fixture of Term 2 which is against our neighbours, The Cranbrook School, on Saturday 17th June.
In saying this, a number of Waverley College students will be involved in the State Championships at various venues across NSW. We wish all our boys and the various club teams all the very best for an enjoyable and safe weekend.
Team App – Late Announcements
From time to time, players can unfortunately be ruled out late in the week which can force changes to team lists. All players and parents are encouraged to download the Waverley Rugby Team App from the App Store (simply search and download the free “Team App” by Team Mates). The Team App contains frequently updated information around team lists which are found under, “Team Selection”. Simply click on your son’s age group, and all the team lists in each age groups will appear. Late changes will be noted at the top each age group, usually on Friday evening and/or Saturday afternoon.
Waverley College Rugby Supporter Group – Announcements
The Waverley College Rugby Supporter Group will be holding a meeting on Wednesday 14th June at 7pm in the Queens Park Pavilion. This meeting will look at arrangements for the remaining CAS matches (at Queens Park) as well as preparation for the Rugby Presentation Night. All parents and friends – new or old – are very welcome to attend.
Further to this, the Supporters Group is looking for assistance on the Saturday BBQ and in the canteen during the remaining home games:
- Saturday 17th June Vs Cranbrook
- Saturday 5th August Vs Knox Grammar School
More information will be sent out via email to let you know how you might be able to assist. Any parents interested and willing to help on either of the above dates are asked to contact Supporter Group President, Mr Darren Ellis (Darren@ellisplumbing.com.au).
I wish all players and parents the best for a restful Queens Birthday weekend!
WAVERLEY TO WIN!
