From Convenor of Rugby, John McCoy
1st XV Match Report – CAS Round 3 – Waverley College Vs Cranbrook
The winter sport season resumed for 2018, with Waverley College travelling to Bellevue Hill to take on neighbouring opponents in Cranbrook. It was a beautiful day at Horden, with the temperatures picking up throughout the day to make it feel a little more like spring.
The track looked sensational for running rugby as the teams made their way onto the playing field. Cranbrook had finished off Term 2 on a positive note defeating Knox Grammar. Waverley just got over the line against St Aloysius in a nail biter at Willoughby. A win was definitely up for grabs for whichever team wanted it.
Lathan Hutchinson-Walters kicked off proceedings into the setting afternoon sun. Cranbrook held possession well early but a strong Waverley scrum forced a turnover. This put Waverley in good field position which led to a try under the sticks to Hutchinson-Walters.
Cranbrook kept Waverley inside their half from the kick off and were gifted with a penalty. Unfortunately, they were unable to convert this into points and Waverley were able to fight out of trouble into an attacking position. Waverley were awarded a penalty in front and Captain Molloy had no hesitation in taking the 3 points on offer.
Although holding a solid lead, Waverley still struggled to get into a rhythm, making some unforced errors which provided Cranbrook with opportunities to come back. A penalty kick into the corner gave the home side a big chance to take points off the lead. A quick shift down the left edge had the Cranbrook fullback over in the corner. At halftime, Waverley were under pressure particularly with Captain Conor Molloy, Felix Valentine and Ben Daley all forced from the field with injuries.
The second half began with a try to the home side. Some well-placed kicking had Waverley on the ropes. Cranbrook gained good territory which soon turned into points. This time the try was awarded to the Cranbrook outside centre, who put in a good individual effort down the right edge. The boys from Bellevue Hill now had their noses in front, 12 – 10.
The Double V did not panic and remained composed as the call of “Blue Heads” was raised. Waverley fought hard to get up the field where a penalty was awarded in front. Hutchinson-Walters ensured the ball went through the posts and Waverley regained the lead, 13 – 12, with 20 minutes still on the clock.
Off the kick off, Ronald Volkman somehow found a way through the Cranbrook defensive line and offloaded to Marco Moretti who backed up well on his outside. Moretti was pulled down but not without drawing another penalty to put the Waves up by another 3.
Another lapse at the kick off from the home side had Reece Thorn through a gap. Thorn dashed away like a young colt down the home straight at Royal Randwick. With the fullback to beat, Thorn managed to hit Hutchinson-Walters who touched down in the corner. Waverley were now 9 points clear with still 15 minutes on the clock.
To the credit of the home side, they continued to fight on as some big hits started to creep in towards the end of the match. Cranbrook worked their way up field and put themselves in a strong scoring position. That was until Levi Milford produced the tackle of the season, which was apparently heard by the internal tennis players during a tie break on the Birrell St courts!
Waverley did themselves no favours in closing the match, with a few errors at the back. The desperation in the Waverley defensive line was excellent with some miraculous tackles from Phoenix Baldwin, Levi Milford, Tadgh Murphy and Marco Moretti. The final trysaver from Jacob Tomasiello and Daniel Andrews in the corner epitomised the defensive effort of the Double V at the end, not allowing the Cranbrook side to cross the line. Waverley ended the game 21 – 12 in front.
Waverley now return back to Queens Park to play against Barker College. Both teams are undefeated with the winner to be crowned as the 2018 CAS Premiers. This “grand final” type of matchup will be exciting to watch with both sides possessing a tremendous amount of talent. All members of the community are encouraged to get down to QP to support what looks to be schoolboy rugby at its best!
Around the Grounds
The 2nd XV won well against Cranbrook, but it did come at a cost. Sadly, Ben Paterson who has had a tremendous season ruptured his ACL. Ben Daley also suffered a head knock and will have to finish the season prematurely. We wish both players the best and thank them for the services this season. This will no doubt present plenty of motivation for the 2nd XV this year. The 3rd XV played some entertaining rugby with Charley Howell, Max Johnson and Anthony D’Ettorre contributing really well. The 4th XV travelled to Strathfield to play against our EREA brothers at St Patrick’s. The 4th XV continued on their winning ways with Henry Bartlett running through 10 defenders to score a long range try. The 5th XV just went down in a very entertaining and competitive affair against the Cranbrook 4th XV. Ryan Jones, Nat Yarrow and Logan Ryan all played fantastic games and showed plenty of courage in taking the ball forward.
