Round 11 Review

Round 11 – Match Report – 1st Grade

The Vikings were back at Viking Park for the annual Charity Day with Headspace being the charity partner, with a special lime green and white playing strip being worn by the team.  On a fine but cool day, the battle against the 2nd placed Wests Lions was a very physical and hard- fought game. The Vikings came away with a well-deserved victory to remain undefeated for the season and keep the Hitchcock Shield in their possession.

The Lions were running with the aid of a good breeze in first half and would trouble the scorers with the 1st try of the game after 5minutes of play.  The men in Green would strike back through a smart lineout play for a storming run by Smokin’ Joe Wadman to crash over near the sticks, with JD Lealiifano adding the extras.  Next up would be leading trying scorer, Slamin Sam Thomas getting another 5 pointer from a rolling maul to see the Vikings out to a 12 to 5 lead after 20 minutes. The Lions grabbed another try to close the gap before a rampaging Titi Nofoagatotoa grabbed a try to see the half time score of 17 to 10 in favour of the Vikings.

The 2nd half started with Lions grabbing a try to close the gap to 2 points to take the match to the Vikings in what was proving to be a great tussle between the two teams. A smashing run by Joe Wadman would then seethe wily half back Seamus Smith snipe over for a great try to see the score of24 to 15 to the Green Men with 20 minutes on the clock.  After a clever intercept and brilliant kick by Junior Time-Taotua would see a flying Lachie Davis win the race to dot down out wide.  Sharp shooter JD Lealiifano would smack over a superb 50 metre penalty goal to further extend the lead to34 to 15 to the men in Green.  The Vikings saved the best to last for a cracking try to Junior Time-Taoutua who won the race to a great kick by winger Lachie Davis to see the final score of 41 to 15.

Included with the victory spoils was another case of beer from the sponsors after the Viking’s well-earned win to now jump out to 15 points clear of their nearest rivals on the competition table. Power house prop, SilaTitiuti collected the Player’s Player award after dominating up front. Scheming Half back Seamus Smith would grab the 3 points after a busy and enterprising game. The crack centre pairing of Junior Time-Taotua and Joe Wadman would grabthe 2 and 1 points respectively after a very dynamic and polished performance.

The Viking’s have another bye next weekend before beginning the 5-week run into the finals in August. Go you good things…

Player’s Player:  Sila Titiuti
3-2-1’s:
3 points: Seamus Smith
2 points: Junior Time-Taotua
1 point: Joe Wadman

Round 11 – Match Report – 2nd Grade

A crisp day at the home of Rugby, a cold win off the mountains ensuring that the Paddle pops wouldn’t melt, they’d be soft but not liquid. Charity day was upon us with the Red Men looking to raise funds and awareness for Headspace ( https://headspace.org.au/ ) a charity looking after mental health issues in youth and fitting with our Brothers pillar.
The Lions first on the scoreboard from a PK, after Paddy Atkins was adjudged to have missed the turnover onto the deck. The Referee deciding early there was to be no contest for the ball at the ruck. A series of PKs awarded to Wests puts them over the try line the score at 9:43 0-10 much like the Penalty count.
At the 26 minute mark some hard work by the piggies setting a series of pick and goes on the try line finally getting reward with Copper Wright going over next to the posts 7-10.
34minutes the Red Men failing to understand the referee was not interested in players competing for the ball at the ruck put the blue attackers on the 5metre line with soft defence at the lineout allowing them to score 7-17 at Oranges.
5minutes into the 2nd half a hospital pass from Coop to Jak Mac sees Jak lifted above the horizontal and dumped. Blue player to the chair of contemplation and Teapot knocks over his first PK of the season 10-17.
2  Minutes later Reece Chin channels his Sonny-Bill offloads through contact to the every waiting Da$h Palmer to dance over, Teapot converts 17-17.
13 Minutes, Chinny takes charge around scrappy play with a dart and starts  moving the red men forward, the tiring blue defence can’t get back with plenty of space foe Dewy Hoare to cruise and dot down 24-17.
15minutes Travis Pula opens the defence with great line, running 30 metres before slowing for support creating a 4 on 3 for Palmer to continue the Dash show and light up the last 22meteres and dot down. Nathan Grey needs his head read… you can’t teach speed. 29-17.
17 Minutes Cooper Wright shows a glimpse of speed that belies his Kearns like seat and finishes with a delightful draw and pass to Mr Incredible Jr who dots his hat-trick try, the simplest of the 3 for Dash Palmer 34-17.
58  minutes Chinny decides the referee isn’t protecting his brothers and flies in after 13 Blue dog shots another red man off to the chair, Kerry finally runs out of patients for the lack control and follows him before Reece reaches the sideline.
70th minute with a full complement on field substitute Samson Lawson shows that he is fully returned from injury combining with Moustachioed Zac Lewis to put the game to bed.
After that game we need the bye to recover!!!
Scorers:
Tries: Dash Palmer (3), Cooper Wright, Dewy Hoare and Samson Lawson.
Conversions: Teapot Hargan 4/6, Tommy Lachlan 0/1
Penalties: Teapot Hargan 1/1
Players Player:  Henry “Dash” Palmer

3-2-1’s
3 points: Henry “Dash” Palmer
2 points: Cooper Wright
1 point: Kerry McInerny/Ryan “Dewy” Hoare

