Bill's match report 4th July 2021

WANNEROO V PERTH BAYSWATER at Pat Ohara Reserve 3rd July 2021

WANNEROO - Starting fifteen

1 Andre Roux

2 Scott Cornell

3 James Brown

4 Darcy Hinkley

17 Luke Burnett

6 Andrew King

7 Oliver Callan

8 Mark Cornell

9 Robert Stortz

10 Ethan Reilly

11 Bailey Payne

12 Jordan Grattan

13 Grason Makara

14 Porikapi Tukaki

15 Jeremy Wallace

BENCH

5 Setefano Launiuvau

16 Brayden Karangaroa

17 Jackson Merrey

18 Chaise Geary

19 Bradley Campbell

20 Hanno Van de Merwe

21 Jaylen Grey

23 Jared Deacon

24 Ben Stimson

I know that Wanneroo’s coaching staff would never complain, but this game was always going to be a big ask for their team. Their exciting back line is relatively unscathed, but they have a host of players unavailable. The long list includes two senior props and their specialist locks. So, their rejigged pack has a battle on their hands.

That situation was compounded by the Covid lock down that prevented them training or even getting together this week.

GAME:

Wanneroo started brightly, with a long drop out that ended in a line out for the Roo Dogs. Scrum half, Robert Stortz released his back line, only for Perth to win a turnover ball. They kicked deep to Jeremy Wallace, who counter attacked confidently before laying a ruck ball back. It went out and ended up with Grason Makara, who cut inside several defenders before offloading to Andre (Beats) Roux. Beats committed the defence and slipped a lovely pass out the back of his hand to Jeremy who set up Darcy Hinkley for the opening try of the game. Jordan Grattan converted the try.

Perth Bayswater 0 – Wanneroo 7.

Jordan caught Perth’s drop out ball and gave it to Ethan who sent it deep into Perth Territory for a home line out. Perth returned the compliment by kicking their line out ball into the Green’s 22. Wanneroo took the ball off the top and Robert fed Ollie Callan on the run. He linked up with Jordan and Grason and the three of them weaved their way through Perth’s defence. Grason passed (sorry don’t know who to), got a quick return ball and scored a try out wide. Jordan’s conversion sailed over the black dot.

Perth Bayswater 0 – Wanneroo 14.

Perth had hardly been in the game and Wanneroo appeared to be in control. But the home side showed their mettle with three ferocious hit ups that took them into green territory. Ollie was strong in the tackle, but the ref thought he was overzealous and gave him a yellow card. Perth wasted their opportunity and their brief foray ended with a scrum feed to Wanneroo.

The green scrum got shunted, with Robert given no chance to get the ball out and the ref pinged Wanneroo. Perth took the scrum option again and sent the ball quickly to their fly half, Otu Mausia, who made ground before being tackled. His scrum half, Damien Menard, fed his backs and they responded with quick hands out to their right. When the Dogs stopped their progress, the blacks switched play to the left where Brandon Olo and Nuku Pautatried to force their way to the try line. Wanneroo stopped them, but Brandon got the ball again and linked with another player (sorry couldn’t see who it was) who opened Baysie’s account. Mausia converted from in front.

Perth Bayswater 7 – Wanneroo 14.

Wanneroo responded quickly with a line out on Perth’s 22. The throw in sailed over the jumpers, but Robert managed to clean up and have a dash before releasing his pack. His forwards drove the ball on and set a good platform that allowed him to give Porikapi Tukaki the opportunity to attack. He ran elusively and earned his side a penalty when the ref decided Perth defenders went off their feet at the breakdown. Jordan took the three points.

Perth Bayswater 7 – Wanneroo 17.

Wanneroo looked capable of stepping up another notch. But nobody told Perth, because they resumed by putting their stamp on the game with some powerful hit ups. Wanneroo absorbed the punishment and earned a line out on the halfway. Their throw in went over the jumpers and Perth took full advantage by winning the ball and attacking up their right wing. Perth’s No 8 took a crash ball, charged at the green defenders who stopped him in his tracks, but Wanneroo got penalised for hands in the ruck. Mausia kicked for a line out on the green 22.

