Wanneroo v Palmyra 2nd April 2022

Round 1      WANNEROO v PALMYRA at KINGSWAY     2nd April 2022

STARTING FIFTEEN:

1       Andre Roux                           

2       Scott Cornell

3       Marcus Cutler

23     Kyle Seear                                  

5       Caleb Karangaroa                     

6       Andrew King (C)

7       Darcy Hinkley                        

8       Mark Cornell                         

9       Bayce Leatherby                     

10     Ethan Riley

11     Porikapi Tukaki 

12     Jayden Stokes                 

13     Wanangi Kingi                  

14     Justin Talemaira

15     Jordan Grattan                                       

 BENCH:

4       Brad Woodford       

16     Jared Ruwhiu-Bott           

17     Maibibi Nikora                                                       

19     Brayden Karangaroa                    

20     Jordan Templeton                                                            

22     Brent Anderson       

24     John Rodgers

25     Mauie Te Tana

 COACHING STAFF:

Ian Armitage

Dave Freman.

Both teams celebrate major milestones today.

It is Wanneroo Rugby Club’s 50th anniversary

Palmyra captain Captain, Dylan Cunningham, is playing his 100th first grade game.

 Wanneroo are wearing their specially designed 50th Anniversary strip (design courtesy of Senior President Josh Yoder) The game is also important for the Roo Dogs because half the first grade team is made of players who came through our junior club ranks.

 GAME

Palmyra start with a drop out deep into Wanneroo’s 22. The Dogs look composed and move the ball well, until a forward pass gives Paly a scrum feed on the Dogs 5 metre line. The green pack put their stamp on proceedings immediately with a brutal shunt that sends Palmyra skywards. The blue pack get the ball away under duress and manage to initiate an attack out wide on the left wing, but powerful defensive hits force them to cough the ball up. The ensuing scrum ball goes out to Wanneroo full back Jordan Grattan who charges into Paly’s defence before setting the ball for Fly Half Ethan Reilly to kick for touch.

Paly attack from the line out, but a woeful pass gives the greens a scrum feed. The visitors pack must have realised it was going to be a hard day at the office and tried an early engagement. The ref pings them and Wanneroo take the scrum option again. Scrum half, Bayce Leatherby, feeds Ethan who takes the ball to the line sucking in defenders before passing to Jayden Stokes. Jayden links up with Darcey Hinkley who beats another two defenders before releasing the ball for Jordan to drive on and set up again. Mark Cornell carries it into contact, followed by Caleb Karangaroa enabling Ethan to release hooker, Scott Cornell. Scott smashes the ball up and Caleb has another gallop, giving Ethan enough time to feed Porikapi Tukaki (P). He runs a wide angle and sucks in two defenders, before giving a lovely back of the hand pass to Bayce who has looped round. Bayce finishes the well-executed move with a try in the right corner. Jordan’s wide out conversion attempt just misses.

 WANNEROO 5 – PALMYRA 0

 Palmyra send the drop out to the green forwards who relish physical encounters of any kind. Paly’s defensive efforts earn them the dubious reward of a scrum feed. They get marmalised and, to add insult to injury, Wanneroo get a penalty kick. Andrew King soars high in the line out and gives the ball to Bayce, who fires it out to his backs. But an infringement at the break down sees the ref award a penalty to Paly, which they kick for a line out in Waneroo’s 22.

 Paly’s fat boys (old rugby terminology for front rowers) hit the ball up, but Wanneroo’s punishing defence force Paly’s point of attack wider where an excellent tackle by Justin dislodges the ball. The Dogs run the scrum ball, Paly infringe and the ref penalises them.

Wanneroo opt for the line out, take their own throw in easily and run the ball.  All was looking good until a loose, unnecessary tapped pass gifts the ball to Palmyra and they run in a soft try. The try is converted.

 WANNEROO 5 – PALMYRA 7

 Wanneroo is dominating play, but both sides seemed edgy and unsettled. Both make basic, unforced errors at strategic times. Palmyra instigate an attack that breaches the Wanneroo tackle line and they barge their way into the Green’s 22. A big hit by Jordan stops the ball carrier, but a green support player is penalised for hands in the breakdown and Paly are gifted another 3 points.  