After a scrappy first half, the 16As managed to put it all together in the second stanza running away with a big win. Jordan Swann had a terrific game and ran some incredible lines to bamboozle the oppositions defensive line. The 16Bs travelled to Hunters Hill bright and early on Saturday morning. At halftime the scores were tied up at 5-5. Joeys got away in the end winning 31-5. Thanks to all those B players who raced across to Cranbrook to reserve for the 16As. The 16Cs had a competitive match also against Joeys, just going down. Thanks to all those parents who many the journey to Hunters Hill to support the boys. The 16Ds ran away with a big win against the Cranbrook 16Bs. A big thanks to 16Ds Coach Nicholas Guerrera for all his efforts this season as he departs on an overseas trip.
The 15As were classy across the park and proved too strong for Cranbrook winning 77-0. Klayton Thorn was very impressive at halfback as was Clem Halaholo who ran the ball very strongly. The 15Bs took a few minutes to get into the match but once the team clicked into gear, they ran away with it. Conor Boyd-Boland, Cameron Vakauta, Joseph Morris and Adar Barhaim played sensational games. The 15Cs met a very strong St Joseph’s side and the 15Ds enjoyed a modified sevens match against Cranbrook with a number of students away on the Red Earth Immersion.
The 14As did a little bit better than the 15As running away with an 88-5 victory. Luke Furlong and Sam Lodge did a great job in their first game in the A team. Ed Sullivan was outstanding in the 14Bs 57-0 win. The 14Cs and 14Ds played against Barker, and both teams secured a good win which is a good sign ahead of the full round against Barker this weekend. The 14Es faced up to the Cranbrook 14Cs and just went down in a tight but competitive match.
Ben Finegan was the pick of the 13As in their big victory at Woollahra. The 13Bs also won very well with Sam Johnson playing some great rugby at fly half. The 13Cs travelled to Kings and just went down by a couple of tries. Thanks to all those players and parents who made the long journey to Kings. The 13Ds and 13Es both met higher graded Cranbrook sides and managed to record exceptional wins. William Lane was a standout.
CAS Round 4 – Waverley College Vs Barker College
This is the round we have all been looking forward to! Waverley College Vs Barker College! The winner of this match will be crowned as 2018 CAS Premiers. Both teams possess a wealth of talent. When considering that both NSW and CAS were the premier state and associations this year, this fixture could potentially be considered as one of the best schoolboys matchups in Australia this year. It would be great to see a big crowd down at Queens Park this Saturday to support the Double V.
Our 13s, 16s and Opens players finally have their first CAS game at home this season, while the 14s and 15s travel to Barker. Please note that as Barker do not match up against all teams, we will be meeting a variety of opposition this round. If playing at Barker, it is important to allow plenty of time to get to Hornsby.
Waverley Rugby Presentation Night
On Friday 17 August, the Waverley College Rugby Supporters Club will be holding the annual Presentation Night. This year the event for families from Years 7-12, and will be held at Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Club (22A O’Sullivan Road, Bellevue Hill). This will be a great opportunity for players and parents to gather to celebrate the 2018 season, as we recognise the outstanding player performances and say farewell to our departing Year 12 students.
Tickets are $30 for Adults and $20 for Students (price includes meal as well as a “Lucky Door Prize” ticket). Drinks can be purchased at the bar at club prices. Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.trybooking.com/402720
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets MUST be purchased by 13th August (for catering purposes). No tickets will be sold at the door.
Assistance – Queens Park BBQ & Canteen
We have two big Saturdays of rugby remaining in the season and are again looking for support on the BBQ and Canteen this coming Saturday 4th August as well as the following Saturday 11th August. We are expecting HUGE numbers at Queens Park across both weekends. Parents and friends can simply go to the link below to register your interest:
Thanks in advance for all those who volunteer their support throughout the season and make all visitors to Queens Park feel so welcome.
Good luck to all teams this weekend! Please remember to get down to QP1 at 3:15pm (wearing your BLUE AND GOLD!) to support the Waves as they strive to retain the Henry Plume Shield!
WAVERLEY TO WIN!