Perth whizzed the line out ball to their midfield, but the ball carrier couldn’t penetrate and was forced to set the ruck. Perth used fast ball and their good running, allied to quick support, enabled them to create five phases of play that went quickly from left to right and then back again. Wanneroo’s first up defence was ok, but they struggled to realign. Perth capitalised on that, by getting the ball to their winger in space and he finished a particularly good team effort with a try.

Perth Bayswater 12 – Wanneroo 17.

The Dogs resumed with aggressive ball carrying that forced Perth back to their own 22. The greens were rewarded with a scrum feed and Mark Cornell ran the ball from the base. He hammered his way towards the try line and Perth had to concede a penalty to stop him. Ollie took a quick tap & go and got to the five-metre line where he laid the ball back for his fellow grunts, who made three more punishing hit ups. Perth tackled well, but eventually ran out of numbers allowing Robert to feed Grason who strolled in for the easiest of tries. Jordan kicked another long-range conversion.

Perth Bayswater 12 – Wanneroo 24.

Perth seemed undeterred by the setback and attacked immediately. They put the ball through hands quickly and breached Wanneroo’s first line of defence. The Roo Dogs reorganised, dropped back and managed to stop their progress at the cost of a penalty about 10 metres out. Perth was confident enough to waive the three pointer and opt for the scrum. Wise choice. The black pack set the ball for scrum half Damien Menard who passed to his full back, Andrew Ramsden, coming into the line. He fed his right winger who outflanked the green defence to score.

Perth Bayswater 17 – Wanneroo 24.

This topsy turvey game was in the balance. Wanneroo should really have been comfortably in the driving seat, but they had lost their way a little. Their attack was good, but their defence was disjointed and their line out and scrum were both struggling. Perth had been pressured into mistakes, but it didn’t seem to have affected them. They looked calm and their fly half, was beginning to have an influence on the game.

Wanneroo ran the ball from a line out with Ethan, Jordan, Porikapi and Jeremy all displaying their class - until a knock on stopped progress. Perth got the scrum feed and shoved Wanneroo back, but they wasted their opportunity with a forward pass. Wanneroo ran the ball from the scrum and successive hits earned them two more (bent arm) penalties. From the second one Robert gave James Brown the ball and he made good ground before being brought down. Ollie took the ball on and fed Ethan, who stepped inside the first defender but got brought down by the second one. Ollie picked the ball up and planted it under the posts. Jordan kicked the conversion.

HALF TIME: Perth Bayswater 17 – Wanneroo 31.

The second half started with the Dogs just managing to pluck the ball out of a scrum, while going backwards at a rate of knots. Jordan relieved the ensuing pressure with a long kick and Perth ran the ball back before kicking it into the Dogs 22. Wanneroo sent it into touch for a Perth line out. The home side got the ball to their left wing and when he ran out of space they switched play to the opposite wing, where their young prop, Max Veech took possession. He ran hard and slipped the ball to his support just before he was driven into touch. Perth returned the ball to their left wing, who ran around the defence to score.

Perth Bayswater 24 – Wanneroo 31.

The Roo Dogs attacked immediately and created five phases of play. Perth stood fast until Grason weaved his way through their line with close support from Jeremy and Bailey. Their enterprising running enabled their team mates to create another four phases of play. Wanneroo was on fire, with Ethan, Jordan & Jeremy joining forces to take play on this time. Replacement scrum half, Jared fed the ball from subsequent phases to Grason, then to Scott then to Scott again who fed Soul Brother Brown, then to Ethan with captain Andrew King in support. To Perth’s credit, they were stretched but hung in until the ref penalised them for not rolling away at the breakdown.

Wanneroo lost their own line throw and Perth got a scrum feed 10 metres from their own try line. Mausia hoofed the scrum ball deep into the Dogs territory, where Jeremy countered with Kingy in support. They ran well but Perth’s hard hits forced a turnover at the breakdown. They ran the ball but wasted their opportunity by throwing wild passes and conceding a penalty. Ethan kicked for a line out and the Dogs pack steadied to win their own throw. Jared gave a flat pass to Ethan who raced away and slipped past two ‘would be’ tacklers before feeding Darcy. He rocketed up the wing and planted the ball for a hard worked and well-earned try. Jordan’s long range kicked just missed.