 WANNEROO 5 – PALMYRA 10

‘P’ challenges the drop out and flattens the catcher. Paly take possession and pump the ball high into the air. Jordan races to it, leaps and wins the aerial contest against two Paly players. He hits the ground heavily but still manages to pop the ball to his support runners. Wanneroo is in charge, but Paly are brave, physical and resilient. They use close contact runs, with short passes to get into the Dogs 22, but they grind to a halt when Darcey and Bones combine to stymie their progress.

The visitors make another foray into the Dogs 22, only to come to grief when Andre (Beats) Roux introduces himself to the ball carrier. Darcy Hinkley picks up the pieces and has a trot. A few phases later the visitors launch another attack, only for the ball carrier to be shunted into touch by a swarm of green jumpers.

Wanneroo is in charge and Ethan is orchestrating the play beautifully, but the Dogs are probably guilty of trying too hard and push passes instead of consolidating at important times.

Ethan gets a quality ball in Paly’s 22 and draws the defence before slipping it to Wanangi Kingi, who runs a perfect, angled line on the inside shoulder. He sucks in a couple of defenders before laying the ball back in the tackle for his support. Bayce immediately feeds Ethan, who jinks and steps his way round three or four defenders to score a delightful try under the posts. Jordan delivers the extras.

 WANNEROO 12 – PALMYRA 10

 Paly are playing second fiddle, but they are undeterred. They throw everything at the Dogs and are rewarded with a line throw. Unfortunately, their throw in is awful and the ball is snapped up by Darcey. Wanneroo go on the rampage again, until another unforced error gives Paly a scrum feed. At this stage the Dogs are in control and should really put Paly away. But, to their credit, the visitors hang in and although they can’t break through Wanneroo’s defence, they spoil the green party when they kick a penalty just before half time.   

 HALF TIME:   WANNEROO 12 – PALMYRA 13

 Wanneroo resume with Wanangi Kingi trying to make a break but he’s caught by three Paly defenders who hold him upright and the ref awards Paly a scrum feed. Paly’s scrum gets done over, but their half back manages to get the ball & make a promising break before Dogs captain Andre King, gets back & drags him down. Paly struggle, but somehow maintain the attack and slowly grunt their way towards the Wanneroo try line until the ref calls them back for a penalty. Paly kick for the line out and use simple tactics to advance. They crash the ball up with close support, short passes and pick & goes. Wanneroo defend well but can’t stop the momentum and Paly scored wide out on the left wing.

 WANNEROO 12 – PALMYRA 20

 Mauie Te Tana replaces Andre (Beats) Roux, who has done a magnificent job up front. Wanneroo are buzzing, but they continue to make unforced errors and poor choices that enable Paly to stay in the game. The visitors kick the ball into an empty green 2 and somehow, Jayden gets back and drops on the ball, followed quickly by his support and Bayce who belts it into touch. There’s no lack of effort by either side, but they both make more mistakes at crucial times. Paly make a major faux pas by infringing at a ruck within kicking distance of their posts. The ref pings them and superboot Jordan delivers.

 WANNEROO 15 – PALMYRA 20

 Wanneroo is improving but still not firing on all cylinders. Ethan sends a perfectly judged grubber kick towards Paly’s try line and Jayden makes a supreme effort to get to it. Paly win the foot race but are forced to kick for touch.  Wanneroo play some good stuff, with forwards and backs combining, to force their way to within ten metres of the Blue’s try line. But Paly repeat their previous tactic of holding the attacking ball carrier up. This time they manage to steal the ball and put it into touch in Wanneroo territory.

Wanneroo make a Dogs breakfast of their line out but manage to recover the ball and kick it to touch. Paly have a bit of a purple patch and set up a counter attack that finally cracks the green defence and they make it into the 22. Only a desperate rear-guard tackle by Andrew King slows their momentum. Paly maintain the attack, but another wild pass lets Wanneroo off the hook and Bayce hoofs the ball into touch.

Paly muff another opportunity from the line out when their backs get dropsy and Wanneroo get the scrum feed. The Dogs have dominated the set piece all day, but not this time. They get shunted and Paly send the ball into the green corner, where it is well fielded by Juddy under huge pressure from the chasers. He evades the heavies and slips the ball to Jordan who kicks it through the smallest of gaps past the oncoming challengers.