Round 11 – Match Report – Colts

SHANE TRAIN: THE DAY THE LIGHT RAIL CAME TO VIKINGS PARK!
More on that later but on Saturday we may have witnessed the coming of age of this year’s Colts. A blitzing of West’s Colts to the score of 53-12 was served up on the day in front of our Charity partners – Headspace Tuggeranong.
Nine tries to two and for the first time this year we outscored our illustrious big brothers in First Grade.
A host of backs and one lone forward scored the first 5tries – Taffy Symes, Soma Tuilagi, Ron Faimalo and the other Welsh Wizard, Samson Lawson all dotted down with M.O.M Matty Levika the lone forward.Once again, and I never get sick of saying this, the forward pack dominated despite losing Wil Taylor for the game. Corey Thompson rolled into hooker with Tony Lemisio filling in at No7 – both were awesome! Corey threw straight, ran great lines and offloaded effortlessly while Tony just ran himself into the ground. The backline was served very well by Caelan Caldwell, relishing a return with Shorty Grady off O/S for a period. Special mention to our Indian Rubber Man, Captain Davis who caused mild alarm when pretzeled under a large West’s player and lay motionless for a few minutes till his numbness went and carried on like nothing happened at all! Couldn’t have affected him too much judging by the celebrations when his team were hailed as Beer Pong Champs for 2023 later….Newbie Jason Ayun is looking more comfortable in his new code and only a matter of time before he dominates. Good to have Ron back too!
Back to the headline – 20mins from final whistle the Shane Train rolled into VP Station – and what a return from an absence! 4 tries in 20mins and cracking tries too, speed and vision! Rugby is and always will be 15men on a paddock, and we were comfortably ahead before his cameo, but this was definitely special to watch…wow!
Bye weekend and then we get to front up to our bogey side -Uni Norths again.
Players Player: Matt Levika
3-2-1’s:
3 points: Matt Levika
2 points: Soma Tuilagi
1 point: Corey Thompson

Round 11 – Match Report – 3rd Grade

The ‘Paw-some’ thirds were the early ‘mane’ attraction on the VP2 savanna with frosty-fours resting up as the cowardly lions followed the yellow brick road to a forfeit.  If there was an urge to sing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” it is never more than ‘a-win-anyway’ to tame those Westy ‘dan-d-Lions’.
An early mistake with a knock-on saw the us facing a Lion-feed scrum 15 meters from the Lions line – Wests looking for a quick exit off set piece – however the Lions proved meek in their scrum – a tigh-head win with excellent field position saw the Vikings piling on some phased pressure –it wasn’t long until the ‘pride of the wests’ was broken – Tommy Watego grabbing the opening try just three-minutes into the game.
However, it served as a wakeup call to Wests – the pride kicking into action with a short kick-off on the restart regaining the ball.  A well-set period of play the lions-controlled position and worked to find a line from side to side patiently working up the field to within striking distance – a ‘paw-fectly’ timed hard-line runner saw them across the line next to the posts – conversion successful Wests up 5-7.
With Wests in possession their patient phase play looked to be gain more ground as they again worked themselves out of their half. Our counter ruck defence frustrated by the great circus animal a lion is … by-‘lion all over the ball’ – however a quick bounce play was well read by Vikings – Eddie pouncing on a floating pass to intercept and make a break deep into Wests territory. Vikings settling the play to roll out the phases – a switch in tempo saw a quick ball passed onto a hard line run by Eddie breaking the line from 10 meters out to cross the line. The conversion successful to see Vikings in front again at the 10 min mark 12-7.
Wests were next to pounce.  A wind-blown ‘lion-out’ saw the short-arm to Wests on our 22 – a missed opportunity to exit. Wests gaining position off the scrum again looking to stretch us wide in defence and back again, the build up a carbon copy for their first try.  The variation this time was a sneaky mid-field chip and chase with a hard chasing back to dot the ball down.  12-12 at the 15 min mark.
Vikings kicked up a gear. With three quick tries. The first came off a penalty – a 5-meter lineout for Vikings to battle it out in a driving maul – falling just short, several quick phases saw Aedan diving across the line from two meters out. Conversion successful Vikings taking the lead 19-12.
The next Vikings raid coming just three minutes later, Wests restart kicking the ball out on the full. Midfield scrum and an advantageous 50-22 lineout, second phase saw Aedan chip and chase – regather with some razzle dazzle another spectacular dive to score, easy conversion Vikings up2 6-12.
Wests wanting to keep in touch struck quickly back – a Vikings mid field error giving West the scrum feed and decent field position.  Quick ball out wide to find the edge and score a ‘mane-stream’ wingers try.  The game looked to be on – with a ‘purr-spective’ fight back on – 26-19.
The final try of the first-half saw a well-executed lineout play – Tommy Watego a clear run to the line off the front of the lineout.   The first half a tit-for-tat eight try fest; Vikings up 33-19while we ‘paws-ed’ for the break.
The second half some both team looking to consolidate and tested each other in a slug feast of rugby and occasional boilover confrontations, the lions couldn’t fight – as they have the eye of a tiger.
However, Vikings looked to put the game to bed with a strong last 10minutes.  Willy P – great reward for troubling the defence line all day with a hard running line to cross with 10 minutes to go. Vikings extending the lead to 38-19, before a brief lapse saw the Lions sneak a consolation try 38-24.
George “Lion-Heart” Uilelea seeing the white line for a convincing finish and win to Vikings. With Thirds capturing lions for a living – you could say they took pride their work and having a ‘roar-some’ time of it… Final Score 45-24.
Players-Player:  Willy Penitani
3-2-1s:
3 points: Thomas ‘Larkham” Lachlan – apt that Thomas took to the10 role and showed some excellent Larkham-ese quality against Larkham’s former club.
2 points: Eddie ‘the lions-share’ Waqa: busting talks and taming lions – well deserved try.
1 point: Matt “waffles” Wafer.  Solid as a rock in a second half appearance ‘mane-handling’ the tamed cats in defence and at set piece.