Perth Bayswater 24 – Wanneroo 36.

Beats took the drop out ball, Setefano (Rob) Launiuvau carried it on, set the ruck and laid the ball back. Ethan’s kick missed touch and Mausia had a run before laying the ball off. The receiver set the ball up at the breakdown, from where it went back to Mausia, who had another run. Mark hit him with a good one, but he wore it and laid the ball back for his pack. They swarmed in and forced their way through a fragmented Wanneroo defence to score. Mausia converted the try.

Perth Bayswater 31 – Wanneroo 36.

This crazy game restarted with the two fly half’s trading kicks that ended with a line out to Wanneroo. The Dogs throw in went over the top of their jumpers and Perth took possession. The Roo Dogs got in their faces, but Perth kept the ball alive with pop passes and fast support. Their work earned them a penalty in the green’s 22, where they took the line out option. Menard released Mausia, who had a go through the midfield, forcing Wanneroo to commit to the tackle. The Dogs defended well, with Chaise Geary putting in a couple of rib ticklers.

Perth went wide in an attempt to break through, but the green defence held them out. Unfortunately, their good work came to naught when the ref awarded a penalty to Perth about five metres from the green try line. Perth was dominating the set piece, so it was no surprise when they opted for a scrum. Their No 8, picked up at the base, broke left and squeezed through the narrowest of gaps to score. Mausia converted.

Perth Bayswater 38 – Wanneroo 36.

Ethan sent a long drop out into Perth’s 22 and Mausia ran it out before kicking for touch. Wanneroo lost their own line out and Perth claimed the loose ball but decided to kick it. Wanneroo ran it back and Perth got penalised at the tackle. Jordan took a kick for goal that was at least 42 metres - it just missed.

Play resumed with Wanneroo losing another of their own line out throws and Perth kicked for touch. The Roo Dogs took a quick throw in but didn’t use the ball well. The ref pinged Perth for backchat and Ethan kicked for a line out on the halfway. The Dogs claimed their own ball and gave it to Hanno van de Merwe who made a blockbuster of a run. He was backed up by Kingy, who took the ball on before Ethan sent it high to Perth’s full back. He took it on the full and set it up for his scrum half, who passed it to Mausia. He made one of his few mistakes in the game when he spilled the ball in the tackle.

Baily Payne counter attacked from a Perth kick with Kingy again in support. They drove in hard but got penalised for not releasing. Perth went for the line out, took the throw in comfortably and gave it to their hooker, Dante Tatafu, on the loop. He passed to Mausia, who sent it out quickly for another assault on the green line. Wanneroo was resurgent in their defence, but Perth were patient and diligent in their work. They recycled the ball through ten phases of play until they created an overlap for their left wing and scored the final try of the game out wide. Mausia kicked the conversion from the sideline.

FINAL SCORE: Perth Bayswater 45 – Wanneroo 36.

Wanneroo fought to the end, with a never say die effort and came so close.

They even spoiled a Baysie line throw towards the end.

A big thank you to the Roo Dogs, especiallyt their pack who had a tough day at the office. Even bigger thanks to the two flankers who fronted up out of position at lock.

But today was Perth’s day and they ran out as winners. Captain Jake Buist led from the front and was involved in most aspects of play. He is epitome of a good rugby player.

It’s great to see that Perth have recruited well for 2021, with the likes of Sam Beard and Otu Mausia joining them

Sam played for Bay of Plenty and then in Europe before joining Canterbury in 2018. Last season he played for New England Free Jacks in the US.

Otu is a utility back who played in Italy and has also appeared for Auckland in the ITM and Tonga.

I’m very proud and honoured to be a life member at Perth and at Wanneroo. I’ve shared 39 years between the two clubs, and they are both very special to my heart. I’m even more honoured that they play for the Bill Watt cup every year.

Bill Watt