Paly is resurgent and attack with muti phase hit ups, but Wanneroo’s defence is impregnable. It is typified by young replacement Brayden Kangaroa’s massive hit on a Blue ball runner. Wanneroo build patiently, with good work out wide by Kingi, who links up with Juddy on the right wing. Juddy is under huge pressure but gets his kick away only to see it go dead. Paly commit a cardinal sin at the same time by obstructing the chaser and the ref penalises them five metres out from their try line. Ethan kicks for a line out on the 5 metre line.

Bones reaches dizzying heights to claim the throw in and his lifters drag him down and set a driving maul. Mauie has the ball at the back, but Scott Cornell joins the maul and takes it from him. He proves his experience by planting it for a try, at the back of a wonderfully constructed driving maul close to the sideline. Jordan’s conversion bounces off the post.

 WANNEROO 20 – PALMYRA 20

Now it’s on for young and old. Ethan sends the drop out deep. The visitors take a quick throw and Anaru makes a magnificent weaving run that takes him into Wanneroo’s half. He looks to have evaded and outstripped the defence until Brayden Karangaroa comes after him from behind and across and drives him into touch. Both players deserve the highest of accolades for their outstanding play. Replacement scrum half John Rodgers sends the line out ball to Ethan who relieves the pressure with a kick to touch.

 If Wanneroo made a Dogs breakfast of an earlier line out, Paly supersede it with a pigs arse of a job and captain King steals their ball to put Wanneroo on the front foot. Ethan’s laser like boot sent the ball into Paly ‘s red zone and the green machine rumbles on with Mauie doing a great snowplough imitation. Paly do their best, but get obliterated and the ref adds insult to injury by penalising them. Step up Mr Grattan.

 WANNEROO 23 – PALMYRA 20

The action is reminiscent of a Rocky Balboa movie with both teams standing up while being belted. Paly launch a desperate attack from a scrum 30 metres out and put a hopeful grubber behind the Dogs defence, only to be denied when Jordan sends the ball into touch and earns a penalty at the same time. Wanneroo get a line out and another penalty that they kick to Paly’s 40 metre line for a line out. Paly contest the throw well, forcing Caleb to tap and the Blues come out of the resulting melee with the ball, sending it wide and fast to their left wing. Wanneroo react quickly, cover well and stop Paly’s progress but the ref sees a green transgression and awards a penalty to Paly.

Palmyra kick to Wanneroo’s 5 metre line and drive the line out ball towards the try line in a driving maul. The greens dig deep and manage to halt their momentum, but Paly’s fat boys peel off with a metre to go. The Dogs do well to hold them for two hit ups, but the try is inevitable. The conversion is successful and Paly are in front with only minutes to go.

 WANNEROO 23 – PALMYRA 27

 Ethan goes high and long with the restart and the ball is on target to land about five metres out from Paly’s try line. It looks like two of their players don’t communicate well and one of them fumbles the catch, giving Wanneroo a scrum. The green pack presents the ball to John Rodgers, who dispatches it quickly to Ethan. He takes it to the line sucking in two defenders before offloading to Jayden. He hits the ball on the burst, but a Paly defender is right on him and hits him hard. He manages to get the ball away in the tackle, but it’s on it’s way to Jordan who is going to collecting man and ball together. Jordan’s lightning quick hand flicks the ball on to Juddy, who is coming up like a rocket. Justin has an awful lot of work to do against an onrushing defence, but he pulls it off and scores a five pointer. Jordan’s kick doesn’t go over the black dot, but Wanneroo have won.  

 FINAL SCORE: WANNEROO 28 – PALMYRA 27

This was without doubt an ugly win, but it is highly significant for the team and their coaching panel.

Ugly wins build character.

 Looking back to last year, Wanneroo may not have been able to pull off a last gasp win in a similar game.

 We’ve started with a few new faces, but a lot of familiar faces that were playing in our junior ranks only two years ago. These young guys are at the beginning of a fabulous, senior sporting adventure and deserve to be recognised and appreciated for their loyalty and their ability. Same with the senior guys and mentors.

The coaching staff have every right to be delighted, because they put great faith in our youth and allied them to a good nucleus of experienced players. It is essential that the playing group use this hard-fought win as a template for the future.

 Congrats to all of you.

I loved it.

Bill Watt